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Hayward predicts Labour loses 70% of councils, Plaid leads Wales

4/30/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Lord Robert Hayward predicts Labour will lose 1,850 of the 2,557 council seats it defends in England’s May 7 local elections, a loss of more than 70%.
He forecasts the Conservatives will drop about 600 seats, Reform UK will gain 1,550 seats, and the Greens will add 500 seats in London and other major cities.
He predicts Plaid Cymru could become Wales’s largest party, ending Labour’s 26-year Senedd dominance.

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Story summary

Lord Robert Hayward predicts Labour will lose 1,850 of the 2,557 council seats it defends in England’s May 7 local elections, a loss of more than 70%.
He forecasts the Conservatives will drop about 600 seats, Reform UK will gain 1,550 seats, and the Greens will add 500 seats in London and other major cities.
He predicts Plaid Cymru could become Wales’s largest party, ending Labour’s 26-year Senedd dominance.