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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Nadeem Badshah (now); Andrew Sparrow and Helen Sullivan (earlier)

Local elections 2023 live: Labour becomes largest party in local government – as it happened

England Sir Keir Starmer Michael Thrasher Rishi Sunak Electoral Commission the Electoral Commission the Green Party The Liberal Democrats

We are closing this blog now. Thanks so much for tracking developments with us. You can read all our local election coverage here.

A summary of today's developments

  • Labour is now the largest party in local government, surpassing the Conservatives for the first time since 2002. It has gained 632 seats while the Lib Dems have gained 417 seats.

  • The Tories have lost over 960 councillors and have lost control of 48 councils with results still coming in.

  • The Conservatives have been wiped out in Stockport, despite two of the three local constituencies being represented by Tory MPs. The council remains in no overall control, with the Lib Dems the largest party but increasing their seats from 28 to 30 out of the 63 up for grabs. Labour won 24 seats, up from 18.

  • The council elections will not conclude until Tuesday after Redcar & Cleveland, in North Yorkshire, stopped counting with just two results to come.

  • After 18 hours of counting and four recounts, the final two seats up for grabs in the market town of Hertford have gone to the Green party. With its win in Mid Suffolk the Green party has officially taken majority control of their first council in the UK.

  • A local election in Derbyshire has been abandoned after one of the candidates died while counting was under way. Gillian Lemmon, an incumbent Conservative councillor running for the Hilton ward in South Derbyshire, died on Friday. She was taken ill a few days ago and her condition “suddenly deteriorated”, her Tory co-candidate Sundip Meghani said.

Updated

Saturday’s Guardian.

Here is a selection of some of Saturday’s front pages starting with the FT.

Updated

Conservative candidate becomes mayor of Bedford after recount

Conservative Tom Wootton defeated Liberal Democrat incumbent Dave Hodgson by just 145 votes to become the directly elected mayor of Bedford.

The result was delayed until Friday night by a recount, with Wootton gaining 15,747 votes and Hodgson 15,602 with Labour’s Saqhib Ali third with 11,568.

The contest used the first past the post voting system for the first time, with Wootton winning in 2019 after two rounds using the single transferable vote (STV) system.

Local election abandoned due to death of Tory candidate

A local election in Derbyshire has been abandoned after one of the candidates died while counting was under way.

Gillian Lemmon, an incumbent Conservative councillor running for the Hilton ward in South Derbyshire, died on Friday.

She was taken ill a few days ago and her condition “suddenly deteriorated”, her Tory co-candidate Sundip Meghani said.

Meghani was at the count when his co-candidate died at around 12.45pm.

“We all gathered outside to be given the news, I think it was around 2ish,” he told the PA news agency.

Because Lemmon died before the declaration had been made, the district council’s returning officer decided to abandon the count.

A by-election will take place later this summer for all three seats in the Hilton ward.

Here is the latest state of play in our graphic.

The Tories have lost 959 seats while Labour have gained 625 seats and the Lib Dems are +420.

Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of Local Government Information Unit (LGIU),said: “With (nearly) all councils declared, we can look back at a day of steadily escalating drama. The Conservatives had looked to manage expectations with predictions of up to 1000 seats lost. That turned out to be the reality.

“There’s been a steady drumbeat throughout the day of Conservative councils lost to No Overall Control but this has been punctuated by some more striking results.

“Not only did Labour take some of their most ambitious target councils like Swindon and Stoke-on-Trent. But they also had unexpected gains in Medway and Bracknell Forest. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats took control of previously Conservative councils like Dacorum, Stratford-upon-Avon and, most notably, Windsor and Maidenhead.”

Lee Dillon, the Liberal Democrat group leader for West Berkshire, said the party is “absolutely delighted” with the results, where they gained a large majority over the Conservatives.

The Liberal Democrats won a total of 29 seats, 13 more than they previously held. The Conservatives now hold 11 seats, the Greens two, with one gained by Labour’s Clive Taylor, who won by only one vote.

Dillon said: “Honestly, it’s an amazing result. Having been a councillor in opposition since 2007, I’m absolutely delighted that we have been given this opportunity to make the changes people told us they need.

“I just had a resident phone me. They went: ‘Well done, you’ve got the buggers out.’ I think residents will be happy when they log on and see the results.

“We’ve clearly won the popular vote and I think that puts the Conservatives on notice that Newbury is up for grabs [at the next general election].”

Laura Farris MP holds the seat for the Tories with a 16,000 majority, defeating Dillon who was the Lib Dems’ candidate for the parliamentary constituency in 2019.

Updated

Sir Ed Davey hailed the Liberal Democrats’ “best result in decades” in the local elections.

The Lib Dems said they had taken control of 12 councils, the highest number the party has gained since 1995.

Davey said: “This has been an historic victory for the Liberal Democrats with our best result in decades.

“It’s little wonder Rishi Sunak is running scared of a general election, because he knows the Liberal Democrats are set to take swathes of seats across the Conservative party’s former heartlands.”

Updated

Labour is now the largest party in local government, surpassing the Conservatives for the first time since 2002.

Labour takes control of South Derbyshire

Labour has taken South Derbyshire after winning 23 seats on the council, which has a total of 36, with several results still to come.

Previously Labour and the Conservatives had 16 seats each on the council, which is based in the former mining town of Swadlincote.

Updated

Rishi Sunak has faced devastating losses of more than 1,000 Tory seats in the local elections, while Labour has said the party is on track to win power at the next general election, write Rowena Mason and Peter Walker.

The prime minister conceded on Friday that the English council results were “disappointing”, but faced a scathing verdict from some of his MPs, and the first rumblings of a threat to his leadership from allies of Boris Johnson.

Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, was buoyed up by the party winning more than 500 seats, and believing its projected vote share puts it on course to take power in 2024 for the first time in 14 years.

Updated

The Liberal Democrats took South Oxfordshire, which had been a hung council, after winning 19 of the 36 seats, with six seats yet to be declared.

The Lib Dems previously had 13 seats on the council, which is based in Abingdon.

Updated

Results are now available from 200 out of 230 councils. The Conservatives lost 763 seats with Labour gaining 510, the Lib Dems gaining 338 and Greens 173, with independents and residents/ratepayers down by more than 300.

The Conservatives lost control of 41 councils, with Labour gaining 19, the Lib Dems nine and the Greens one.

Updated

Derby city council will remain in a state of no overall control following the local election.

Labour has gained eight seats, taking its total to 23.

While the party remains three short of a majority, it puts Labour in pole position to form a minority leadership.

The Conservatives lost three seats, taking their total to 15.

Reform Derby has taken six seats.

The Liberal Democrats are the day’s biggest losers, winning four seats – half of what they had at the start of the day – while the Independents have one fewer, with three.

Updated

It is the first time since Stockport was born as a local authority in 1974 that there is not a single Conservative councillor.

The council remains in no overall control, with the Lib Dems the largest party but increasing their seats from 28 to 30 out of the 63 up for grabs. Labour won 24 seats, up from 18.

Labour has won Brighton & Hove from a minority Green administration in the city that has the only Green MP, Caroline Lucas.

With 13 results to be counted, Labour had won 28 seats, on the 54-seat council, with the Greens only on four.

Updated

The Conservative leader of Stafford borough council has lost his seat to the Green party, with the council now almost evenly split between Labour and the Tories.

Labour gained three seats, meaning they now have 13, while the Conservatives lost six, leaving them with 14.

The former leader of the council, Patrick Farrington, told the Guardian on Tuesday that he had detected political apathy among Conservative voters in the area but “I don’t see the Labour party making much of a dent from what I’ve heard on the ground”.

The Green party gained four seats on the council, which was previously led by a Conservative-minority administration, while the Stafford Borough Independents have seven seats.

Labour has won Cheshire West & Chester from no overall control.

Labour had been the largest party, and with five results to be declared had taken 36 of the 70 seats.

Updated

All seats have now been declared in Central Bedfordshire with independent candidates leading the way.

Labour is now the largest party in local government

Labour is now the largest party in local government, surpassing the Conservatives for the first time since 2002.

The Liberal Democrats said they “have won big” in Surrey Heath where the levelling up secretary, Michael Gove, is MP, taking control from the Conservatives.

“This is the Michael Portillo moment of these local elections. Senior Conservative cabinet ministers are now looking nervously over their shoulders at the Lib Dems,” a party spokesperson said.

Updated

Final council results to be announced on Tuesday

The council elections will not conclude until Tuesday after Redcar & Cleveland, in North Yorkshire, stopped counting with just two results to come.

The council tweeted: “Following a second recount, candidates in the Longbeck Ward have agreed for a third recount to take place on Tuesday 9 May at Redcar and Cleveland House beginning at 10am.”

Updated

In Central Bedfordshire, independent candidates have done considerably well in many wards. The council has been under Tory control since it was formed in 2009.

As thing stand, independent candidates have 27 seats, up 11.

Conservatives 20 (down 18)

Liberal Democrat 10 (up 7)

Labour 5 (up 4)

Green 1 (their first councillor in Central Beds)

Updated

Labour takes control of York

Labour took overall control of York, winning 24 of the 47 seats in a city which has a Tory and a Labour MP.

Rishi Sunak visited early in the campaign to try to boost his party, which gained one seat to Labour’s seven, with the Greens losing three and the Lib Dems losing two.

The new council is Labour 24, Lib Dems 19, Conservatives three and independent one.

Updated

Lib Dems take control of West Berkshire council

The Liberal Democrats took control of West Berkshire after winning 23 of the 43 seats on the council, with the Conservatives on nine, and nine results still to come.

The Conservatives previously had 24 seats and the Lib Dems 16 on the council, which is based in Newbury.

Updated

Here is an update on the standings. Results have been declared from 180 of 230 councils.

