Big two parties face major test as polls open in local elections

Polls opened in local elections yesterday tipped to inflict losses on the UK’s two main parties and confirm the rise of hard-right populists, portending the splintering ofa century-long political duopoly.

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The polls in England are the first since Keir Starmer became Labour prime minister and Kemi Badenoch took over at the helm of the struggling opposition Conservatives last year.

The anti-immigrant Reform UK party is expected to make gains, as are the centrist Liberal Democrats and left-wing Greens, confirming a trend that Britain is entering an era of multi-party politics.

“British politics appears to be fragmenting,” political scientist John Curtice wrote in The Telegraph this week, adding that the polls “will likely be the firstin which as many as five parties are serious players’

British politics have been dominated by the centre-left Labour party and centre-right Tories since the early 20th century. But last year's general election and recent opinion polls show a shift towards greater pluralism.

Surveys show Britons are disillusioned with the two establishment parties amid anaemic economic growth, high levels of irregular immigration and flagging public services.

Labour won a parliamentary majority in July with just 33.7% of the vote, the lowest share for any party winning ageneral election since World War II.