The key battlegrounds to watch in the 2018 local elections

The Tories are in for a torrid time in today’s local elections if the polls are anything to go on. Results are expected to be particularly bad for the party in the capital, with the Conservatives trailing Labour by 22 points in London, according to YouGov. But can the polls be trusted? Or could Tory gains in the Midlands undermine Labour’s success in the south? Here are the key battlegrounds to watch overnight:

1am:

Basildon:

Ukip was the only party to make gains in Basildon in 2016; two years on, their prospects are rather bleaker. The Tories – who have 19 seats on the council – will be hoping to snatch away some of the ten seats Ukip are defending in order to take back overall control of the council. But if those ‘Kipper votes go Labour’s way, Corbyn’s party could win control for the first time in 18 years, potentially kick-starting a gloomy local election showing for the Tories.

2am:

Trafford:

Tory-held Trafford, where a third of councillors are up for re-election and where Jeremy Corbyn launched the party’s local election campaign, is another target for Labour.