The Conservatives have lost 674 seats with Labour gaining 437, the Lib Dems gaining 281 and the Greens 149.

The Conservatives had lost control of 38 councils with Labour gaining 16, the Lib Dems gaining seven and the Greens gaining one.

The Tories have done worse, in terms of the swing against them towards Labour, in the south of England, according to the academic Will Jennings, who is working on the Sky News elections analysis. This chart shows the change from 2019, when these seats were last fought.

That is all from me for tonight. My colleague Nadeem Badshah is now taking over.

Tories lose all remaining councillors in Stockport, with Lib Dems largest party

The Conservatives have been wiped out in Stockport, despite two of the three local constituencies being represented by Tory MPs.

The council remains in no overall control, with the Lib Dems the largest party but increasing their seats from 28 to 30 out of the 63 up for grabs. Labour won 24 seats, up from 18.

Stockport has been in no overall control since 2011, with the Lib Dems leading a minority administration for the last year, led by former MP, Mark Hunter.

The Conservatives lost their final four seats — three in the wealthy Bramhall wards and another in Hazel Grove.

The result bodes ill for Stockport’s two Conservative MPs. Hazel Grove is currently held with a 4,423 majority by William Wragg, who has announced he will not contest the next general election. Cheadle is represented by Mary Robinson, who won a slim 2,336 majority over the Lib Dems in 2019.

Labour’s Navendu Mishra holds the third constituency, named simply Stockport. A leftwinger formerly on the Corbyn wing of the party, Mishra has been blamed for splitting the local Labour party and prompting the expulsion of councillor Matt Wynne, who went on to form his own hyperlocal party, the Edgeley Community Association, which won all three seats in Edgeley

The Greens won three seats and the Independent Ratepayers won three in Heald Green.

Labour say they are expecting to gain Thanet from the Conservatives.

On Radio 4’s PM programme Prof Sir John Curtice, the BBC elections specalist, was asked what would happen in a general election on the basis of what has emerged from the results today. He was reluctant to be specific, and stressed the uncertainty, but settled on Labour being about 20 seats short of an overall majority as an answer.

With its win in Mid Suffolk the Green party has officially taken majority control of their first council in the UK. Carla Denyer, the party’s co-leader, claimed the victory means the Greens have their first outright council majority in the northern hemisphere.

Andrew Stringer was the first and only Green councillor elected in Mid Suffolk in 2003. He said:

We always thought we could rewrite the rules of politics here in sleepy old Suffolk but we didn’t think it would be such a momentous, historic thing.

We tried to rewrite the rules of local politics where the expectation of the electorate is that we do what we say on the leaflet.

Stringer said the “backdrop of politic chaos” over the past few years had helped the Greens electorally, but support for the party has increased steadily in the past 20 years.

Being the first Green council in the northern hemisphere means all eyes will be on us to deliver. We’ve now got four years to prove to the world that Green can be the way forward and deliver for our communities.

Suzie Morley, the ousted Tory council leader who lost her seat to the Greens, said: “The one thing that as Conservatives we’ve always been able to rely on is our ability to manage the economy. Unfortunately, that hasn’t served us well from central government over the last six months.

UPDATE: Later Denyer said her claim about this being the first council in the northern hemisphere to have an outright Green majority was wrong.

An academic subsequently said this was the not the first outright Green majority in Europe either.

Updated

Tories only performing at 'C-plus' level, says Tees Valley mayor, Ben Houchen

Ben Houchen, the Conservative mayor of Tees Valley, and one of the most prominent champions of red-wall Conservatism in the party, has told Sky News that the party is currently performing at a C-plus level. This is from Sky’s Tom Larkin.

Updated

Here is another set of election results that have come in within the last half an hour. The copy is from PA media.

  • Labour has taken control of North East Derbyshire district council from the Conservatives. The new council has 28 Labour councillors, 19 Conservative councillors, three Lib Dems, two independents and one Green. One of the Conservatives to lose her seat was Angelique Foster, the Tory representative for Dronfield South and the Derbyshire police and crime commissioner, who was defeated by six votes.

  • Labour has held Gedling borough Council, in Nottinghamshire, retaining 28 seats. The Conservatives gained two seats from independents, taking their total to nine. The Liberal Democrats have also retained their total of four seats.

  • Labour says it has won Dover, which has been controlled by the Conservatives since 2007. It says it has gained six seats, and that the Tories have lost six seats.

  • Labour has taken Broxtowe borough council, in Nottinghamshire, from the Conservatives. It gained 12 seats to take its total to 26 seats, while the Tories lost 10 seats, taking their total to the same number. The Liberal Democrats lost two seats, taking their total to five, while three seats remained independent.

  • Liberal Democrats took control of Mid Devon after gaining 22 seats, with the Conservatives losing 12 and independents 11. The make-up of the new council, which was previously no overall control, is Lib Dem 33, Conservative five, Green three and independent one.

Updated

Labour has a lead of nine points over the Conservatives on vote share on the projected national share (PNS) model calculated by Prof John Curtice for the BBC.

Prof Michael Thrasher produces an alternative vote share figure, the equivalent national share (ENS), for Sky News. His final figures are not out yet, but his preliminary ones have the Labour lead over the Conservatives at between six and 10 points.

Updated

Greens firm up victory in East Herts after four recounts, settled by one vote

Honestly, Succession has nothing on the drama of the closing moments in the battle for East Herts district council.

After 18 hours of counting and no fewer than four recounts, the final two seats up for grabs (in the market town of Hertford) have gone to the Green party.

Apparently votes in the final two seats had to be recounted four times, with the candidates finally separated by just one vote. So it is true – at least in this instance – that every vote counts.

This means that the formerly true blue council – reminder that the Tories have run the council here since 1995, and won 100% of the seats in 2015 – is now much more of a muddy brown colour.

The Greens are now the largest group on the council with 19 seats, the Conservatives bottomed out with 16 while the Lib Dems took 10 and Labour five.

It can be seen as part of the Greens’ successful policy of targeting rural seats, a strategy that also saw them take control of their first ever council in Mid Suffolk.

It’s a win so significant, as to have the team at Have I Got News For You making gags about it.

Updated

This chart, from Steve Fisher, an academic who works with Prof John Curtice on the BBC’s elections analysis, shows how Labour’s lead over the Tories in these elections compares with the Labour leads (a minus figure means they were behind the Tories) in all local elections since the 1980s, when the Tories have been in power.

Today’s lead is higher than in any year since the four years after Black Wednesday.

It is quite similar to the Labour lead in 1990. But months after those local elections, the Conservatives changed their leader, which transformed their chances in the subsequent general election.

Updated

Here are some of the results that have come through in the past 20 minutes or so. The reports are from PA Media.

  • Greens have taken control of Mid Suffolk, winning 18 of the council’s 34 seats, with eight more results to be declared. It is the first council they have controlled outright.

  • The Lib Dems have gained control of South Hams from the Conservatives, after gaining nine seats in the Devon council. The new council has 19 Lib Dems, seven Conservatives, three Greens and one independent, after the Conservatives lost nine seats.

  • Labour have taken High Peak from no overall control after gaining eight seats in the Derbyshire council, with the Conservatives losing six. The new council is Labour 29, Conservative 10, Green two, Lib Dem one, independent one.

  • The Conservatives gained Torbay from no overall control after gaining five seats in the Devon council, with Lib Dems gaining three and independents losing eight. The new council is Conservative 19, Lib Dem 15 and independent two.

Updated

Tories say Starmer's lead in local elections does not match Blair's in 1996, or Cameron's in 2009

The Tories claim these PNS figures (see 3.24pm) mean Labour is not on course to win the next election. They point out that Labour in 1996, and the Conservatives in 2009, both had much higher leads in the year before they went on to win a general election.

In 1996 Labour had a 16-point lead over the Tories in the local elections on the PNs measure. Labour were on 43%, and the Tories 27%.

And in 2009 the Tories had a 15-point lead. They were on 35%, and Labour on 20%.

Asked about the figures on the BBC, Chris Philp, the policing minister, pointed out that Prof John Curtice wrote an article for the Times earlier this week saying that Labour would need a double-digit lead to show it was on course for election victory. Curtice said:

Labour enjoyed leads of 15 points or more between 1994 and 1996. The same was true of Cameron in 2008 and 2009. Doing quite as well as that might be thought a tall order. But registering at least a double-digit lead should not. Certainly, if Labour’s lead is anything much less than that we will be left wondering whether the party really have as yet sealed a deal with the voters.

Updated

'Maybe, just' - what John Curtice says about whether these results mean Labour can win outright majority

Prof John Curtice, the BBC’s chief election analyst, gave his take on the PNS figures. (See 3.24pm.) Here are the main points he made.

  • Curtice said this was Labour’s best performance in local elections at least since 2010.

  • But he said the size of the Labour lead was mainly a result of the Tory share of the vote being particularly low. Their share of the vote was even lower in 2013 (25%), he said.

  • He said Labour’s 35% share of the vote was no higher than it was last year.

  • He said that, with 20% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats had had their best result in local elections since 2010.

Curtice was then asked if this was enough for Labour to be on course to win the next general election with a majority. He replied:

It depends how you take those figures …

What we then have to do is to say well, what is the swing implied by these [figures], how does it compare with the swing that the national opinion polls are showing? The national opinion polls have the Liberal Democrats much lower because the Liberal Democrats do much better in local elections.

The implied swing here from 2019 is 4.5%. The swing in the most recent opinion polls is 5%. With a 16-point lead in the polls Labour would have enough to get an overall majority. [With a 4.5% swing], perhaps just enough, much depending on Scotland.

So maybe, just – but only if you look at it in that particular way.

