Local elections: 'Pray for the winners and the losers'

Millions of voters are going to the polls to pick their representatives in the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Senedd, and in a third of English local councils' seats, including all of London.

Reform and the Greens (and, I might say, hopefully, the Lib Dems!) are expected to pick up lots of council seats, whilst the still-unpopular Conservatives are bracing for losses.

But Labour is facing something like an electoral Armageddon, with voters punishing the party for 20 months of government that – trying to keep my neutral hat on – does seem to have been at best disappointing, and perhaps shambolic and chaotic at worst.

The changing political scene

In fact, it seems likely that Labour will lose the leadership of the Welsh Senedd for the first time, and estimates suggest that it could lose up to 74 per cent of the council seats it is defending. This would be the worst local election result for any Prime Minister in recent history and speculation is rife about whether this would also mean the end of Keir Starmer’s premiership.

As politics continues to fragment and new parties spring up, voters are faced with increasing options and in a six-way contest, let’s say, your local councillor could win despite only getting 20 per cent of the vote. Election battles become very locally-focused, making it hard to predict what the overall picture will look like. Many local council results will be counted overnight tonight (Thursday), whilst the Scottish and Welsh counts don’t start until Friday morning, and may reveal a very different story.

Declining trust in politics, and politicians

I was recently out on the doorsteps in Edinburgh, Dunbartonshire and the Scottish Borders, and was struck by how many people were voting against a party rather than because they supported anyone. I feel that this reflects the decline in trust in our politicians and the political system itself.

Indeed, many people won’t bother to vote at all. Local elections often attract only a 30–40 per cent turnout at best, whilst the last Welsh Senedd election saw just 46.5 per cent of people turning out to vote. For comparison, turnout in recent UK General Elections has ranged from 68.8 per cent in 2017 to 59.7 per cent in 2024.

A poll for Ipsos, carried out before the latest Mandelson revelations, found that voters’ top concerns were the cost of living, NHS and crime, followed by the state of the roads. Potholes loom large in these elections! A third of poll respondents also said that a lack of trust in politics was one of the main determinants in the way they would vote.

Turnout is affected by many factors. As well as distrust, these include apathy, a belief that your vote won’t make a difference, bad experiences with authorities and often a lack of understanding about what local councils in particular actually do.

Councils are, in fact, responsible for many areas that affect our lives at a very local level. They commission bus services, and make planning decisions. They run libraries and leisure facilities. They fix potholes and collect the bins. And very importantly – and this is what takes up the majority of their budgets – they look after schools… and adult and children’s social care services. These include care homes and community support for the elderly, vulnerable and disabled; and fostering, adoption and child protection services for young people.

For voters in Scotland and Wales, you will be electing a Parliament or Senedd to make laws on a wide range of devolved matters including health, education, local transport, economic development and the environment.

Your vote matters

So whatever your thoughts about the state of our politics and our politicians, your votes will matter. Whoever wins in your area, they will be running things that affect your life for the next four years. So do take time to understand the local issues and vote in an informed way.

Responding in prayer for the winners and the losers

And then please do pray that the winners will serve their communities and seek the common good above personal gain.
Along with Paul in his first letter to Timothy, I would urge you to make “petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving… for all those in authority”. Our leaders need wisdom, good judgement and integrity. They also need tenacity and a thick skin.

Please also pray for the losers. Many dedicated local representatives will lose their seats this week. They will be devastated, they will feel rejected, and they may even question their own self-worth. Often, they will lose despite the fact that they personally do a good job, rather they will be victims of the relative unpopularity of their party nationally. Do remember them on Friday.

Finally, let’s remember that elections can make us feel triumph or despair. But the Bible tells us that all human rulers are temporary, and that Jesus has won the ultimate victory. Let’s hold this truth in mind, but let’s also take care to steward the responsibility we have been given to love our neighbours, as active participants in our society and democracy. The choices are not easy, but if we abstain or duck out, I believe we are choosing to abdicate that responsibility.

Elections are an opportunity to exercise our God-given judgement to vote for the candidates we believe will make decisions to benefit the whole of society. Let’s use that judgement wisely.

*Christian MPs and political figures contribute as believers not party politicians. en does not endorse any one particular party.