5 important things happening in the UK today (7 May 2026)
Here are five important things happening in the UK on Thursday (7 May 2026):
Millions set to go to the polls in England, Scotland, and Wales
Votes are being held for thousands of seats across more than 100 local authorities in England. Elections for the Welsh and Scottish parliaments are also taking place. Polls open at 07h00. Polls are set to close tonight at 10pm – and then the counting begins. But we will not have to wait long for the first results because, like a general election, a lot of the ballots will be totted up overnight. [Sky News]
Labour bracing for record losses
Labour is braced for record-breaking losses in Thursday’s local elections in England, which could be decisive for Keir Starmer’s future as prime minister. In a message to voters on Thursday, Starmer said Reform’s Nigel Farage and the Greens’ Zack Polanski were “not fit to meet this moment of great global instability” and that only Labour was putting the national interest first. [Guardian]
TG Jones to shut 150 stores in ‘aggressive’ restructuring
The owner of WH Smith’s former high street stores is set to shut as many as 150 of them as part of an “aggressive” overhaul, which will put jobs at risk. Modella Capital bought the stationer’s 480 high street stores for £40 million last year, and is now set to shut more than a quarter of these sites. The Mayfair-based private equity firm had intended to position the stores, which have been renamed TG Jones, as the “hub of the high street”. [Financial Times]
Amazon delivers its first UK parcels by drone
Amazon has become the first retailer in the UK to start a drone delivery service with a limited launch in Darlington, County Durham. Packages weighing less than 5lb (2.2kg) and containing everyday items such as beauty products, batteries and cables are now being delivered within a 7.5 mile (12km) radius of Amazon’s fulfilment centre. The tech giant is convinced there is demand for ultra-fast deliveries and hopes to slowly expand the service. [BBC]
Financial news
Oil prices dropped, and stock markets rose on Wednesday after reports that a deal had been struck to end the war. On Thursday, Oil was trading lower at $101.70. The pound is trading at $1.36, €1.16, and ¥9.26.