Updated

Labour on 35% and Tories 26%, says BBC - highest Labour lead over Tories in local elections since 1997

The BBC has now released its projected national share (PNS) figures for the local election. This is the estimate of what the share-of-the-vote figures for each party would have been if elections had taken place in the whole of Britain.

(There is little point looking at the raw figures in local elections, because in some years there are more elections in Tory areas and in some years more in Labour ones. For example, this year there were no elections in London, which is now strongly Labour.)

The figures are:

Labour: 35%

Conservatives: 26%

Lib Dems: 20%

Others: 19%

The last time Labour had a lead of at least nine points on this measure in local elections was in 1997, when it was 11 points ahead.

Since then other highpoints have been 2001 and 2012 (both seven-point leads).

Updated

The Green party say they have now made a net gain of 100 seats.

The figure on our results page is lower, but that is because we use the Press Association’s results service, and they only record figures once full results from the relevant council are in.

Labour has lost control of Slough, where the Conservatives have become the biggest party, with 21 of the 42 seats, PA Media reports. PA says Labour lost 17 seats, with the Conservatives gaining 16.

Labour have taken control of Erewash council in Derbyshire from the Conservatives.

Labour has gained Blackpool council, which was under no overall control.

There are two target parliamentary constitutencies covering the town. Scott Benton won Blackpool South for the Tories in 2019 with a majority of 3,690, and Paul Maynard won Blackpool North and Cleveleys for the party with a majority of 8,596.

Hung parliament projections mean Scots can 'pull strings of minority UK government' by voting SNP, says Stephen Flynn

There were no local elections in Scotland yesterday. But the SNP has been watching the results closely, and the party has been encouraged by the analysis from elections experts (see 8.35am and 2.13pm) saying the results imply Labour will win the next election, but without an overall majority.

Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader at Westminster, said this shows Scots should vote SNP so Scotland can “pull the strings” of a minority UK government. In a statement he said:

It’s increasingly clear that the SNP can hold the balance of power after the next general election – putting Scotland in prime position to pull the strings of a minority UK government.

Voting SNP is the best way to beat the Tories in Scotland – and every vote for the SNP will be crucial to ensure Scotland wields real power and influence.

With the pro-Brexit Labour party lurching to the right, and becoming indistinguishable from the Tories, the SNP will make certain that real change happens.

The SNP would ensure the power to determine Scotland’s future is transferred to Edinburgh, that the cost of living crisis becomes the main priority of Westminster and that relations with Europe are rebuilt and renewed.

Updated

The Liberal Democrats have gained Stratford-on-Avon, and Dacorum council in Hertfordshire. Dacorum was where Ed Davey drove a tractor through a “blue wall” of hay at the start of the election campaign.

Updated

Prof Michael Thrasher, Sky News’ election expert, has said that his analysis suggests that these results show Labour is on course to be the largest party in parliament after the general election, but without an overall majority.

Labour argues it could get an overall majority because the situation has changed in Scotland recently, and the collapse in support for the SNP meant it could gain enough seats there to get it over the line.

Thrasher said this was a “reasonable argument”. But he said he could not take it into account in his model because he does not have fresh data for Scotland.

The Conservatives are losing most in remain areas, according to an analysis of today’s results. These are from Will Jennings, an academic contributing to the Sky News analysis.

Labour has taken control of Swindon, the BBC’s Faisal Islam reports.

Labour gained eight seats on Swindon council.

The town has always been a key battleground. Sir Robert Buckland, the former justice secretary, has a majority of 6,625 in South Swindon, and Justin Tomlinson won North Swindon for the Tories in 2019 with a majority of 16,171.

Within the last half an hour or so, the Conservative have lost both Bromsgrove and Maidstone to no overall control.

Carla Denyer, the Green party’s co-leader, has said that the “uninspiring” nature of Labour, as well as dislike of the Tories, have contributed to her party’s success (see 11.14am) today.

She highlighted Worcester, where the party got the largest vote share (29%), and gained three seats from Labour and one from the Conservatives, despite some predicting that Labour would take overall control of the council.

The Greens also gained seats on councils including Southend-on-Sea, Havant and South Kesteven, and are hoping to win outright control of their first council in Mid Suffolk later today.

Denyer said her party was capitalising on “a deep dislike of the Tories and Starmer’s uninspiring Labour”. She went on:

It is also clear that voters have responded positively to our practical solutions to meet concerns on issues such as the cost of living crisis, housing, underfunded and run-down public services and the state of our rivers.

Updated

Labour says 'hugely significant' East Staffordshire win shows it's on course for majority government

Labour says it has won East Staffordshire, where four years ago the Tories picked up 25 seats, and Labour just 10. A Labour spokesperson said:

This is a hugely significant result that confirms we are on course for a majority Labour government. We have been going backwards in Staffordshire in recent general elections. With this gain and our win in Stoke, we are making real progress in the places we need to win the next election.

Updated

Chris Poulter, the Conservative leader of Derby city council, said he expected the council to remain in a position of no overall control, PA Media reports. The council is currently led by a Conservative minority, with the Tories having 18 seats, while 26 are needed for a majority.

Updated

Government 'hasn't done us any favours', says ousted Tory leader as Greens hope to take control of Mid Suffolk

Spirits are high among the Greens in Mid Suffolk, which could become the first majority-controlled Green council in the UK if the party wins at least five more seats. The council is currently controlled by the Conservatives.

The Greens have gained four seats so far, ousting the incumbent Tory council leader in the process. The Greens currently hold 12 seats in the council. They need to win 16 to take control.

Suzie Morley, the leader of Mid Suffolk council, was unseated this morning by the Green candidate Nicholas Robert Hardingham, who won 615 votes to Morley’s 419.

Andy Mellen, the leader of the Mid Suffolk Green party, said:

It’s looking very positive at the moment. It’s looking like we could end up with a Green majority here.

Morley, the ousted Tory council leader, called the outlook for the party “challenging” and said “national government hasn’t done us any favours”. She went on:

I think we’ll lose control of the council and it’s likely the Greens are going to take control. It’s upsetting but we will be a strong opposition.

Updated

On Wednesday night, on the eve of the elections, Rishi Sunak clearly implied that if the Conservatives did badly, it would be because of the crises that hit the party in 2022 when Boris Johnson and Liz Truss were in charge.

Interestingly, in his comment on the results this morning (see 8.04am), he did not repeat this argument. The Johnsonites may be in a relatively weak position (see 12.21pm), but it seems he does not want to provoke them any further.

Tory MPs have not been criticising Sunak openly, but one “Conservative source” has attacked him anonymously this morning, telling the Telegraph:

Sunak can’t blame these results on last year’s chaos. He started that chaos by knifing the most successful Tory election winner in 50 years.

Sunak’s claim that stability has been restored is shot to bits. These results are on track to be catastrophic for the party and worse than before the change of leader.

Updated

The Liberal Democrats think they have a chance of taking control of the councils in Surrey Heath and Stratford-on-Avon, which are represented respectively by the Tory MPs Michael Gove and Nadhim Zahawi. They say in that Surrey Heath it is neck and neck which party will take overall control, and that in Stratford-on-Avon they are “increasingly confident” of at least ousting the Tories from being in control.

A party spokesperson said:

We are now seeing Lib Dem votes piling up in unexpected areas. It’s going down to the wire, but Conservative big name MPs like Nadhim Zahawi and Michael Gove could have a Lib Dem-run council this time tomorrow.

Conservative MPs across the blue wall will be petrified at these results. If we win in Stratford and Surrey Heath, there is nowhere safe in the blue wall.

Updated

Police urged to investigate video that seems to show Boris Johnson not wearing seatbelt

Police are being urged to investigate after a video emerged of Boris Johnson allegedly not wearing a seatbelt in what appears to be a moving vehicle, PA Media reports. PA says:

In a video being widely shared on social media, the former prime minister is heard urging Derbyshire Conservatives ahead of Thursday’s local elections to “get as many people as possible to turn out and vote for us”.

Johnson does not look to have been wearing a seatbelt in the 42-second clip which appeared to have been self-recorded.

The Liberal Democrats have called on the police to investigate a “potential breach of the law”.

The message was said to have been shared on Twitter by Derby North MP Amanda Solloway but seems to have since been deleted.

Derbyshire police said there is “no information” to suggest the former Tory leader filmed the video while in the county.

Rishi Sunak was fined by police after being spotted without a seatbelt in an Instagram video he filmed while travelling during a visit to Lancashire on 19 January.

Updated

Tory former MEP David Campbell Bannerman suggests Sunak's leadership partly to blame for election results

There was good news for Rishi Sunak on the Today programme this morning; he was slagged off by a former Tory MEP.

The ex-MEP was David Campbell Bannerman, who was once a Ukip deputy leader and who is now chair of the Conservative Democratic Organisation, which campaigns for more grassroots democracy in the party but which is also widely seen as the ‘Bring back Boris Johnson’ campaign. Speaking about the local election results this morning, Campbell Bannerman said “the leadership” was a big factor. He went on:

I think the way that we got rid of Boris, I’ve spoken to quite a few people who regret that on the doorstep.

We’re putting up taxes, the highest taxes for 70 years. And there’s a price to be paid for that.

We want to get back to more traditional conservative policies.

Campbell Bannerman said the CDO was “not about bringing back Boris”. But he went on:

It’s true that a lot of our members still like and rate Boris, as do many of the public, and given the scale of the challenge ahead, we shouldn’t rule that [bringing Johnson back] as an option happens as an option longer term.

Why was this good news for Sunak? Because at one point it was assumed that bad results in the local elections would trigger a fresh bout of Tory infighting, with Johnon’s supporters arguing that he would do better than Sunak.

