The Sky News live poll tracker - collated and updated by our Data and Forensics team - aggregates various surveys to indicate how voters feel about the different political parties.

With the local election campaign well under way, Labour is still sitting comfortably on a roughly 20-point lead, averaging at 43.5% in the polls, with the Tories on 23.2%.

In third is Reform UK on 12.4%, followed by the Lib Dems on 9.5%.

The Green Party stands at 6.2%, and the SNP on 3.0%.

See the latest update below - and you can read more about the methodology behind the tracker here.

With a general election looming, what counts as gains and losses for the main parties in next week's locals? 

Sky's election analyst Michael Thrasher tells us what to look out for:

By Jenness Mitchell, Scotland reporter

John Swinney is a name that has kept coming up since Humza Yousaf announced his resignation as SNP leader and Scottish first minister today.

He's received the backing of party heavyweights like Stephen Flynn and Ian Blackford, and was the first to announce he's giving "very careful consideration" to running for the leadership.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Swinney said: "I'm giving very careful consideration to standing to be the leader of the SNP.

"I've been somewhat overwhelmed by the requests that have been made of me to do that, with many, many messages from many colleagues across the party."

There and back again?

Mr Swinney stood down as deputy first minister following Ms Sturgeon's shock resignation in 2023.

The former SNP leader, who resigned from that post in 2004 following poor European Parliament election results, is clearly tempted to once again step into the spotlight following his year on the backbenches.

The MSP for Perthshire North, who was finance secretary under Alex Salmond's government, has the experience to hold the fort following Mr Yousaf's departure.

He ruled himself out of the 2023 leadership race, citing that he had to put his young family first.

Mr Swinney said he's got "lots of things to think about".

He added: "There's the whole question of my family. And I have to make sure that I do the right thing by my family, they are precious to me.

"I have to do the right thing by my party and by my country. So, there's lots to be thought about, and I'll give all of that consideration in the days to come."

By Jennifer Scott, political reporter

For the DUP's Carla Lockhart, the death of her father gave her a different view.

He died last year aged 66 after suffering from cancer for almost five years, and she said due to his faith "he never feared dying because he knew he was going to his heavenly home". 

Speaking at Westminster Hall's assisted dying debate today, Ms Lockhart said her father's cancer was "absolutely horrendous" and "caused him immense pain and suffering".

Despite that, she said he "knew that there was an appointed time for his home calling, and it wasn't for him or any other to decide in that time". 

She added: "The palliative care and cancer care was exceptional. With further investment, it could be even better. 

"So I speak today, not as someone who hasn't experienced a loved one who has suffered with terminal illness. I know the journey. But I also know the one thing these people don't need is the law telling them their lives aren't worth living or that they are costing too much. 

"We need to tell such people they are valued, they are important, we care for them no matter the cost, and we must put our money where our mouth is and ensure that all those who need it can access high quality specialist palliative care."  

By Jennifer Scott, political reporter

MPs crammed into Westminster Hall today to discuss the contentious issue of assisted dying after a petition - sparked by the campaign of Dame Esther Rantzen to change the law - came to the floor.

Conservative Simon Jupp told the story of how one of his own constituents made his mind up on the issue.

They met when he was walking past the elderly man's garden, where he was pruning on his wife's behalf as she was now in a local care home.

"At this point I could see he wanted to cry," said Mr Jupp. 

"In a very British way he apologised and went on to explain… his dear wife, the love of his life, is terminally ill, has no quality of life, lives in constant pain and can't leave her bed.

"He visits her everyday and every single day she tells him she doesn't want to be here any more. It was clearly breaking his heart."

The man asked the MP if he supported assisted dying.

"The look of relief when I said yes was palpable, and we shared a moment together," said Mr Jupp. "And I will never forget that conversation."

Our deputy political editor Sam Coates is now joining Sophy Ridge, and he comes prepared with some new polling on the Tees Valley mayoral election.

Ben Houchen has a seven-point lead on 51% of the projected vote, he says, with Labour's candidate trailing behind with an estimated 44% and the Liberal Democrats with 5%.

"It's not a massive lead," Sam stresses. "It's down from 73% when this seat was last fought, he's dropped to 51%, but a clear lead over Chris McEwan the Labour candidate and the Lib Dems far behind there."

He adds that he was "really ahead" in the over-65s category.

Turning to the West Midlands, a YouGov poll has put Conservative candidate Andy Street two points ahead of Labour.

"YouGov say these figures are essentially too close to call… actually you can see the Lib Dems, Reform, Green and the independent George Galloway-backed candidate totalling much more than the 2%.

