What is the difference between local and general elections?
In this blog post we look at the differences between local and general elections, and explain why both are important.
We just had the local elections last month (May, 2023). I was campaigning to be a local councillor, so I knocked on many doors and spoke to many residents. During this time, I realised that a significant number of people did not understand the difference between a local and a general election. Thinking back on my time as a voter, I remember also being confused about this in my late teens and early twenties.
Many people think every election is a general election. In fact, we can also have local elections, mayoral elections, town council elections, and then a by-election for any of these.
But today we’re just focusing on local and general elections.
First things first: both local and general elections in England use a first past the post system. More on this in a future blog post.
Now, let’s do a quick recap of general elections.
General elections
Main points:
You are voting for an MP to represent you in parliament
There is only one MP per constituency
General elections must happen at least once every five years, but can happen more frequently
You are unlikely to interact directly with your MP unless you have a serious issue
The party with the most MPs can form a government
General elections are seen as the big deal elections, which is why most people know about them. After a general election, the party with the most MPs is invited to form a government, meaning there can be significant political upheavals following a general. Rarely, a coalition government might be formed if there is no overall majority, as with the Tory/Liberal Democrats in 2010.
General elections are set to happen on the first Thursday in May, every fifth year. However, they can also happen more regularly, if a snap general election is called. For example, we’ve had general elections in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
The next general election is due to take place on the 2nd May 2024, though rumours abound suggesting it might happen sooner, due to the generally shambolic state of our government.
In general elections, the two parties that dominate are the Tories and Labour, who represent the right and left wings of politics respectively.
Now let’s take a look at local elections…
Local elections
Main points:
Local elections are for your councillors
You will have between one and three local councillors for your area
The local council will be led by the party with the most seats
You are voting for the people who will represent your local area
Local elections are a different kettle of fish than general elections. They do not lead to a change in government, and therefore many people find them less interesting or worth their while to engage in. If you fall into this camp, I hope I can convince you of their importance in this post.
The first major difference to note is that in the locals, you are electing a councillor rather than an MP. You might even have the opportunity to vote for multiple councillors at a time, depending on how your local authority organises its elections*.
From my perspective, local elections are interesting because a) they can act as a harbinger of what is to come, b) the councillors you elect are directly responsible for your local area, and c) they can allow smaller parties to make gains.
Let’s start with point a.
In the last round of local elections, the Tories lost over a thousand council seats across the country. Because the party with the most councillors leads the council, this also meant the Conservatives lost control of numerous councils. While not wholly unexpected, this is still embarrassing for them, because it demonstrates widespread discontent with the party.
On the other hand, Labour gained over 500 seats, and the Lib Dems gained over 400. The Green Party also made significant gains of over 200 councillors.
Based on these local election results, we can probably expect the Tories to lose at the next general election, and another government to be formed. A Labour government is likely, however a Lib Dem/Labour coalition, given the significant support the Lib Dems received in the locals, is not unfathomable (though some Labour members might tell you otherwise).
Secondly, the councillors you vote in will be the ones directly responsible for representing the local area. This means they are your first port of call should you have issues with housing, noisy neighbours, local parks, etc. On this basis, people who vote in local elections might very well choose their candidate on the basis of “who is going to respond to my email the fastest?”. On the doorstep, I have even come across a person who said they dislike the policies of our party, but they know that we are reliable at dealing with local issues, and so have agreed to vote for us. This is an interesting point, because on the one hand, as local politicians, you have very little influence to implement wider policy changes. On the other hand, you might be able to make small but tangible differences to people’s local area. For example, as a Green Party councillor I cannot nationalise the railway system and give everyone free bus passes (much as I’d like to), but I can push for things like bike lanes, bike parking, and cheaper bus fares at the city level.
Finally, due to our first past the post voting system, most voters assume either Labour or Tories will win a general election. As such, they see voting for another party as a wasted vote. While this holds true to a degree in local elections, there is more wiggle room. If you live somewhere considered a ‘safe seat’ (whichever side of the Tory/Labour line you fall), you might choose to vote for a smaller party that you feel more politically aligned with, safe in the knowledge that your least favourite option is unlikely to win. The stakes are lower in local elections, and people are more willing to risk ‘wasting’ their vote. If smaller parties do then make significant gains in locals, it can increase people’s confidence in voting for them at general elections.
As such, I would encourage everyone to get out and vote in your local elections. It might seem like small stakes, but having active local politicians is not just ‘nice’ it’s really the right of every citizen. We are lucky to live in a democracy, where we have a say in how things are done and who represents us. Many people feel so disenfranchised that they do not bother voting in local elections, or at all. But in fact your local elections might be where the greater power lies. If you feel that the political party you are most aligned with will ‘never get in’, voting for them at the local level might be the way to increase their numbers and boost their chances in a general election. If you feel that politicians don’t listen, remember that your local councillor has got fewer places to hide than your MP. They represent a much smaller constituency, will live more locally, and do not have an army of staff to answer their emails. They also have less power than an MP and will face some constraints, so they won’t be able to fix everything, but they should at the very least be easy to contact and willing to help where possible.
Beyond this, it’s their responsibility to advocate for local interests in the town or city council, and to support and encourage the community to flourish. A good councillor can make a difference, and it’s always worth exercising the hard won right to vote.
Hopefully this post has been helpful in explaining the differences between general and local elections. Do you still have questions? Feel free to post in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer!
* Your local government will elect its councillors in one of the following ways:
Elect all of the local councillors at once every four years (known as all-out elections)
Elect half of their councillors every two years
Elect a third of the councillors once a year for three years and then have a fallow year