There were council elections held in 230 of England’s 317 councils on Thursday 4 May 2023 (this is 8,058 council seats). On 18 May 2023 elections are taking place for all 462 seats in all 11 local authorities in Northern Ireland.

Most of the results are in and it looks like many conservative councils lost overall control and other parties have gained. Labour has gained four councils and the Liberal Democrats five. The Green Party has won outright control of a council for the first time in Mid-Suffolk, they are also the largest party in East Hertfordshire Council.

Local mayoral elections will take place in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough. This group of mayors are directly-elected leaders of their local councils and use FTFP. In Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough a Labour candidate was elected. Middlesbrough previously had an Independent mayor.

The local elections matter as many frontline services are delivered by local councils, county councils are responsible for social care, transport and education and district councils provide planning and waste collection.

There are also mayoral combined authorities and they operate across several council areas, for instance transport, skills and economic developments.

Any way, there has been a shift of power in some local councils and we should always consider carefully what we vote for and be thankful democracy is our right in 2023.

From 1429 in counties, the right to vote was given to men aged 21 or over, owning freehold lands or tenements with an annual net value of 40s or more.

The franchise, in boroughs, varied widely according to local custom. It could range from extensive electorates of all male heads of households, to freemen only or to the so-called ‘rotten’ or ‘pocket’ boroughs, where only a handful of people could vote.

In 1832, The Reform Act (in counties) extended the county franchise to men who owned or occupied lands and tenements worth between £2 and £5 per annum, thus including tenants for the first time.

Holders of property worth more than £10 were also given the right to vote. It has been estimated that about one in seven men were then entitled to vote.

Owners or tenants (in boroughs) of buildings worth at least £10 per annum were given the vote.

However, this was provided that they had occupied the building(s) for at least 12 months prior to the registration date and had paid the appropriate poor rates and taxes. It was also necessary to live within seven miles of the borough.

In 1867, in counties, all male owners of real estate worth £5 or more were enfranchised with the passing of the Second Reform Act, together with those who occupied land and paid rent of £50 or more per year.

The vote was also extended to owners and tenants of lands with the rateable value of £12 or more who were paying taxes.

The vote (in boroughs) was extended to all male owners and tenants of dwelling-houses under the act, as well as most occupiers paying at least £10 rent per annum.

This resulted in a large increase in urban voters.

In 1869 some women received a vote in local government elections, provided they had the necessary property qualifications and paid rates.

In 1884, the Third Reform Act was passed. The borough qualification granted in 1867 was now extended to the counties.

Therefore freeholders of inherited land worth 40s, freeholders of any land worth £5 and certain leaseholders, occupiers and lodgers were now enfranchised.

The majority of male householders over 21 were now entitled to vote, but residence in one place for 12 months was required.

It has been estimated that just over 60% of men over 21 now had the right to vote.

In 1918, The ‘Representation of the People’ Act was passed. All males over 21 were now eligible to vote, as were women over 30 who were householders (ie local government electors) or wives of householders.

The residential qualification period was reduced to six months.

In 1928, the vote was granted to women over 21.

In 1969, the age limit for voting was reduced to 18.