Enda Brady: UK correspondent ahead of the UK council elections

Voters across the UK are set to vote for a new lawmaker, councillors and mayors in the coming days in the local elections.

This local election is predicted to favour the right-wing populist Reform UK party - led by Nigel Farage.

UK correspondent Enda Brady says people are divided about Starmer's performance as Prime Minister - and Farage has managed to attract plenty of coverage in the lead-up.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Inde. Brady, a UK correspondent, is with us evening. Inda.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Hey, Heather, great to speak to you.

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Okay. So it's a big day for Nigel Farage because
you guys are going to vote on the council elections
and whatnot. But what does success look like for him?

Speaker 2 (00:14):
I think it means winning hundreds of seats in the
councils across the country and getting into power in county
councils as a first step towards what he believes will
be a n IDL Farage premiership in four years time. Now,
let's not get carried away here. This is an Everestian
task for Farage, but that's the ambition he has set

(00:34):
for him and his Reform UK Party Now. Right now,
I think UK politics is very split. There's deep unease
about Starmar's government. A lot of people are not happy
with some of the changes Starmer has made. The Conservatives
under Kenny Baden are going nowhere. So there's lots of
fractures and splits and Farage is getting a lot of

(00:55):
airtime as he always does, and his view is that
this is the council election where Reform get into power
in some county councils and show what they can do.
But make no mistake, he's got huge ambitions.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
I mean, look, what are the chances that he takes
as many seats as the Tories.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
I think that is absolutely possible. I think the Conservatives
will lose hundreds of seats. I think Labor will lose
hundreds of seats. And the person who will benefit the most, now,
it may well be just the protest vote. One thing
that's interesting here today, just on a side note, in
terms of turnout, historically low turnout in council elections at
this time of year, it is going to be the
hottest May Day in English history. It's going to hit

(01:38):
twenty nine celsius today in parts of the south and
the southeast. It may even hit thirty percent thirty celsius.
So what we're looking at is perfect conditions. You know,
It's not as if it's going to be lashing rain
all day and people will look out the window and
say I'm not going to vote. I think voter turnout
will be higher than the media are saying, and for
As will benefit. You know, he's saying all the right things.

(02:00):
What he needs to do is turn a protest vote
into an actual movement and get the mechanics of a
political party that can take power in four years time.
I don't think he can, but that's what he needs
to do.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Yeah, very interesting, all right? And where are we at
with the Birmingham Bins strike?

Speaker 2 (02:16):
More meetings today? Would you believe this is week eight? Now?
There are still thousands of tons of rubbish all over
the streets of Birmingham week eight, as I say, And
the council leaders are sitting down today with the union leaders.
There's talk of now removing pay from the drivers of
the lorries as opposed to the guys and girls who
actually pick up the rubbish. So it's getting quite acrimonious.

(02:38):
But I think the anger they're very lucky in Birmingham
that there are no council elections for some reason. Birmingham
is not having elections today because I think every single
one of those councilors will be out on their backsides
the level of failure of leadership we've seen over this issue.
Can you imagine eight weeks without having your bins picked up?
And as I say, twenty nine Celsius today stuck gonna

(03:00):
smell h that's not.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
Good at all, Hey, Inda, thanks very much appreciate us
into Brady, our UK correspondent.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
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