If senior Tory MPs were saying this, or if the Daily Telegraph or the Daily Mail were making this argument, then Sunak would be in difficulty. But they’re not, and we have not heard a peep from Nadine Dorries or Jacob Rees-Mogg, who in the past have been two of the most enthusiastic Johnson supporters in the Commons.

If the Today programme could have found a more prominent Tory willing to use the local election results to criticise Sunak, and talk up Johnson, they could have done so. But it seems they couldn’t, and so the fact they ended up quoting an obscure ex-MEP suggests Sunak is safe.

Greens hope to be largest party on East Herts council after Tories lose control for first time since 1995

The Greens in East Hertfordshire are also having a marvellous time this morning – unlike the Conservatives who have had a terrible night.

The Tories have lost control of East Herts council for the first time since 1995 and only the second time in its 49-year history.

In 2015 Conservatives won all 50 of the seats (last time round they managed a mere 39) – currently they have 16, with two seats in Hertford Castle too close to call and currently being recounted with results expected around lunchtime.

With two seats to declare at East Herts, no one can reach 26 for full control, but the Greens are the largest party with 17 seats, the Tories are on 16, Lib Dems 10 and Labour on five.

The Green co-leader Adrian Ramsay visited East Herts last month and rather optimistically suggested the party could take 10 seats; in fact they might get almost double that number if the final two seats go the Greens’ way. He told the Guardian this morning:

It is a fantastic result in East Hertfordshire. To go from winning our first seats four years ago to having 17 seats now and the chance of being the largest party is really incredible.

It is testament to the incredible hard work by local people there, but what it also shows is that people are looking for an alternative to the Conservatives, including in areas where they have been traditionally very strong.

Elsewhere in the county the Tories lost 13 seats in Hertsmere, which the party had run since 1999.

On Broxbourne council, the Tories held their nine seats and Labour kept their one, while in Stevenage – a key Labour target in the general election – Labour took nine of 13 available seats while the Tories and Liberal Democrats won two each.

On Dacorum borough council in Hertfordshire, the Conservative leader Andrew Williams narrowly held on to his seat by 11 votes, saying: “A win is a win.”

Updated

Many opposition MPs claimed that the real motive behind the decision to require voters to show photo ID was to suppress the anti-Tory vote. If that was the reason (and the Tories insist it wasn’t), it did not seem to work. (See 10.20am.)

Another change to voting law introduced by this government has been the introduction of first-past-the-post for mayoral elections and for police and crime commissioner elections. Previously the supplementary vote system was used, which involves second preference votes being taken into account.

This was also seen (perhaps with more justification) as a blatantly partisan move. In many areas rightwing votes go to the Tories, but leftwing votes are split between parties like Labour and the Lib Dems. In this scenario, first-past-the-post helps the Conservatives.

But, as the elections expert Lewis Baston points out, in the Middlesbrough mayoral contest, the new system seems to have helped Labour.

Here are the full results for the Middlesbrough mayoral election, from PA Media.

Chris Cooke (Lab) 10,956 (40.20%, +17.46%)

Andy Preston (Ind) 10,196 (37.42%, -21.76%)

Jon Rathmell (Ind) 3,102 (11.38%, +1.39%)

John Cooper (Con) 2,997 (11.00%, +2.90%)

Lab maj 760 (2.79%)

19.61% swing Ind to Lab

Electorate 99,034; Turnout 27,251 (27.52%, -3.56%)

Green party says 'fantastic' night has given them record number of councillors

The Greens are cock-a-hoop this morning, after a better than expected showing and many results still to be declared.

According to the party’s HQ, by 10am on Friday they had a record number of councillors and had made a net gain of 27, after winning 54 seats so far. They reckon they could gain as many as 100 seats when all the counting is done, with gains made in Worcester, Southend-on-Sea, Havant and South Kesteven, South Tyneside and Coventry.

This morning co-leader Adrian Ramsay told me he was exhausted, but “jubilant”. He said:

We’ve had a fantastic night that has surpassed our own expectations. Four years ago, we saw the first of several years where Greens achieved record results. So despite the fact that we were defending a record number of seats, we have still seen substantial gains. We’ve got a lot of excitement from our supporters to capitalise on.

Ramsay said the party was anticipating strong results in Mid Suffolk and Herefordshire later on today.

Those are the sorts of places – Bristol, Waveney Valley in Suffolk, Herefordshire – where we will be well placed to challenge for the seat at the general election because people can see we’re the main challengers on the ground.

Adrian Ramsay.
Adrian Ramsay. Photograph: Martin Pope/Getty Images

Updated

A flaw in the current electoral system has been exposed in Salford, where a sitting Liberal Democrat councillor has just been elected in the Cotswolds as well.

The Manchester Evening News (MEN) reports that Chris Twells, who won a seat on Salford council last year in the Ordsall ward for the Lib Dems, stood as a “paper candidate” in the Cotswolds – and won.

In the run-up to this year’s election, Salford’s Labour mayor, Paul Dennett, raised his concerns about Twells moonlighting in the Cotswolds. He was assured by Coun Alex Warren, leader of the Lib Dems in Salford, that: “His name is on the ballot paper as a paper candidacy because the Lib Dems were struggling to fill their slate. He will not win.”

But win he did, taking 38% of the vote in the Tetbury with Upton ward, ousting a Conservative. Oops.

Dennett called on Twells to “do the right thing” and resign his Salford seat to concentrate on representing his new ward in the Cotswolds.

Updated

Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, told activists in Windsor that “time is up” for Rishi Sunak. He said:

Voters across the country have sent a clear message in these local elections, a message so loud that even someone as out of touch as Rishi Sunak can’t ignore it.

People are fed up with waiting hours for an ambulance, waiting in vain for the police to show up after a break-in, or for real action to bring down soaring energy bills and food prices.

Conservative MPs are out of touch, out of ideas and out of excuses, and the British people are fed up with waiting for a chance to kick them out of office.

Time is up for Rishi Sunak and his appalling Conservative government. We need a general election now. It’s clear that in many parts of the country, it’s the Liberal Democrats who can defeat the Conservatives and deliver a fair deal for the British people.

Davey was in Windsor because taking control of Windsor and Maidenhead council from the Tories was one of his party’s best results overnight. The party says it gained 13 seats from the Tories, with swings of more than 20% in some wards.

Ed Davey speaking to Lib Dem activists in Windsor this morning.
Ed Davey speaking to Lib Dem activists in Windsor this morning. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA Media

Updated

Photo ID voting law does not seem to have hurt Labour, and may only have had small impact on turnout, says John Curtice

These were the first local elections where people had to provide photo ID to vote. According to Prof John Curtice, the BBC’s elections expert, this does not seem to have had a big impact on turnout, and it does not seem to have disadvantaged Labour (as some claimed it might, because the list of photo ID permissible was more suited to pensioners than students).

Curtice told the BBC it was too early to draw firm conclusions. But he said three trends stood out.

One, turnout is only slightly down on both 2019 and 2022, which at least is prima facie evidence against the argument that there was a significant loss of turnout as a result of the voter ID requirements.

Secondly, we cannot discern any relationship between the fall in turnout, such as it was, and the proportion of people who, according to the 2021 census, don’t have a passport in the areas, which is one indicator of the availability of the requirement for voter ID.

And, thirdly, we certainly can’t see any link between the extent to which turnout fell and how well or badly Labour did. In fact, if anything, Labour tended to do rather better in wards where turnout fell most, which certainly argues against the Conservative claim that Labour were simply doing better because their voters stayed at home. And equally [it] also argues against the Labour claim that they were going to be disadvantaged by the voter ID pilot.

John Curtice on the BBC this morning.
John Curtice on the BBC this morning. Photograph: BBC News

Updated

Starmer says Labour winning because Tories and PM have 'nothing' to say on cost of living

And this is what Keir Starmer told Labour activists when he spoke to them in Chatham just now about taking control of Medway council.

He thanked the activists for their work, and said Labour was on course to win a majority at the next general election. He said:

Thank you, all of you. You’ve done an absolutely stunning job here. You didn’t just get it over the line. You blew the doors off. The first victory here since 1998. An amazing, amazing set of results. I didn’t doubt it when I saw the energy and the commitment and the case that we were making. But what a fantastic result here in Medway.

And we’re having fantastic results across the country. Plymouth – what a night they’ve had in Plymouth. And then Stoke, and up to Middlesbrough – all the places that we need to win, the battegrounds.

And make no mistake – we are on course for a Labour majority of the next general election.

Some of the country’s top election experts don’t agree. See 8.19am and 8.35am.

Starmer also explained why he thought Labour was doing well. He said:

It was all about the cost of living and we had a positive case to make.

We understood what it’s like not to be able to make ends meet and we said what we would do to help people with their everyday bills.

And the government, the prime minister said nothing. And that’s because they’re the problem, not the solution.

And what we’ve shown together is that we can make change. We’ve changed our party. We’ve won the trust and confidence of voters and now we can go on to change our country.

So change is possible. A better Britain is possible. Well done to all of you. Fantastic morning. Thank you so much.

Updated

Starmer says Labour 'on course for majority at next general election'

Keir Starmer is in Medway, where Labour won control of the council for the first time since 1998. He told supporters: “We are on course for a Labour majority at the next general election.”

UPDATE: See 9.47am for the full quote.

Keir Starmer in Chatham, where Labour won control of Medway council.
Keir Starmer in Chatham, where Labour won control of Medway council. Photograph: BBC News

Updated

Boris Johnson did not campaign for the Conservatives in the local elections, Greg Hands, the Tory chair, told LBC this morning.

As LBC’s Henry Riley points out, only last week, speaking to the Telegraph, Hands was saying Johnson was a great campaigning asset for the party.

