Voting began on Thursday in Britain for European parliament and local authority elections, with Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour government braced for a battering.

Britain's 72 seats in the European Parliament are up for grabs, while voters in various part of England will also choose 2,318 local councillors and three elected mayors. Polls which opened at 7 am will close at 10 pm (2100 GMT). The local election results are expected Friday, but the results of the European elections are not due to be published until Sunday, in line with other EU member states.

In power since 1997, the Labour government is taking the brunt of public anger over revelations about cross-party abuse of expenses by members of the House of Commons, just as Britain weathers its worst recession in decades.

Opinion polls suggest Labour could finish in third place. Brown is struggling to assert his authority amid resignations and an alleged backbench plot to oust him. Four government ministers, including two members of his cabinet, have quit in the past two days. Communities Secretary Hazel Blears, who faced criticism over her expenses, resigned on Thursday, and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she would step down at the next cabinet reshuffle, expected within days.