Polling stations opened across England early Thursday for a host of crunch local elections likely to ratchet up the pressure on embattled Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The polls, a mix of council, mayoral and other local contests as well as a parliamentary by-election, are the last major ballot box test before a general election set for later this year.

Sunak’s ruling Tories, which has been in power nationally since 2010 and defending hundreds of seats, secured the last time these local elections were held in 2021, are tipped to suffer heavy losses.

Results for the contest, including the by-election for parliament in Blackpool South, is expected to emerge in the early hours of Friday.

The capital's Labour mayor Sadiq Khan is expected to win a record third term easily, as mayoral contests in the West Midlands and Tees Valley, in northeast England, are predicted to be tight.

A victory for the Labour opposition in either regions, home to bellwether constituencies, would be hailed as further evidence that voters are ready to return the party to power nationally.

Speculation is rife in the UK parliament at Westminster that such a bad showing may lead some restive Tory lawmakers to try to replace Sunak, who has been in charge since October 2022.

Wins for the incumbent Tory mayors in the West Midlands and Tees Valley, Andy Street and Ben Houchen, would boost their hopes that the beleaguered leader can still revive their fortunes.