Updated

Results 'groundbreaking' for Lib Dems, says Ed Davey

Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, told BBC Breakfast this morning that the election results for his party “exceeding expectations” and “groundbreaking”. He explained:

We’ve taken control of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. And in what I call the blue wall seats, Conservative traditional heartlands, the Liberal Democrats are going to make big gains.

We have yet to count in places like Surrey, Sussex, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire. But I can tell you we’re very positive about our chances there.

And it’s not just in traditional Conservative heartlands that the Liberal Democrats are making gains. In our own heartlands, in places like Devon and Dorset, I think we’re going to do really well. So we’re really happy this morning.

I think it’s the voters who are both really angry with the Conservatives, but responding positively to the Liberal Democrat message.

Ed Davey
Ed Davey Photograph: Sky News

Updated

Conservatives have lost control of South Gloucestershire, where they previously held 33 of the 61 seats, losing 10 of them, with Labour gaining six and the Liberal Democrats three, PA Media reports. PA says:

The new council is under no overall control, with 23 Conservatives, 20 Lib Dems, 17 Labour and one independent.

This is the last of the councils that counted overnight to declare, with pauses at three councils until later on Friday.

It means the next council result is not expected until around noon on Friday.

There are 169 council results to come and three elections for mayors.

It is a mixed picture for Labour across the north of England so far. The party will have been disappointed not to wrest back control of Hull from the Liberal Democrats, who tightened their grip on Humberside thanks to policies including “making bus lanes peak-time only”.

Will the city of John Prescott turn yellow in a general election? Hard to tell, though Hull’s three Labour MPs will not be too cheerful this morning.

Elsewhere, Labour are making solid but not sensational gains, winning enough seats from the Conservatives to become the largest party in Hartlepool and Bolton, both of which remain in no overall control. Keir Starmer’s crew in the north-east are cock-a-hoop after ousting Middlesbrough’s independent millionaire mayor, Andy Preston, on a near 20% swing.

Councils to watch in the north later: Stockport, where the Liberal Democrats hope to wipe out the four remaining Tories (a very bad omen for whoever stands for the Conservatives in the Hazel Grove constituency now that William Wragg has announced his departure); and High Peak (officially the Midlands but spiritually extremely northern, sandwiched between Manchester and Sheffield), where Labour hopes to win enough seats from the Tories to take full control.

Updated

In his clip for broadcasters this morning Rishi Sunak cited Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire as an example of a place where the Tories had made progress. (See 8.04am.)

Alastair Campbell, the podcast supremo and former Tony Blair communications chief, says Sunak was talking nonsense.

And this is from James Naish, the Labour leader of Bassetlaw council.

Rishi Sunak leaving CCHQ this morning.
Rishi Sunak leaving CCHQ this morning. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

Staff experienced 'horrid' abuse at polling stations because of photo ID law, says council leader

The leader of Sefton council in Merseyside said he was “appalled” to hear that some of the 850 people who had staffed polling stations had received abuse from the public, especially as a result of the new, national voter ID requirements that were in effect for the first time. Labour’s Ian Maher said:

I want to say a huge thanks to everyone who was involved in the mammoth task of organising and managing the local elections, particularly with the government’s introduction of the new and in my mind needless ID requirements.

But I also want to say how sorry I am that staff have been put in the position where they have had to endure abuse from the public, in no small part because of the new rules.

We knew from the introduction of photo ID requirements that this change would not be well received by some of our communities but to hear that our hardworking staff, who are simply helping people have their democratic say, have been subjected to horrid abuse is frankly shocking.

Updated

Prof John Curtice, the BBC’s elections expert, told the Today programme that the Tories could end up losing 1,000 seats by the end of the day.

But he said that Labour’s share of the vote did not seem to be higher than it was 12 months ago (when Labour was on 35% in the local elections, according to Curtice’s projected national share calculation, and the Tories on 30%).

Asked if he agreed with Labour that it was on track to win the next general election (see 7.23am) on the basis of these results, Curtice said “it depends what you meant by win”.

He said the results certainly suggested Labour would be the largest party after the next general election. But he said it was still “uncertain” whether Labour was on course to have a majority government.

This is very similar to what his Sky News rival, Prof Michael Thrasher, is saying. (See 8.19am.)

Updated

The Conservatives lost control of South Kesteven in Lincolnshire, a council where the party had 36 of the 56 seats before polling day, PA Media reports. They lost 12 seats, leaving the council under no overall control, with 24 Conservatives, 22 independents, four Liberal Democrats, four Greens and two Labour.

Prof Michael Thrasher, the elections expert who provides analysis for Sky News, has written an article this morning saying these could be the worst results for the Tories since 1995. He says:

The Conservatives have lost a third of their council seats so far - a hammering by any standard.

If that trend continues, the party is likely to post a final tally that rivals the debacle of 1995 that left them limping towards a massacre at the general election two years later.

But Thrasher also claims Labour is not doing well enough to be on course to gain an overall majority at the next election.

Gaining Medway for the first time, a council that Labour could not win in 1997, is a notable coup for the party and one which it will rightly publicise. It will also celebrate the rise in vote share in Rushmoor, where it even surpassed the 1995 figure. This is all evidence of Labour passing the test it’s been set.

But there are other results, Hartlepool, Lincoln, Tamworth and elsewhere, where Labour’s progress falls short of a general election-winning performance. Even where it has done well, like Plymouth, the increase in vote share, though large, is not large enough for an overall majority at the next general election.

This last sentence might be read by Labour supporters with incredulity. But the electoral arithmetic that lies behind the next parliamentary election is that the national swing from the Conservatives required for a Labour victory is greater than the party achieved in its 1997 landslide. This is because Labour posted one of its worst-ever general election performances in December 2019, and its recovery from that must be spectacular.

Sunak claims election results show people want him to carry on delivering on his five pledges

Rishi Sunak has just delivered a statement to broadcasters about the election results. It is unusual for a PM to comment so early in the day, when most of the results are not yet in, but Sunak’s general message was that he was ploughing on anyway.

When it was put to him that the former leader of Medway council said the Tories lost power there because of the government’s record, Sunak replied:

We’ve only had a quarter of the results in.

Actually, we’re making progress in key election battleground like Peterborough, Bassetlaw, Sandwell.

But the message I am hearing from people tonight is that they want us to focus on their priorities, and they want us to deliver for them.

And that’s about halving inflation, growing the economy. reducing debt, cutting waiting lists and stopping the boats. That’s what people care about. That’s what they want us to deliver. And that’s why the government are going to work very hard to do.

Sunak was listing the five pledges he made in January.

The former Tory leader of Medway council, Alan Jarrett, spoke to the Today programme earlier.

In an interview with Times Radio, Greg Hands, the Conservative party chair, set out in more detail why he thought the results were not particularly good for Labour. He said:

There’s areas where Labour really should have done better last night. We’ve actually gained councillors in seats which Jeremy Corbyn won in 2017, like Peterborough like in Sandwell, like in Bassetlaw. So I don’t think it’s a uniformly good picture for Labour.

He also said taking control of Stoke-on-Trent council was not that significant for Labour. He said:

Stoke-on-Trent sets a very low bar for Labour. You’ve got to remember that in 2017 under Jeremy Corbyn Labour won two of the three parliamentary seats in Stoke, so you know Stoke is a low bar for Labour to regain.

Updated

Tory chair Greg Hands says results have been 'disappointing' - but claims it's 'not that great' for Labour in some places

Greg Hands, the Conservative party chair, has admitted that it has been a “disappointing” night for his party. He told GB News:

We always said it would be a difficult night for the party, the independent projections were all that we were going to lose 1,000 seats.

It’s still early days so far but if I might say, it’s not been that great a result for Labour in some areas.

We’ve actually gained seats in Peterborough, Sandwell, Bassetlaw, other areas that Labour need to win at the next election.

In fact, there was only one prominent independent projection suggesting the Tories would lose 1,000 seats. It was an estimate from the academics Prof Colin Rallings and Prof Michael Thrasher, published in the Local Government Chronicle in March, based on what polling at the time suggested.

Updated

Labour activists celebrating a win in Stoke, where Labour has taken control of the council, which previously was no overall control.
Labour activists celebrating a win in Stoke, where Labour has taken control of the council, which previously was no overall control. Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

Why Labour thinks local election results show it is on course to win general election

Labour believes the results so far shows it is on course to win the next election. (See 6.16am.) Here is an extract from the Labour party briefing explaining why the party thinks this.

Based on the results declared so far, we are confident Labour will have an equivalent vote share lead of at least eight points which would represent our best result since 1997. If Labour had an 8% lead in a general election we would win a majority government, taking into account anticipated recovery in Scotland.

We have gained key councils such as Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent and Medway and gained the Middlesbrough mayor. All of these overlap with battlegrounds for the next election and represent several key areas of the country which Labour needs to win: southern marginals, Midlands, North Kent and Teesside. If Labour is to win the next election we need to be winning in these places – and we are …

Not only have we won these constituencies, in some cases we have won them by a very large margin. For example in both Plymouth Moor View and Dudley South the swing from the 2019 general election to the constituency aggregate this year was 23%.

In local elections, Labour has not been at least eight points ahead of the Conservatives on the national equivalent vote (NEV) share since 2001, when it was nine points ahead. On the alternative projected national share (PNS) calculation, Labour has not been at least eight points ahead since 1997, when it was 11 points ahead.

Some experts thinks Labour would need to be at least 10 points ahead of the Conservatives at a general election to have a majority of one. But Labour’s recent recovery in Scotland is changing that calculation.

Updated

Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Helen Sullivan.

Here are four elections experts on where things stand this morning with the results.

