Voters are called to the polls Thursday in England for a local vote test for the ruling Conservatives, ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for next year that are expected to be difficult for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's party. More than 8,000 seats are at stake in 230 local authorities across England in this election which introduces an unprecedented requirement, that of presenting an identity document to be able to vote.

This change creates turmoil and has been denounced by its opponents as a threat to democracy because of the number of voters who risk being excluded, the French national identity card does not exist. In the ranks of Labour, some MPs denounce a decision intended to counter the lead that is theirs, according to the polls.

These elections, whose turnout is traditionally low, are the first for Rishi Sunak, who came to power at the end of October after the succession of scandals of the Boris Johnson era and the chaotic 49 days of Liz Truss in Downing Street. Rishi Sunak does not expect a miracle. "We have always said it would be a difficult election for us," the prime minister said Wednesday, citing among his promises to fill more potholes, a scourge on British roads.

"Broken", "mess", "bazaar"...

According to pollster John Curtice, a political scientist at the Scottish University of Strathclyde, Labour's lead of more than 10 points over the Conservatives suggests a victory for the opposition in the general election due to be held by the end of next year. Their date has not yet been set. Before coming to power in 1997 and 2010 respectively, Labour's Tony Blair and Conservative David Cameron had both scored double-digit leads in the local elections leading up to the general election, Curtice told the BBC.

In their last face-to-face meeting in Parliament on Wednesday before the election, opposition leader Keir Starmer lashed out at the Conservatives, who have been in power for thirteen years. He referred to the nearly two million Britons who will have to pay more for their loans because Rishi Sunak's party "used their money like a casino", referring to the consequences of Liz Truss's risky financial decisions that have caused interest rates to soar. In response, Rishi Sunak contrasted him with "higher local taxes" and Labour's "broken promises".

The polls show that voters are mainly concerned about inflation, which has been above 10% for months, and the crisis in the public health system, hit by repeated strikes, including an unprecedented movement by nurses. The worst polls predict a loss of 1,000 seats for the Conservatives. The latter believe that a decline below a thousand seats would be tantamount to a victory. The results are expected very gradually over the course of the day Friday, on the eve of the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey.



Voters gathered in a "focus group", a focus group designed to gauge the mood of public opinion, delivered a scathing verdict on the conservatives, although Rishi Sunak is doing a little better personally. Asked by the think tank "More in Common" to describe the state of the country in one word, participants cited "broken", "mess", "mess", "bazaar", "difficulties" and "crisis".

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