Lucy Fisher

Well, it's a difficult and damning moment for unionists, that's to be sure.

However, you know, in Wales, Plaid Cymru have made clear that they wouldn't be seeking an independence referendum in any first term.

Their campaign has been largely on very mainstream issues like the cost of living, healthcare, migration and so forth.

And in Scotland, I think, you know, there is a sense that while the SNP is sort of giving lip service to the idea that, you know, it's time again for another referendum, their campaign has also not focused sort of squarely on that issue of independence.

And I think there's some sense in which at least some voters for these nationalist parties want to see nationalist parties leading the devolved assemblies in order to have some leverage over the Westminster government rather than sort of seeking separatism per se.

We're expecting a devastating set of results for Labour.

It could be their worst ever showing at a local election in England.

We're expecting a devastating set of results for Labour.

It could be their worst ever showing at a local election in England.

In Wales, it looks like they will lose control of the Senedd, the devolved Assembly, for the first time in 100 years.

And in Scotland, while Labour was sort of on track at the time of Keir Starmer winning the election in 2024...

It looked like they could regain Holyrood, the Scottish devolved parliament.

It now looks like the Scottish nationalists are going to hang on in there and Labour could even be shunted down to third place in Scotland.

So it's going to be a very, very difficult night for Keir Starmer.

Well,

Well, in truth, the anger at Starmer is everywhere.

I think everyone is bracing to see what happens on May the 8th, the day when the results come in, and over that weekend, whether any member of the cabinet or wider party goes over the parapet and leads a challenge against Keir Starmer.

The Mandelson debacle has certainly been the focus in Westminster in recent weeks, and it has shone a spotlight on Keir Starmer's judgment.

However, polling suggests

It's the traditional issues of the economy and the cost of living, health care and the state of the NHS, and migration that are the real flashpoint issues.