All you need to know about local elections in Suffolk

On 7 May, local elections are taking place in Suffolk. All 70 seats at Suffolk County Council, and a third of the 48 seats at Ipswich Borough Council, are up for grabs.

These elections were due to be postponed because the way local government operates is being reorganised, and local authorities had extra workloads.

The government previously asked councils if they wanted to cancel the elections due to capacity; however, after a legal challenge in February by Reform UK, the government said they would now go ahead.

So what do you need to know if you are a voter in Suffolk?

• 30 March

The official election period starts. It is sometimes referred to as the pre-election period.

During this time, the ordinary functions of councils can continue, but authorities should "not publish any material which, in whole or in part, appears to be designed to affect public support for a political party", the Local Government Act said.

The media also have to follow guidelines when reporting on a story related to the elections. You can access both the BBC's Election guidelines and Ofcom's requirements online.

• 10 April

Election candidates are officially announced. These will be posted on both the county council's website and the district or borough councils' websites where you live.

• 20 - 21 April

If you want to register to vote, the deadline is 20 April. If you want a postal vote or to vote by proxy (in which people nominate someone to vote on their behalf), then the deadline to request these is 21 April.

• 28 April

The deadline to apply for an in-person proxy vote.

• 7 May

Polling day, and the votes will be counted after voting closes at 22:00 BST.

Suffolk County Council has responsibility for things like adult social care, children's services, highways, rights of way, waste disposal (not collection) and the fire and rescue service.

The last election was held in 2021 - they were due to be held again last year but were postponed.

The county council has 70 councillors who represent electoral divisions.

On average, each councillor represents about 7,000 people.

Currently, Conservatives have a majority of 44 councillors, and the official opposition is a coalition group made up of nine Greens, five Liberal Democrats, and four independents.

There are also six Labour, six Reform and one West Suffolk Independent on the council.

You need to have 35 seats to secure a majority at Suffolk County Council.

It has been run by a Conservative majority since 2005, except for a few years between 2013 and 2017.

The Tories can only afford to lose nine of their 44 seats if they want to retain control.

The Green Party in Suffolk became the official opposition in coalition with the Independents and Liberal Democrats in 2021. They will need to gain 29 seats and hold on to the nine they already have to win out overall.

They have been gaining increasing support in the county. They took Mid Suffolk Council in the 2023 district elections and returned the county's first Green Party MP in the 2024 general election.

Reform will need to gain 29 seats and retain the six they have to take control. They have gained seats at the council through winning by-elections and defections.

Labour has seen a slow decline on the county council since being in control in the early 2000s and having 15 elected councillors in 2017.

Like Reform, Labour need to gain 29 seats and retain the six they have to take control.

The Liberal Democrats have also seen fewer councillors elected over the last decade, from 11 in 2013 to five in 2021. However, if they retain their five seats and the votes run close overall, who they decide to partner with could decide who runs the council.

Ipswich Borough Council has responsibility for things like housing, waste collection, planning, environmental health, council tax collection, leisure facilities, and local licensing.

It has 48 councillors across 16 wards. It means there are three councillors per ward.

The council is Labour-run, with 38 seats. The Conservatives have seven, and the Liberal Democrats have three councillors.

Neither Reform nor the Green Party have a seat at the council.

It holds elections in thirds, so they run every year for three years and then have a year off. Councillors are voted in for a four-year term.

As there are only 16 seats up for election this time around, it is not possible for the council to change hands.

All the other councils - Mid Suffolk District Council, Babergh, East Suffolk and West Suffolk councils all had elections in 2023.

The next ones were due in 2027, but the government is in the process of shaking up how councils are run and how many there are in Suffolk. A decision on this is due by the end of the month.

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