May election results: A revolt against politics as usual

Local elections always have a myriad of national, and local causes, and plenty of people will cherry‑pick results to suit their story in the coming weeks, but the wider pattern is unmistakable: the century‑long dominance of the two main UK parties is truly crumbling— punished for years of governing in the interests of the wealthy, powerful and well‑connected. Labour has ceded control of the Welsh parliament, been decimated in the Scottish Parliament and lost control of 38 councils. And the Conservatives have lost 563 councillors and control of at 6 councils. But…

People are looking for answers in very different directions

In Scotland and Wales, voters handed the keys to nationalist parties. The SNP have maintained control of the Scottish parliament, and Plaid Cymru’s progressive social democratic vision for Wales has shattered Labour’s offer. Unlike the English council results, these will have a direct impact on economic policies for some UK citizens, and both should have a positive impact. Before the election we ranked Plaid Cymru’s manifesto as the second strongest in terms of delivering on Tax Justice priorities, with a score of 9/18. And the SNP promise to deliver a Private Jet Tax, and a Mansion Tax, that will represent serious victories for our movement to tax wealth fairly.

In England, Reform has made large gains at the expense of both the Conservatives, and Labour. The Green Party and the Liberal Democrats have also prised serious numbers of council seats as well as crucial mayoralties away from Labour. We know trust in politicians is at an all time low, and although the turnout has not been officially released yet, the prediction is it will be historically low, with millions clearly disillusioned with what’s on offer. This would continue the downward trend of political participation that we saw in the 2024 General Election, the second lowest turnout in a General Election since records began in 1885.

Whether today leaves you hopeful, scared, frustrated, or despondent it’s obvious we are living in a moment of great upheaval. Whether it is remembered as the beginning of a democratic reckoning that wrestles back power from the elites, or a launchpad for a politics of division, distraction and hate, that scapegoats the marginalised and lets the mega-rich continue to exploit our communities, is up to us. Thank you for being part of or movement, and powering the People’s Lobby with your regular gift.

So what next, after these election results?

If things continue in this direction, this government and the Labour party are going to be well and truly kicked out of power in 2029. Not that they’re likely to, but if they asked me, I’d tell them that they should remember who they’re meant to serve, and start delivering a root‑and‑branch reset built on hope, not hate and division, to unrig the system, rebuild trust, and invest in communities.

This starts by taxing the extreme wealth hoarded by the tiny handful of ultra-rich, to improve the lives of the millions struggling to get by. That means a modest wealth tax on people with net assets over £10m, treating income from work and wealth the same, and closing the endless loopholes and get-out clauses. The revenue raised could put money back in ordinary people’s pockets and unleash a wave of investment that materially changes people’s lives: from affordable homes, to restoring our NHS, from cheaper childcare to better transport, and from a stable and sustainable energy system that lowers bills, to better infrastructure to support small businesses.

These policies are all incredibly popular, so why is this agenda not on offer? Why does only one major UK party currently back a Wealth Tax, when around 75% of the public do? Because mega-corporations and the mega-rich have bought up our politicians and our democracy.

Change means change.

While many have turned to Reform for a much needed break from the status quo, in reality they are also in bed with, and in hock to, wealthy backers. Since we first launched our campaign to expose the super‑rich’s backdoor influence, it’s emerged that in addition to his record-breaking £9 million party donation, Thai‑based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne personally gifted Nigel Farage £5 million, which he failed to declare. And where they have got into power Reform have consistently cut local services, outsourced services at greater expense to taxpayers, and raised council tax despite making promises not to.

We must be clear: Reform’s gains reflect their anti‑establishment branding, not public support for their economic policies shaped by wealthy donors. Their plans to slash corporation tax for the biggest businesses, tweak income tax to benefit the wealthiest, let super‑rich newcomers buy their way out of taxes, and give tax breaks for private healthcare and education, all run directly against prevailing public opinion. And while deputy leader Richard Tice defended his £600,000 in corporation tax dodge by saying everyone should “pay as little tax as possible”— 89% of the UK public think tax avoidance is morally wrong.

Communities demanding change deserve better than a Trojan horse offering “something different” only to deliver harsher more extreme versions of the same politics people already rejected: weaker public services, deeper inequality, further division, and tax cuts for the super‑rich. The UK deserves better, if you want a politics that serves the many, not the money, sign up to our newsletter below.