From Keiran Pedley from Ipsos:

From James Johnson, a pollster who used to work for Theresa May when she was in No 10:

From Will Jennings, an academic contributing to the Sky News election analysis:

From Patrick English from YouGov:

Updated

That’s it from me, Helen Sullivan, for today. Thanks for following along – and stay tuned for the many more local election results to come. My colleague and politics blog mastermind Andrew Sparrow will bring you the latest news and analysis.

Tory councillors suffered because at the end of 2022 the Conservative party as a brand was “certainly damaged”, Tory former minister Jonathan Gullis has said.

Speaking to Sky News after Labour took control of Stoke-on-Trent, Mr Gullis said: “Look obviously it’s disappointing. I feel for those Conservatives councillors and candidates who, have sadly, I think, let’s be quite frank, suffered because at the end of 2022, the Conservative party as a brand was certainly damaged, obviously went through its own turmoil.”

Updated

Conservatives lose control of Boston

The Conservatives lost control of Boston, losing 10 seats in the Lincolnshire town, PA reports.

The new council has 24 independents, five Conservatives and one Liberal Democrat.

Britain Elects co-founder Ben Walker points out that Medway is a Westminster bellwether seat – and was key to Tony Blair’s victory in 1997. We’ve heard comparisons to 1997 from Labour tonight, too.

But again: this is with around a third of the councils called. There are still many results to come.

Labour takes Medway

Labour has won a majority in the key council Medway for the first time since 1998, PA reports.

Labour won 30 of the council’s 59 seats. With six seats still to be declared, the Conservatives are on 22 and there is one independent, but Labour now cannot be caught.

“We will make sure the people of Medway who have chosen change will get the services they deserve,” says the newly elected leader of the council, Vince Maple.

“More than a decade of austerity … has led to perilous situations,” he says.

Here is the moment the results were announced:

Think tank LGiU (Local Government Information Unit) is awake and has their take. Jonathan Carr-West, LGiU’s chief executive, says the results are broadly as expected that it has been a “good night for Labour”:

With nearly all of the overnight results in, these elections are broadly conforming to expectations. So far, it’s been a good night for Labour with big wins in Stoke-on-Trent and Plymouth; key targets in very different parts of the country. The Liberal Democrats will also be pleased to be holding councils like North Norfolk, Hull and Cotswold.

The Conservatives are losing seats and councils such as Tamworth, Brentwood and North West Leicestershire moving to no overall control. So far though, it’s a steady stream of losses not a tidal wave and is within the admittedly very pessimistic expectations they have set out. But, there is still a long way to go.

A reminder of what is at stake today for the Conservatives and the opposition nationally:

The task for Rishi Sunak in his first electoral test is clear. The tide is against his party, so he needs to set the bar low and hope disaster is at least averted. It does not help that his party are more exposed than usual with this year’s contests mainly on blue-leaning territory.

Yet the Conservatives also had a weaker than usual starting position, thanks to the electoral wipeout they suffered in 2019, when nearly all of the seats being contested were last fought. The 2019 contest took place in the dog days of the May government, with Nigel Farage’s Brexit party surging in the polls.

It was a disaster for the Tories, with more than 1,300 seats lost, but meltdown then means less exposure now. The Conservatives are defending fewer vulnerable seats and may even recover ground in some quarters. Every defence against the tide and unexpected gain will be seized upon as a sign of resilience.

Keir Starmer’s task is equally clear: this local election offers the best opportunity for a show of strength. He needs Labour to convert clear poll leads into council clean sweeps. The past is also helpful for Labour – the 2019 local elections were a “plague on both your houses” cycle, where voters turned against government and opposition alike. Labour, like the Conservatives, lost votes and seats then. But Labour, unlike the Conservatives, have recovered strongly since. The opposition is therefore sure to advance even if the governing party does not fall further.

While a Labour win in Medway looks likely, we’re still awaiting an official result.

Labour hopes to win the unitary authority in Medway for the first time since its creation in 1998.

It is “quite obvious” Labour will form the next administration at Medway, the Conservative leader of the council has said.

Asked whether he was sure that Labour would gain Medway Council, Alan Jarrett told the BBC’s Elections 2023 programme: “Yes, pretty sure because although we haven’t had many seats declared, wards declared, it is quite obvious from the counting that Labour will form the next administration.”

Conservatives lose Windsor and Maidenhead

The Conservatives have lost control of Windsor and Maidenhead (a single council) after the Liberal Democrats made gains in the royal borough, PA reports.

With 17 of the 41 seats still to declare, the Conservatives held only three seats, with the Lib Dems on 13 and independents on eight.

The Conservatives had 22 seats on the council before polling day, with the Lib Dems on 10.

The loss of this council is the Tories’ sixth loss so far.

Updated

Labour says results will be best since 1997

Labour is confident it will have its best local election results since 1997, PA Media reports, with an equivalent vote share lead of at least 8% over the Tories.

The party believes the results so far suggest it is on track to win the next general election.

Shabana Mahmood, Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator, said: “These results show that we are on course for a majority Labour government.”

Labour’s national campaign coordinator Shabana Mahmood (left) appearing on the BBC on Sunday 30 April 2023.
Labour’s national campaign coordinator Shabana Mahmood (left) appearing on the BBC on Sunday 30 April 2023. Photograph: Jeff Overs/BBC/PA

“We have spent the whole campaign talking about Labour’s plan to tackle the Tory cost of living crisis which is the number one issue for voters.

“Rishi Sunak can’t talk about it because the Tories crashed the economy and they don’t know how to fix it.

“These results have been a disaster for Rishi Sunak as voters punish him for the Tories’ failure.”

Updated

Veterans Minister and Plymouth Moor View MP Johnny Mercer, described by Labour MP Luke Pollard as “toast” after the Labour gained control of Plymouth council:

Voters have heard the pledges and promises of four Conservative prime ministers since the last time this set of authorities were up for election in May 2019. Theresa May faced enormous pressure to quit after a bad set of results and she resigned in June that year.

Keir Starmer will be hoping to reap the rewards of Labour’s 18-point lead over the Conservatives. The Tories, who launched their local election campaign with little fanfare, have been in heavy expectation-management mode, predicting losses of more than 1,000 seats.

Commentators predict that Tory losses of even 500 seats would mean trouble for Rishi Sunak’s authority. But Labour also has a lot to prove.

The latest look at Brexit’s interesting impact on today’s results so far, according to politics researcher Will Jennings – Labour’s greatest gains are in areas that voted “Leave” in 2016. Areas that voted “Remain” are where the Conservatives have suffered their greatest losses:

Transport minister says Tory losses "certainly" fault of Johnson and Truss

Transport minister Huw Merriman has suggested Boris Johnson and Liz Truss are to blame for the Conservative losses in local elections across England.

Merriman told the BBC’s Elections 2023 programme: “When I was talking to my constituents on the doorsteps yesterday, they were talking about older news about former prime ministers, but saying your current leader seems to have what it takes.

Former British Prime Ministers Liz Truss and Boris Johnson attend the National Service of Remembrance at The Cenotaph, in London, Britain 13 November 2022.
Former British prime ministers Liz Truss and Boris Johnson attend Remembrance service at the Cenotaph, in London, in November. Photograph: Reuters

“He seems to be turning things around for us, but this is the opportunity for the electorate to give their vote on where we have been previously.”

Asked if it was Johnson and Truss’s fault, Merriman said: “Certainly, on the doorsteps the feedback I got was that we are in a better place. The polls show that as well. People are reacting in a more positive way towards Rishi Sunak.”

Updated

Liberal Democrats hold North Norfolk

Davey will be happy to hear that the Liberal Democrats have held onto North Norfolk, even managing to gain a seat.

The Tories gained two seats.

Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey said it had been a “groundbreaking night” for his party, PA reports.

He said: “We are exceeding all expectations. We have delivered a hammer blow to the Conservative Party in the blue wall ahead of next year’s general election.

“We’re making progress all over the country - including in the heart of the blue wall, where we’re confident of taking control of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey campaigns ahead of local elections.
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey campaigns ahead of local elections. Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

“From Bath to Brentwood, more and more communities are choosing Liberal Democrats to be their local champions.

“The message from voters is clear: they are sick to the back teeth of Rishi Sunak and his out-of-touch Conservative Government.

“At this election, it is the Liberal Democrats who are defeating the Conservatives and delivering the fair deal people deserve.”

Meanwhile in Stoke-on-Trent:

Summary: 45 councils declared

It is just after 5:30 am in the UK. With full results from 45 out of the 230 councils where elections were being held, here is where things stand:

  • The Tories lost control of five councils, including Plymouth, and suffered a net loss of 102 councillors.

  • Labour has gained control of two councils and put on 84 councillors. Labour has taken control of Plymouth council from the Conservatives, securing a key target in a battleground regarded as crucial to the party’s hopes in a future Westminster contest. Labour also gained the key “red wall” city of Stoke-on-Trent from no overall control.

  • The Liberal Democrats have put on a net 30 councillors.

  • Labour’s Chris Cooke won the battle to become mayor of Middlesbrough, defeating the independent incumbent Andy Preston with a swing of almost 20%, a result the party said was “beyond our expectations” and “exactly the kind of progress we needed to make in Teesside”.

  • Labour claimed that, based on the aggregate vote, the party would have won Aldershot, which has been held by the Tories since its creation as a seat in 1918. Labour claimed it would also have won other Westminster constituencies, including Hartlepool, Stevenage, Dudley South, Ipswich, West Bromwich East, Great Grimsby and Aldershot, which has been held by the Tories for more than 100 years.

Updated

Liberal Democrats hold Hinckley & Bosworth

The Lib Dems have held onto Hinkley & Bosworth (a single council) and gained a seat. The Tories gained a seat here, too.

Conservatives lose East Lindsey, Hertsmere to no overall control

The Tories have failed to retain their majority in East Lindsey after losing five seats.