"If you squeeze these, then that might just turn the outcome."

Sam says that Thursday - the day of the local elections - could well be a "red letter day" for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

This would be the case "if he loses half of his local councillors" and mayoral elections. 

"But this polling suggests that Rishi Sunak is in with a chance of holding on" in Tees Valley and the West Midlands.

If he does that, Sam says, "could it be Labour who have been ramping up expectations, then end up having to do some explaining?"

As a reminder, here are the candidates for the Tees Valley mayoral election:

• Ben Houchen, Conservatives; 
• Chris McEwan, Labour; 
• Simon Thorley, Lib Dems.

And for the West Midlands:

• Siobhan Harper-Nunes, Greens; 
• Richard Parker, Labour; 
• Andy Street, Conservatives; 
• Sunny Virk, Lib Dems; 
• Elaine Ruth Williams, Reform; 
• Akhmed Yakoob, independent.

That wraps up tonight's Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge, but we'll have all the latest from Westminster and beyond throughout the night.

The week has kicked off with a huge political story - the resignation of Humza Yousaf - and will end with another, as voters across England and Wales turn out for the local elections.

Sky's political reporter Alexandra Rogers has looked ahead to a potentially defining night for Rishi Sunak's premiership, when hundreds of council seats, police and crime commissioner jobs, and mayoral posts will be up for grabs.

Read her full explainer below:

We're turning briefly to the diplomatic row which has erupted between the UK and Irish governments over Rishi Sunak's Rwanda policy.

Dublin has claimed that the threat of being sent to Rwanda has led to some migrants crossing from Northern Ireland into Ireland, and that it would introduce emergency legislation to send them back to the UK.

Our Ireland correspondent Stephen Murphy says some refugees in the country feel like they are being used as "pawns in a much wider political game".

He says he has spoken to five or six people that have attributed their journey from Britain to Northern Ireland, and subsequently to Ireland, as directly due to the Conservatives' Rwanda scheme.

There is "reality" in the Irish government's claims, Murphy says - but he adds the suggestion migrants from Northern Ireland make up 80% of those seeking support is "also just an estimate".

"It is a political row, but it's hard sometimes to remember at the heart of all this is people, and the people here that we spoke to, they really do feel they're now being used as pawns in a much wider political game."

Read more on this below:

 Next up is Alex Salmond, the former first minister of Scotland and current leader of the Alba Party.

Asked for his reaction to the day's events, he says: "I do feel for Humza (Yousaf) today, I mean I've been there, I've done a resignation speech as first minister."

Mr Salmond says most people in politics aspire to be in the "top job", adding: "It's a great wrench when you leave it."

Sophy then asks about suggestions that the Alba Party could have propped up the Scottish government with their one MSP. A source had said: "That would be like doing a deal with the devil."

What does it say that Mr Yousaf would rather collapse his own leadership than make a deal with the Alba Party?

"Well, what it says is it is not true," Mr Salmond says. 

He adds: "I'm not certain that everyone around Humza Yousaf was acting in his best interests."

Newspaper 'briefed' about replacing Yousaf

The politician points to a Times newspaper story from this morning that claimed Mr Yousaf would resign - and be replaced by John Swinney.

"That might well be accurate," he says. "But I'm very puzzled by this."

Mr Salmond also questions reports that Mr Yousaf was trying to save his job in a phone call to Ash Regan - the MSP for the Alba Party - at 7.30am today.

Sophy asks him to clarify whether he thinks there was a plot to oust Mr Yousaf in favour of Mr Swinney.

The Alba Party leader points again to The Times front page.

"Somebody briefed The Times newspaper," he says.

Sophy Ridge puts to Douglas Ross that he is the "Keir Starmer of Scotland", having used the SNP's latest leadership crisis to call for an early election.

Sir Keir has done just that at Westminster on many occasions, having seen the Tories replace both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss since he became Labour leader.

Scottish Conservatives leader Mr Ross says 17 years of SNP rule has worsened the country, and claims that waiting lists in Scotland are the "worst anywhere in the United Kingdom".

He says his inbox is "full of people" who can't see a GP or get the surgery they need.

"We know more and more people in Scotland are going private because they can't wait in pain," he says.

Mr Ross denies it is the "unspoken political truth" that his party needs the SNP to do OK in order to avoid Labour "mopping up" seats.

"These are nationalists who want to divide our country all over again, just like they did in 2014. So I want to see as many of them removed from office as possible," he says.