Council carnage, a potential Tory leadership challenge and a summer election? Seven things to look out for this week in UK politics

By Ben Williams, Associate Tutor in Politics and Social Sciences, Edge Hill University

The May local elections are shaping up to be the last major test of public opinion before the much-awaited general election on the horizon at an unspecified point this year.

There are more than 2,600 local council seats being contested, covering 107 local authorities in England. On a bigger and more symbolic scale, there are 11 English regional mayoral contests, including in Manchester and London.

There are also elections for 37 police and crime commissioners for England and Wales. No elections…

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