Local elections 2024: What are they and what do councils do?

Millions of adults in England will be voting in some important elections this week, which could have a big effect on the area where you live.

These are local elections where people choose who they want to run their villages, towns or cities.

There are different types of local authorities - often known as councils - but they are in charge of lots of things in our local areas, including things like schools, traffic and bin collections.

Adults around the UK vote in local elections in most years, but experts are watching this year's closely for any clues about the possible results of a UK-wide general election that's also expected later this year.

Here's what you need to know.

What do local authorities do?

There are lots of different types of local authorities - and the names can be confusing.

You might hear talk of town and county councils, of mayors, of assemblies even of unitary authorities!

But in all these cases, the main job of those who work there is to manage local areas, make decisions and provide services for the people who live there.

Local councils are often in charge of things like leisure centres and swimming pools

Often these are things you see and use everyday, including schools, leisure centres, parks, libraries, bin collections, and litter picking.

Some of the money to pay for these services is given to local authorities by the UK government and some of it comes from contributions by people who live in the area, known as local taxes.

When are the local elections?

Local councils often meet in town halls, like this one in Bolton

On Thursday 2 May 2024, there are several different types of elections going on at the same time.

More than 2,500 local council seats in England are up for grabs, along with 11 mayoral elections in cites including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool.

There are also elections in England and Wales to appoint politicians who are responsible for policing and crime in their area.

And in Blackpool people are voting for a new Member of Parliament (MP) after the current MP stood down.

There aren't any elections this year in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Who stands in local elections?

Usually all the main UK political parties have representatives standing in the local elections, along with many smaller parties and independent candidates.

What is a general election?

Local elections are different to a general election.

A general election is when people vote for the government to run the whole country. The last one was in 2019 and there's due to be one later this year.

In a general election people vote for a local representative - a member of Parliament or MP - to go to the Houses of Parliament to represent them there.

The local elections are about choosing who runs things in the village, town or city where you live.

Why are local elections important?

London Assembly members work at City Hall - sometimes known as the motorbike helmet - can you see why?

Local elections are always important as they decide who runs vital services that affect millions of people's lives every day.

However, experts will be looking closely at these local elections to try to work out how people are feeling about the whole UK government.

The Prime Minster leads the UK government from 10 Downing Street

That's because later this year there's due to be a general election for the UK Parliament - when it is decided who is going to run the country from behind the famous door in Downing Street.

How each political party does locally will be watched very carefully, looking for clues as to who that might be.