Independent candidates gained four seats and the greens gained one.

The Conservative Party has lost control of Hertsmere Council after both Labour and the Liberal Democrats made significant gains, PA reports.

With 37 out of 39 seats having declared, the Tories have won just 15 seats - well short of the 20 needed for a majority. The party began the night with 29 seats on the council, which includes the seat of Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden.

Labour has almost doubled its seats, winning 13, while the Liberal Democrats have won nine.

This makes five majority Tory councils lost so far – each to no overall control.

Updated

Bolsover, Cotswold and South Holland hold

Results are pouring in.

Labour has held onto Bolsover and gained 11 seats.

The Lib Dems hold onto Cotswold, gaining four seats.

The Conservatives hold South Holland but have lost four seats to Independent candidates.

A reminder that this is Helen Sullivan taking you through the latest. I have a fresh cup of tea and will be staying with you for a while still. You can get in touch with me or follow along on Twitter here, or via email at helen.sullivan@theguardian.com.

The next key result we’re hoping to hear is Medway, where Starmer has campaigned twice in the run-up to polling day. Labour hopes to win the unitary authority* here for the first time since its creation in 1998. The council is currently 33 Tory and 20 Labour.

We’ll also get the first glimmers of results from Stoke-on-Trent, Tameside and South Gloucestershire soonish.

*For those who don’t know what a unitary authority is: County councils are responsible for functions such as transport, social care and education. District councils are responsible for matters including housing, planning and waste collection. Unitary authorities are responsible for all these functions within their area.

Bolton remains under no overall control

Labour have gained nine seats in Bolton, but the council remains under no overall control.

The Conservatives lost seven seats.

Key results so far

Here are some of the key results so far, via PA:
Plymouth: Labour gain

This was one of Labour’s top targets in southern England and the party will be pleased with the result, taking overall control with seven gains. The council had previously been run by a minority Conservative administration, which had come in for criticism after chopping down 110 healthy city centre trees overnight - a decision that may be linked to the Tories losing five seats.

Worcester: no overall control

Worcester has remained in no overall control but the result shows the Conservatives, who were the largest party, faced a challenge from all sides. They lost a total of seven seats while the Greens gained four, the Liberal Democrats two and Labour one. The new council sees Labour the largest party with most seats (13), followed by the Greens (10), the Tories (eight) and Lib Dems (four).

Tamworth: Conservatives lose to no overall control

Labour made seven gains in Tamworth while the Tories lost five. This was enough to deprive the Tories of full control of the council and although they remain the largest party with 14 seats, Labour is now close behind on 10 while independents have six.

Brentwood: Conservatives lose to no overall control

This is another council where the Conservatives lost control, although here it was the Liberal Democrats who made the running, gaining three seats while the Tories lost three. The new council sees the Lib Dems and Tories tied on 17 seats, with two for Labour and one independent.

North West Leicestershire: Conservatives lose to no overall control

Labour gained 10 seats here, enough to leave them the largest party but short of an overall majority. The Lib Dems gained a seat, while the Conservatives lost 10 and the Greens lost one. This is the area of the country represented at Westminster by Andrew Bridgen MP, who was recently expelled from the Conservatives for comparing Covid-19 vaccines to the Holocaust.

There are scenes of jubilation in Stoke-on-Trent:

Joan Bell of Labour celebrates with David Williams after winning Sanford Hill
Joan Bell of Labour celebrates with David Williams after winning Sanford Hill Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images
Stephen Blakemore and Adrian Knapper of Labour celebrate after winning Birches Head and Northwood votes
Stephen Blakemore and Adrian Knapper of Labour celebrate after winning Birches Head and Northwood votes Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

Liberal Democrats retain The Liberal Democrats retained control of Bath & North East Somerset

The Liberal Democrats retained control of Bath & North East Somerset Council (that is a single council), PA reports, after winning 31 of the 59 seats.

Worcester, which remained under no overall control, is a bellwether Westminster council; here, the Tories were previously the largest party and are now third, behind the Greens.

The Tories lost seven seats this round. The Greens gained four seats, three from Labour and one from Conservatives, and topped the vote share at 29%, a Greens spokesperson tells me (Labour got 28%, Conservative 26%, Lib Dems 16%).

“There was speculation that Labour would gain control of the Council, but Green wins have blocked this. With all-up elections next year, this is a place to watch and there is a promising future for the Green Party here,” says the spokesperson.

Liberal Democrats retain control of Cotswold

The Liberal Democrats retained control of Cotswold, PA reports, taking 18 seats of the first 28 to declare, matching the number they held before polling day, with another six still to be announced.

Back now to Brentwood and Tamworth, with a brief snap from my colleague and data cruncher Seán Clarke, who is running our live results tracker. Both councils have both been Tory heartlands in recent years, both electing Tory MPs on hefty majorities in 2019. To lose control of both, and through losses to a different party in each case, is a blow.

Conservatives lose North West Leicestershire to NOC

The Tories have lost another council, with North West Leicestershire turning to no overall control after Labour gained 10 seats.

That’s the third council to go from Tory to no overall control so far.

Labour take majority in Stoke-on-Trent from no overall control

Labour have won the 24 seats needed to take control of Stoke-on-Trent, turning the council from no overall control to Labour. It is a symbolic win – and one Labour will be very happy about.

Updated

Brexit’s influence on the election so far, according to politics researcher Will Jennings:

Jennings says, “the Brexit realignment appears to be partially unwinding, while the Conservatives are not regaining ground with … Remainers but instead continuing to lose support.”

We’re expecting to have about 70 councils, or roughly a third, called by the end of the night. 37 of these have been called so far.

It is almost 4.30 in the morning in the UK.

A Stoke-on-Trent victory for Labour looking extra likely:

Updated

Conservatives hold Dudley

The Tories have held onto Dudley and gained a seat. Labour has gained one seat in the council, too.

Conservatives hold Havant

The Tories have held onto Havant, a fairly safe council, but have lost five seats: two each to Labour and the Lib Dems and one to the Greens.

Updated

PA reports that Labour looks likely to take control of Stoke-on-Trent after winning 19 seats of the first 24 to be declared.

Labour needs another four to claim victory in the key red wall city.

The BBC’s Chris Mason reports that Labour – looking at what the results could indicate for the party’s fortunes in the general election next year – believe that Hartlepool, Stevenage, Dudley South, Ipswich, West Bromwich East, Great Grimsby and Aldershot would have been theirs were this a general election:

Labour candidate wins mayoral race in Middlesbrough

Labour’s Chris Cooke won the battle to become mayor of Middlesbrough, PA reports, defeating the independent incumbent Andy Preston with a swing of almost 20%.

Cooke took 10,956 votes, 760 more than Mr Preston, who had a majority of 10,725 in 2019.

Another independent, Jon Rathmell, had 3,102 votes, with Conservative John Cooper in last place with 2,997.

This was the first time the first past the post system was used to elect a mayor, and three more contests will declare later on Friday.

Tory MP Kelly Tolhurst says it will be a “difficult night” for her party in Medway, where Labour hopes to gain control of the council.

She told Sky News: “I’ve been out campaigning for weeks on the doors, speaking to my constituents across the patch and yes, absolutely, there has been some dissatisfaction with the government and people have been frustrated.”

But there were also local concerns about “unrealistic housing targets” and the Government’s levelling-up agenda, which was seen as focused on the northern England “Red Wall” rather than the south east.

Veterans Minister and Plymouth Moor View MP Johnny Mercer is “toast” at the next general election, according to neighbouring Labour MP Luke Pollard.

We heard from Mercer earlier – he said it had been a “terrible night” after Plymouth was called for Labour.

Pollard (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) used a different adjective, telling LBC Radio’s Iain Dale: “It has been a stunning night for Labour in Plymouth.

“We won every single seat in our target parliamentary constituency of Plymouth Moor View, sending a signal that the Conservative MP there Johnny Mercer is toast at the next general election.”

“It has seen people come back to Labour in huge droves, not only showing that the carnival of chaos, the Tory council chopping down trees and cutting public services is unwanted, but the Tory Government is unwanted.”

Updated

Coventry and Reading held by Labour

Labour has held onto Reading and Labour, maintaining their early streak of no councils lost.

Updated

Here is a very happy Labour group in Plymouth:

Labour’s voter share is growing, for now:

'Terrible night' says Minister after Labour victory in Plymouth

Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer said it has been “a terrible night” after Labour took control of Plymouth Council, PA reports.

Mercer, who represents the Plymouth Moor View constituency, told the BBC’s Elections 2023 programme: “It has been a really terrible night for us here in Plymouth.”

“I think there has been a number of factors at play. I think, locally, it has been very difficult. The Conservative Group here has been through a very difficult time. We have seen that reflected on the doors, in the campaign and we have seen that reflected in the results tonight but you know, we take it on the chin.”

Conservative seat losses pass 50 with 15% of councils counted

With 35 councils called, the conservatives have lost more than 50 seats, with 53 lost overall, compared to 46 net gained for Labour.

There are 230 councils up for grabs in this election – the councils counted so far represent 15%.

As my colleague Robert Ford reported, the Conservatives are hoping for a net loss of 500 or fewer.

In case you have missed Plymouth’s tree-gate, here is a brief explainer:

On 14 March, the Tory council leader signed an executive order to fell 110 trees overnight on Armada Way, a major commercial street in the city centre, prompting a public outcry and ultimately the leader’s resignation.

In response, the two Conservative MPs, Johnny Mercer and Gary Streeter, called for the Labour opposition leader to take over the council until this week’s local elections.

The Guardian’s editorial at the time began:

The decision taken by Plymouth’s Tory council leader, Richard Bingley, to chop down more than 100 mature trees under cover of darkness earlier this month was damaging to the city as well as the horse chestnut, silver birch, pear, apple and other specimens that were removed.

