What you need to know about the 7 May elections in England, Scotland and Wales

The 7 May 2026 elections in the United Kingdom combine three distinct electoral processes taking place simultaneously. In Scotland and Wales, elections are held for the devolved parliaments — the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Senedd — which determine the governments of those nations. In England, the process corresponds to local elections, where councils and combined authorities are renewed in different regions of the country.

The electoral system differs between the three contexts. The Scottish Parliament and the Senedd use a mixed proportional representation system that combines single-member constituencies with regional lists, which tends to produce more fragmented results than the first-past-the-post system used at Westminster. For parties, this means campaign strategies and coalition scenarios differ from those of general elections.

The issues dominating the campaign varied by region. In Scotland, the question of independence and access to a second referendum remained the central axis, with the SNP defending its governing position and unionist parties trying to consolidate the vote against independence. In Wales, the debate focused on NHS funding and Welsh language policies. In England, local councils faced questions about social services, affordable housing and regional transport — issues where local governments have direct competences to manage.