Ellie Reeves: ‘Local elections will be tough, but the choice is change or chaos with the Tories and Reform’

As the weather begins to brighten up ahead of polling day this Thursday, I want to thank our dedicated Labour party campaigners up and down the country who have been pounding the streets to bring change to Britain.

Come rain or shine, you have been out on the doorstep and talking to voters about the work of change that this Labour government is driving.

The journey of change for our country is a long one – and this Thursday, you can help bring that change to communities by getting as many of our wonderful Labour council and mayoral candidates elected as possible. 

We know these local elections are going to be tough. Almost every council up for election is run by the Conservatives.  

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But as voters head to polling stations – there is clear a choice.

The choice is to bring change with Labour, or more of the same chaos and decline of the past with the Conservatives and Reform.

The Tories broke our public services over 14 disastrous years in government. Reform has become a refuge for the failed Tory politicians that inflicted that chaos on Britain. 

Even worse, the Conservatives and Reform are openly talking about grubby backroom deals to let the Tories sneak back in.

READ MORE: Analysis: What’s a good night for Labour?

Nigel Farage has been in talks with Liz Truss who crashed our economy and sent mortgages spiralling.

Meanwhile senior Conservatives like Robert Jenrick are saying they want to bring a coalition with Reform together.

Tories and Reform can’t explain how they’ll pay for anything

Other than Farage’s idea to move to an insurance-based system of healthcare, neither the Tories nor Reform can explain how they will pay for anything that needs fixing in our country.  

It’s a risk working families just cannot afford, and there is only one way to stop it: by voting Labour this Thursday.

Labour is the only party with a serious Plan for Change. 

Change doesn’t happen overnight, and we know there remains plenty more to do to deliver on our plan, but the results of that work are already starting to show.

NHS waiting lists have fallen consistently with Labour, even over winter. Free breakfast clubs are being rolled out in every primary school saving parents £450 a year. Wages have been boosted for 3.5 million of Britain’s lowest paid workers.

We’re tackling rogue water bosses who are polluting our rivers. The government is rebuilding Britain’s position with our international allies. 

We need councils and mayors who can work with the government

At a time when international insecurity has fuelled economic insecurity at home, we need councils and mayors who can work with the Labour government – entirely focused on the priorities of working families, with a serious plan to deliver the renewal our country needs.  

We want as many Labour members and activists as possible to get involved and spread the message of the choice facing voters this week.

You can email [email protected] to find out the best place to knock on doors. Alternatively, you can visit www.labour.org.uk/phonebank if you can lend a hand speaking to voters over the phone.

So stock up on the sun cream, and I hope you can join me in pounding the pavements this Thursday 1 May to encourage people to vote Labour, so that we can bring change to communities across the country.

Read our coverage of the 2025 local elections:

• Expert predicts ‘bad night’ with no net Labour gains 
• Where’s Keir? PM barely features in Labour party election broadcasts for the locals
• Analysis: ‘Uxbridgitis: If election results are grim, let’s not learn the wrong lessons again’
• Long shadow of Gaza looms over key Lancashire battleground
• Hull and East Yorkshire mayor election: Labour candidate spars with Reform’s boxing star in UK’s most disillusioned city
• Cambridgeshire & Peterborough mayor election: Nik Johnson on why he’s standing down and Anna Smith on knife-edge Labour-Tory fight to replace him
• The meme elections: Labour’s social media pivot to take fight to Farage
• Inside the West of England mayor campaign, from Tory and Green threats to Dan Norris and low voter awareness
• Runcorn and Helsby: At least 150 Labour MPs visit – but Keir Starmer ain’t one
• Runcorn and Helsby interview: Labour candidate Karen Shore on Reform, the NHS and closing asylum hotels

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