Kevin Hollinrake: We need to make a stand in these local elections. Conservatives can’t sit back and watch

Kevin Hollinrake is MP for Thirsk and Malton and Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

This Thursday, our country heads to the polls—and once again, it’s up to us.

We know these will be a tough set of elections for the Conservative Party, defending seats won in the historic high of 2021, when we won two-thirds of all seats up for election.

But across Britain, what voters will be choosing are the local councillors who shape the places we live, work, and raise our families. So whilst local elections can sometimes become a sounding board for national frustration, we all know: now is not the time for protest votes. The stakes are simply too high.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve travelled from Hull and East Yorkshire to the West of England, from Lincolnshire to Gloucestershire. And everywhere I’ve been, one message has been loud and clear: local government matters more than ever.

These elections aren’t a referendum on Westminster—they’re about who’s in charge of the services that touch people’s lives every day. Who manages the bins. Who runs the schools. Who repairs the roads, protects green spaces, and delivers SEND and adult social care. These are the real bread-and-butter issues that affect every household—and we know it’s Conservatives who get them right.

Too often, people forget just how vital—and expensive—adult social care is. In some areas, it makes up 60% of a council’s entire budget. Councils look after the most vulnerable in our society: the elderly, the disabled, and those with complex needs. That responsibility can’t be handed to parties with no plan, no experience, and no record. It needs the competence, stability, and sound financial management that only our party provides.

No one knows this better than you—our activists and campaigners. You’re out there every day, supporting candidates who live and breathe their communities. You’re the engine behind the hundreds of councillors who make local services work—and who do it better, and for less, than Labour ever could.

Just look at Birmingham.

Labour has run the council there since 2012. Now, it’s effectively bankrupt. It’s issued a Section 114 notice. Services are collapsing. Streets are filthy. Rats are running rampant. And what’s Labour’s answer? A 7.5 per cent council tax rise this year—part of a 21 per cent hike over two years.

More tax. Worse services. That’s Labour in local government.

Now contrast that with councils like Wiltshire. There, Conservatives have protected frontline services while keeping council tax below the national average. That’s not spin—it’s real leadership, responsible governance, and putting residents first.

We’ve all seen what happens when protest votes go wrong. Whether it’s independents, Greens, or Lib Dems—these parties make promises on the doorstep, but when it comes to running councils, they fall apart. No infrastructure, no experience, no clue.

We can’t afford to let that happen.

Running a council is hard work. It takes real-world experience, vision, and a team that understands how to stretch every pound without compromising on services. That’s what Conservative councillors bring to the table—and that’s what you’re fighting for on the ground.

At our core, we believe decisions should be made as close to the people as possible. We’ve always championed localism—empowering communities to take control of their future. But that power has to be in safe, capable hands.

That’s why this Thursday matters.

These elections are about competence. About delivery. About who you trust to manage your money, protect your services, and stand up for your area. It’s about backing the only party with a proven record of delivery in local government: the Conservative Party.

So, to all of you out knocking doors, making calls, delivering leaflets, and supporting our fantastic candidates—thank you. You are the difference between chaos and competence, between decay and delivery.

Let’s make every conversation count. Let’s remind people what’s at stake. Let’s show them what Conservative leadership looks like—and why it’s worth fighting for.

On Thursday, let’s get our vote out, secure every seat we can, and deliver for our communities once again.