Today voters in Scotland, Wales and across England’s local authorities will make choices that matter far beyond the UK.
In England, only local councillors are up for election, but few voters will cast their ballot solely based on local concerns. Instead, many will use the elections to express disappointment in the UK government of the deeply disliked Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, who may not last in office much longer if results look anything like the polls.
Parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales coincide with the English local elections, so those seeking to downplay the significance of the devolved Parliaments characterise them, too, as mere regional affairs. Yet voters in Scotland and Wales are in fact choosing national parliaments for two historic nations, each with its own institutions, political life and democratic mandate. These parliaments decide on core public services and, in Scotland’s case, will be central to any future decision on independence and on the country’s relationship with Europe. Their composition will determine whether there remains a credible path towards independence in the European Union for a nation that rejected Brexit so emphatically ten years ago.
That is why voting in these historic elections matters. Every vote helps decide whether Scotland and Wales can pursue their own democratic paths as nations, and whether democracy in England can be strengthened rather than hollowed out. For those of us across Europe who believe that the door must remain open to a Scottish return to the EU, and to a more European‑minded UK, these results will matter greatly.
So if you live in Scotland or across Britain, please vote today, encourage others to vote, and let this be a moment when democracy speaks clearly.In European solidarity,
EfS team
PS If you’re based in Scotland please mark your calendar: the Festival of Europe in Scotland, is taking place next week. And if you’re in Edinburgh, you can catch our event “Accelerating conversion to organic farming in Scotland – learning from Austria” on May 13th.