Britain’s dogs were out in force today as owners shared pictures of their beloved pets on social media while arriving to cast their vote at the polls.
Dozens of faithful pets were seen tethered outside polling stations, which opened today in the first local and regional elections since Brexit and the coronavirus crisis.
The hashtag #dogsatpollingstations has started trending on Twitter, while many dogs waited during their morning walk at 6am, with the BBC‘s Laura Kuenssberg tweeting: ‘Time for #dogsatpollingstations and nothing else on here until polls close at 10pm.’
However, pet charity Blue Cross warned owners not to leave their dogs alone, saying: ‘In light of the rise in dog thefts, please do not leave your dog tied up outside. Try calling the venue first to check whether you can take them inside before you leave!’
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, was snapped petting his dog Luna after arriving to vote with his wife Saadiya at St Alban’s Church in Tooting on what has been dubbed ‘Super Thursday’.
Meanwhile, actor and London Mayoral hopeful Laurence Fox posed while holding up his pooch, Mrs Thatcher, in Vauxhall as the crucial set of elections got underway.
And in Glasgow, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was pictured meeting voters at Annette Street school polling station alongside candidate Roza Salih, who held a dog.
Boris Johnson has also been seen casting his ballot along with fiancee Carrie Symonds in the capital city, with the couple putting on a united front and walking arm in arm to the Methodist Central Hall.
Polling stations are open today until 10pm, with most results expected from Friday and into early next week as social distancing rules for those counting slows the process.
A dog is seen outside a polling station during local elections in London this morning in the first local and regional elections since Brexit and the coronavirus crisis
A woman is pictured going into St Catherine’s Church Hall polling station in Cardiff to vote in the Welsh Parliamentary Elections with her pooch this morning
A dog stands outside a polling station as voting begins for the Hartlepool by-election, where voters will decide between returning a Labour Party MP, who has held the seat since its creation in 1974, and the Conservative Party candidate who took a number of Labour’s so-called ‘red wall’ seats in the 2019 general election
A woman and her dog outside a pink-spotted polling station in the Bank View Cafe, Sheffield, Yorkshire, as polls open for local, mayoral, Welsh and Scottish Government elections and the Hartlepool by-election
The Tories have been boosted by the latest poll showing they have a huge 10-percentage point lead – driven by the success of the vaccine rollout.
Keir Starmer is braced for a disastrous ‘hat-trick’ of defeats in the Hartlepool by-election, as well as the two key mayoral races in the West Midlands and Tees Valley.
Allies believe a hard-Left challenge is inevitable if the results in his first major electoral test are as bad as feared – but they are also confident he can survive.
Votes will be cast in every part of Great Britain, with the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments, London Assembly, and Hartlepool by-election up for grabs.
More than 5,000 council seats in England will also be contested, along with 13 mayoralties and 39 police and crime commissioner positions.
YouGov’s final poll before the big day found the Tories were on 43 per cent nationally, ahead of Labour on 33 per cent.
A pictured posted to Twitter by a social media user, showing her dogs attending the polling station in Dulwich, south east London this morning as the hashtag #dogsatpollingstations started trending
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and his wife Saadiya walk with their dog Luna outside a polling station during local elections in London this morning
Mr Khan snapped petting his dog Luna outside St Alban’s Church in Tooting on what has been dubbed ‘Super Thursday’
Actor and London Mayoral hopeful Laurence Fox poses while holding up his pooch, Mrs Thatcher, in Vauxhall, London, as the crucial set of elections got underway
First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, and candidate Roza Salih, who is seen holding a dog, meet voters at Annette Street school polling station today in Glasgow
A pooch is seen proudly posing by a sign reading ‘pooping station’ in an image that was posted to social media earlier today
Three faithful dogs are seen outside a polling station today. YouGov’s final poll before the big day found the Tories were on 43 per cent nationally, ahead of Labour on 33 per cent
The research, conducted over the past two days, found 40 per cent had a favourable view of Mr Johnson, compared to just 31 per cent for Sir Keir Starmer.
Much attention is being paid to the vote for the Scottish Parliament, as the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) wants a new independence referendum when the pandemic subsides.
SNP leader and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is seeking a parliamentary majority after boosting her popularity with strong public engagement during the pandemic.
She said in a televised debate on Tuesday: ‘Getting through this crisis is my priority.’
A man walks with his dog past a polling station during local elections in Oxford this morning. Votes will be cast in every part of Great Britain, with the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments, London Assembly, and Hartlepool by-election up for grabs
A pooch stands proudly next to a polling station sign today. The Tories have been boosted by the latest poll showing they have a huge 10-percentage point lead – driven by the success of the vaccine rollout
A dog is seen waiting outside a polling station during local elections in Hartlepool. Research, conducted over the past two days, found 40 per cent had a favourable view of Mr Johnson, compared to just 31 per cent for Sir Keir Starmer
A woman walks with a dog outside a polling station in Hartlepool. Polling stations are open today until 10pm, with most results expected from Friday and into early next week as social distancing rules for those counting slows the process
A woman seen with her dog in Hartlepool today. More than 5,000 council seats in England will be contested, along with 13 mayoralties and 39 police and crime commissioner positions
A dog waits for its owner outside a polling station during the local and London Mayoral election in the capital city today
The SNP has capitalised on widespread disillusion with the UK parliament in London to become the dominant political force in Scotland but currently forms a minority government.
Latest opinion polls suggest the SNP will gain a slim majority for the first time since 2011, keeping it in power, although other surveys have indicated a coalition was likely.
Securing the powers from London to hold a new referendum on independence and a ‘yes’ vote is less certain, however, while recent surveys point to a fall-off in support for going it alone.
In London, Mr Kahn is predicted to win a second four-year term in the high-profile mayoral race.