England local elections 2025

Matt Chorley: Local elections might lack glamour - but they matter

The 5 live host considers what's at stake on a trip to the heart of some of the big battles on 1 May.
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  1. A blurry shot of a man wearing a blue hoodie and jeans walks past an in focus photo of a polling station fabric sign which has been attached to a green fence, there is a green hedge to the right hand side.

  2. A black plastic box that has ballot box written on it in white text. Above the box a hand can be seen slipping a white piece of paper into the box

  3. Ronald Firman looks directly at the camera. He is wearing glasses, a blue striped shirt and dark suit jacket, and stands against a plain background.

  4. The six candidates looking at the camera while on a punt in the River Cherwell, with Magdalen College's tower in the background.

  5. Stacked ballot boxes

  6. A man with dark hair is wearing a dark jacket and white shirt. He is facing the camera and smiling

  7. Multiple cars queuing in traffic on the A1.

  8. The photo shows the front of Doncaster Mansion House, a grand building with large columns and ornate windows. It is night time and the building is lit up by lights

  9. Ed Davey by newborn lamb, as lamb looks into camera lens

  10. Woman with cropped brown hair, wearing a grey top, and sitting on a brown arm chair in front of a cream-coloured wall.

  11. Close up of the sign for Northumberland County Council. The lettering is white on a dark blue background underneath the red and yellow flag.

  12. Lincoln's Steep Hill showing the cobbled street and pavement and shops. Several people are walking up and down the Hill.

  13. Nik Johnson wearing a navy suit with a light blue shirt and a purple tie with a spotty pattern. He also wears a round badge with a bike on it. His short hair is slightly windswept on the right hand side. He stands in front of some bushes which are blurred.

  14. A person is walking from left to right outside a polling station, which appears to be a church building. A sign reading polling station is tied to green metal railings outside the church.

  15. Polling station sign with an arrow pointing to tell voters how to enter. In the background a union flag flies.

  16. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaking to media at the Denby Lodge in Ripley, Derbyshire

  17. A woman with short grey hair in a pink jacket is walking arm in arm with a man with short grey hair, their backs are to the camera. They are walking past a black metal fence that has a large white sign. It reads "polling station" in black letters. There are bushes in the background

  18. File photo dated 06/05/10 of a voter placing a ballot paper in the ballot box at the polling station at Market Hall in Swadlincote, Derbyshire.

  19. An image of a woman tying a polling station sign to iron railings, with a multicoloured triangle superimposed on the photo.

  20. A black and white cut-out of Matt Chorley against a purple background with a graphic showing a map of England laid over a multi-coloured prism

  21. Some of Bristol distinctive multi-coloured Victorian-era houses arranged in terraced streets in Totterdown are viewed from the air.

  22. A head and shoulders image of Conservative Weca candidate, Steve Smith. He is wearing a dark grey jacket and pale shirt which is open at the neck

  23. Ian Scott wearing a smart shirt sat on a bench. He has short cropped grey hair

  24. Mary Page wearing a purple top and black cardigan. In the background is a train coming into the station platform where she is standing.