Reform on the march? Our local elections guide
Political Fix
Financial Times
4.2 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 25 April 2025
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ahead of England’s local elections next week, the Political Fix team pick the races to watch and what’s at stake for the main parties, as voters head to the polls to elect 1,600-odd councillors, six mayors and one new MP. Host Lucy Fisher is joined by podcast regulars Miranda Green and Anna Gross, plus the FT’s Northern correspondent Jennifer Williams, to ask whether Reform UK will live up to high expectations, and just how far both Labour and the Tories could fall. They also examine Sir Keir Starmer’s pivot to patriotism and projection of a nostalgic vision of England, as he attempts to see off the threat from Nigel Farage.
Have a question for our panel? Drop us a line at politicalfix@ft.com. Record a voice note with your name and question, and email it to us.
Follow Lucy on Bluesky or X: @lucyfisher.bsky.social, @LOS_Fisher; Anna annasophiegross.bsky.social @AnnaSophieGross, Miranda @greenmirandahere.bsky.social, and Jennifer @JenWilliams_FT @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social
Want more? Free links:
What to watch in the 2025 local elections
Starmer plays up patriotic credentials as local elections loom
Reform UK heads offshore to raise funds from world’s wealthy
Unite divided: British trade union grapples with twin scandals
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Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Lulu Smyth, with help from Georgina Quach. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to political fix from the Financial Times with me, Lucy Fisher. |
| 0:07.5 | We're just a week away from the local elections, the main set of polls this year. |
| 0:12.2 | Next Thursday, voters will head to ballot stations across England to elect councillors in 24 local authorities, |
| 0:18.5 | along with six mayors and one new MP in a parliamentary by-election. |
| 0:22.8 | We're bringing you today a guide to the races to watch, what to expect from each of the main parties |
| 0:27.4 | and what it might mean for the government. To do that, I'm joined by my FT colleagues Anna Gross. |
| 0:33.2 | Hi, Anna. Hi, Anna. Hi, Lucy. I'm Miranda. Hi, Miranda. Hello, Lucy. |
| 0:37.2 | And the FT's northern correspondent, Jennifer Williams. Hi, Jen. Hi, Lucy. Hi, Lucy. I'm Miranda Green. Hi, Miranda. Hello, Lucy. And the FTs northern correspondent, Jennifer Williams. |
| 0:39.6 | Hi, Jen. |
| 0:40.4 | Hi, Lucy. |
| 0:43.2 | Well, we've got 1,600 odd council seats up for election. |
| 0:47.3 | And as I mentioned, Merrill T's, Westminster by-election. |
| 0:50.4 | As ever, it's a bit of a rag-tag assortment of contests on May 1st. |
| 0:55.2 | So can I start by asking each of you to pick out the races that are exciting you the most? |
| 1:00.4 | Kicking off with you, Miranda. |
| 1:01.7 | Yeah, so I think it's likely that headlines over the weekend following next Thursday's polling day |
| 1:07.8 | will be dominated by the Runcorn by-election, |
| 1:12.2 | Runcorn and Helsby, I should say, because it's a relatively new constituency. |
| 1:17.0 | In Cheshire. |
| 1:17.6 | In Cheshire. |
| 1:18.9 | I think if Nigel Farge's Reform UK succeed in grabbing that from Kirstarmes' governing party, |
| 1:27.1 | it will be taken as quite a blow to the |
... |
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