How quickly two years pass – enough time however, for the UK landscape to have seismically changed since Parliament was last dissolved.

Politicians of all hues will be launching their various election campaigns as of tomorrow – and by the time polls close at the end of the day following county council and mayoral elections, the insurgents will begin targeting battlegrounds in earnest.

The backdrop in no particular order of significance

England

Out of 27 county council elections being held in England, many with new electoral division boundaries, sixteen are currently led by Conservatives, two Labour – with no overall control in its various permutations for the rest.
Among these, LibDems currently share power with Conservatives in one, and Labour another. They lead none.

Seven single-tier unitary authorities are holding elections.
Out of these, two are currently held by Conservatives, one Labour, one Independent – the other three under no overall control, one of which LibDems are in coalition with Independents.

One metropolitan borough has all of its seats up for election, after the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster moved to hold whole council elections in 2015.
These results will be of particular interest, as 46922 Doncastrians voted to remain in the EU last year – while a resounding 104260 wanted out. And this borough is currently under Labour control.
North Yorkshire, among the 27 mentioned above and another emphatic leaver, is currently in Conservative hands.

Two elections for directly elected local district mayors will be held, again in Doncaster, the other North Tyneside – both of whose whose current Labour incumbents may be usurped.

Six elections for directly elected regional mayors will be held. These newly established positions will lead combined authorities set up by groups of local councils, as part of devolution deals giving the combined authorities additional powers and funding.
Interim mayor/chairs are three a piece between Tories and Labour – and the results here will have a considerable impact, in my opinion.

Wales

22 regions are up for grabs – and not a LibDem or Conservative among them.
Ten are currently Labour, one Plaid Cymru (Welsh Nationalist Party) and two Independents.
The rest are no overall control – but at least the Tories are currently in coalition with Plaid Cymru/Independents 😉
Aaand a quick reminder that 52.5% of Wales voted to leave the EU.

Scotland

All eyes then on the 32 regions here!
Only two are currently led by SNP, four Labour and one Independent.
That leaves 25 currently under no overall control … not for long, I suspect.
The big question is, to what degree will bias swing the LibDem or Conservative way?

I can’t say that I’ve ever paid so much attention to flippin’ local elections, but there’s a first time for everything.
Do. Or do not. There is no try 😉