00:01Today, millions across the UK are heading to the polls.
00:05In parts of England, voters are electing local councils and several city mayors.
00:10And voters in Scotland and Wales are choosing who will lead their devolved governments.
00:15And while the EU has not been a prominent campaign topic,
00:18your reporter started to wonder, could these elections matter for the EU?
00:25In England, the traditional dominance of the Labour and Conservative parties
00:29is being challenged by two insurgent forces.
00:32Nigel Farage, Reform UK, and Zak Polanski, Green Party.
00:36With little experience in local infrastructure like bin collections or road repairs,
00:41their popularity was built on international issues.
00:45Brexit and immigration versus pro-EU stance, environmentalism and the conflict in Gaza.
00:51And amid growing unpopularity for Starmer's Labour government
00:55and low ratings for the Conservatives,
00:58parts of the public are seeking alternatives beyond the main parties.
01:02Moreover, predictions suggest Labour could lose nearly three quarters of its local council seats,
01:07its historic dominance in Wales and popularity in Scotland.
01:11And while Starmer is not on the ballot paper,
01:14a weak show for Labour could add to his domestic issues
01:17and disrupt his diplomatic UK-EU research.
01:21But here is a paradox.
01:23Ten years after Brexit referendum,
01:25recent surveys showed that majority of all voters now support rejoining the EU,
01:30rising even to over 80% among Labour and Green supporters.
01:35Yet, at the same time, the pro-Brexit Reform UK party is enjoying a massive surge,
01:40arguing that Brexit was completely mismanaged.
01:44And some even say they could from the future national governments.
01:48Alright, so even if these local elections are about fixing the potholes in the roads,
01:53Britons still seem to be unsure which road to take.
Comments