Tony Robinson, the 79-year-old actor best known for playing Baldrick in Blackadder, has been widely ridiculed on X after posting a video urging people to vote Labour on the day of a major set of local and devolved elections across the UK.
The clip, shared on polling day and amplified by broadcaster Patrick Christys among others, shows Robinson energetically dancing and jogging down a street in a green shirt, arms flailing, with bold red text overlaid reading “Vote TODAY Vote Change Vote Labour.” He points at the camera, grins and spins toward a polling station sign at the end. The TikTok-style video was clearly aimed at driving turnout for Labour in what represents the first significant electoral test for Sir Keir Starmer’s government since its 2024 general election victory.
The reaction on X was swift and largely unkind. Users mocked Robinson as an “insufferable pillock” and drew heavily on his most famous character, with many joking that he had once again come up with a “cunning plan” — a reference to Baldrick’s notoriously ill-conceived schemes in the long-running BBC comedy. Several posts celebrated what they called “Happy Labour wipeout day,” referencing the difficult polling picture the party faces heading into today’s results.
The elections taking place today are among the most consequential local votes in years. Across England, approximately 5,066 council seats are being contested across 136 local authorities, including all 32 London boroughs. Six directly elected mayoral contests are also under way in Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Watford. In Scotland, all 129 MSPs are being elected to Holyrood under the Additional Member System. In Wales, all 96 Members of the Senedd are being chosen under a newly expanded and more proportional system — the first election under the new structure.
Pre-election polling has pointed to a difficult night for Labour, with the party expected to face significant losses in traditional northern strongholds to Reform UK, which has been polling as the largest party nationally in recent weeks. In Wales, a tight contest is projected between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK for the largest party in the Senedd, with Labour bracing for heavy losses. In Scotland, the SNP remains the frontrunner but Reform UK has surged in recent surveys.
Polling stations close at 10pm tonight. English results are expected to begin trickling through overnight, with Scotland and Wales counts starting on Friday.