…

Clearly there are lessons here for Plymouth, where control of the council has switched between Labour and the Tories, and previous regeneration projects have produced good results. But there are wider lessons too. Cambridgeshire county council, which is run by a Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition, has just approved plans to cut down an orchard to make way for a road. In too many areas, and in local parties of different stripes, politicians’ actions are failing to live up to their climate pledges. Development that takes us further away from our climate and biodiversity goals should no longer be called by that misleading name.

Eastleigh and Peterborough hold

Meanwhile, the councils of Eastleigh and Peterborough have remained under Lib Dem and no overall control respectively.

Labour gained seven seats in Plymouth, a key bell weather council. It is now under no overall control..

Five of these were taken off the Conservatives, one from the Greens and one from the Independent.

Updated

Labour gain Plymouth from minority Conservative control

Labour has taken control of Plymouth Council from the Conservatives.

The party needed five gains to take overall control of the council, which had been led by a minority Conservative administration, and managed to make six gains tonight.

Plymouth, as I’m sure you know, is the seat where trees have been a major election issue.

The Conservative administration had been heavily criticised after cutting down 110 healthy trees in the city overnight, and Labour expected to make significant progress in the city.

Updated

What would a good night look like for the Conservatives

And here is what the Conservatives will be hoping to see:

Good night: Armageddon avoided. More than 600 seats are lost, but this is offset by some gained back from local parties and independents for a net loss of 500 or fewer – a decline well below the electoral cataclysm briefed by government allies. The Conservative vote holds up in leave areas, and the BBC projects a national share above the 28% low point recorded in 2019. The Labour lead is kept in single digits and hope is kept alive. A bounce back with Sunak?

Bad night: A slump in the Conservative vote, and more than a thousand seats lost. The BBC projected national share falls below 25%, making this the worst local elections result in four decades. There are big swings to Labour in leave and remain battlegrounds, but losses also to both the Lib Dems and Greens in suburban England as the Conservatives leak support to challengers from all quarters. More 1997 than 1992?

What would a good night look like for Labour?

Here is what Labour will be hoping to see (and not) tonight:

Good night: Gains of 600 or more council seats point to a substantial red wave, with a strong advance registered in both strongly leave-leaning “red wall” territory and more moderate, traditionally marginal areas. Labour secures a BBC projected national share above 40% and a 10-point plus lead over the Conservatives – both performances are the best since Blair was opposition leader. Things can only get better?

Bad night: The swing to Labour comes in below expectations, with 400 seats or fewer gained. Labour leaking support to Greens and Liberal Democrats in remain areas, and the Conservative vote holding up in leave areas. BBC projected national share of 36%, little better than last year, and below Ed Miliband’s best showing in 2012. High hopes are dashed, and anxious whispers return.

Updated

With 30 councils declared, the Tories have lost almost 50 seats

With 30 councils declared – of the 230 up for grabs – here is the lay of the land.

This represents 13% of this election’s councils: so it is by no means going to give us a clear picture of what the overall results will be. But nonetheless, one thing stands out: the Tories have lost 49 seats overall and Labour have gained 39.

The conservatives have lost two councils, both to no overall control. Labour have gained none and lost none.

Kingston-upon-Hull and Worcester hold

It is 3.15am in the UK now. Plymouth is the next key result we’re expecting, on the our at around 4am.

In the meantime, Kingston-upon-Hull and Worcester have not changed hands, with the former remaining under Lib Dem control and the latter under no overall control.

The conservatives have lost seven seats in Worcester, however. The Lib Dems gained two in Kingston-upon-Hull.

Portsmouth remains under no overall control

The Lib Dems have gained a seat in Portsmouth, but it remains under no overall control.

Transport minister Richard Holden says that Labour is not gaining the seats that it would need to form a government at the next general election, PA reports.

Holden told the BBC’s Elections 2023 programme a short while ago: “The truth is the seats that we need to win at a general election right across the country, you are just not seeing those Labour gains that they would need to do in order to form a government at the next general election at this stage.”

Asked about the latest projections, Holden said people have had a “tough time” with the cost of living, adding: “The Government has had to put a huge package in there, but people are still feeling it.

“You are going to have to look in different areas and if Labour are going to win in the next general election they are going to have to take some towns in Essex, they are going to have to take Peterborough as well.”

On whether the Conservatives are going to change strategy if the local elections go badly, the Holden said the Prime Minister set out his “five key priorities” and “what people want to see is him delivering on them”.

If voter share as it stands currently is replicated in next year’s general elections, a Sky commentator has just said, “Rishi Sunak’s party doesn’t stand a chance”.

Again though, the night is young – we’ll start to get a clearer picture only well into Friday daytime.

Where things stand

While the headline results in the councils called so far don’t look fantastic for anyone – the conservatives have lost two to no overall control, but otherwise the overall control (or no overall control) status remains the same – Labour has picked up 39 seats.

And the Conservatives? They’ve lost 41 seats overall.

The Lib Dems have gained nine, the Greens four.

The BBC’s Chris Mason is obsessing over the word extent, he says – as in the extent to which Labour is having a good night and the Conservatives are having a bad one.

It is a “miserable” night for the Conservatives, he says. “For the Tories, what seems to be happening so far is something of a pincer movement at their expense from at least three other parties: Labour yes, but also a buoyant and smiling collection of Liberal Democrats and in pockets like Worcester the Green Party too.”

Labour holds Lincoln

Labour has lost two seats to the Lib Dems in Lincoln, but still retains control of the council, with 20 seats.

Southend-on-Sea remains under no overall control

The Conservatives have gained two seats in Southend-on-Sea, but the council remains under no overall control.

The Tories will seek to portray any defeat below that scale as better than expected, PA reports, although the loss of hundreds of councillors will not help morale within the Conservative ranks.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the party had experienced a “bit of a blip” following the turmoil in No 10 which saw Boris Johnson and Liz Truss ousted before Mr Sunak took office.

He attempted to present the expected losses as mid-term blues for the Tories, telling Sky News : “The British people are a very sensible group of folk and they understand what’s important.

“Occasionally they like to give political parties a bit of a reminder of who the politicians serve. Certainly when you get into being mid-term in a government you get quite a bit of that.”

The Tories are nervous about the situation in Bolton, where they were the biggest party, and they also fear for their control in Windsor and Maidenhead.

Liberal Democrats hold Hull

The Liberal Democrats have retained control of Hull, and now hold 31 seats from
a total of 57, with Labour holding 26.

Voter turnout in Hull was just 22%.

Labour holds onto Sandwell

Labour has gained two seats in Sandwell and held onto he council. The Tories gained two seats, too.

Thurrock council leader loses to Labour

While the Conservatives have held onto the key seat of Thurrock, Tory council leader Mark Coxshall has lost his seat to the Labour candidate.

Here is the moment the result was announced:

Conservatives hold on in Thurrock

Despite the turmoil in Thurrock, conservatives have held onto the council, another where Labour had hoped to make big gains.

Labour managed to win five seats in the council, but the Conservatives still have 26, after losing only three.

Hart, Redditch, Rushmoor, Sefton, Exeter and Basildon results

Results are coming in thick and fast now.

Here are the headlines in six councils:

Hart: Remains under no overall control with no seats changing hands

Redditch: Conservatives hold on but Labour wins five seats

Rushmoor: Conservatives hold on, Labour wins five seats

Sefton: Labour holds on and gains five seats

Exeter: Labour holds on, the Greens and Lib Dems gain one seat each

Basildon, where voter turnout was just 24%: the Conservatives hold on and gain a seat

Conservatives hold on to North East Lincolnshire

We have our first key result of the night, and it isn’t good for Labour, who have failed to win North East Lincolnshire back from the Conservatives. The Tories have controlled the council since 2019.

Labour managed to gain just one seat back, and two went to the Independents. The Tories have held onto 27 seats.

Updated

Labour holds Stevenage

Stevenage remains under Labour control and no seats have been gained or lost: Labour has 24, the Conservatives have nine and the Liberal Democrats have six.

Here are some scenes from the night so far in Stoke on Trent:

Sarah-Jane Colclough of Labour wins the seat of Bentilee, Ubberley and Townsend in Stoke On Trent
Sarah-Jane Colclough of Labour wins the seat of Bentilee, Ubberley and Townsend in Stoke On Trent Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images
Glen Watson of Labour reacts with Ruth Smeeth after winning the seat of Burslem Park in Stoke On Trent
Glen Watson of Labour reacts with Ruth Smeeth after winning the seat of Burslem Park in Stoke On Trent Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

Updated

Some of the language of the Home Secretary is “damaging to our communities”, a Tory former minister has said.

Rehman Chishti was asked by Sky News whether he was worried Suella Braverman’s rhetoric on illegal migration might have an impact on voters in the local elections.

Rehman Chishti, a Tory former minister.
Rehman Chishti, a Tory former minister. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Chishti said Braverman’s comments and rhetoric are “damaging to our communities” and also it “feeds into the far right”.

He added: “So what I would say to the Home Secretary, she needs to get on and do her job, address the big issues of the day.”

We’re expecting the results from Thurrock any minute.

Conservatives hold a majority in Thurrock with 29 councillors, which they are desperate to keep.

But in December, Thurrock formally declared effective bankruptcy, as it grappled with a £500m deficit caused by a series of disastrous investments in risky commercial projects.

The Guardia’s social security editor, Patrick Butler, reported at the time:

The scale of the crisis in Thurrock has stunned the wider local government world, after revelations by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism showed that senior council officials had ignored warnings from financial experts over the “unprecedented risks” it was taking with public money.

Thurrock had become one of the most indebted of all English local authorities in recent years after borrowing £1.5bn cheaply from the Treasury and fellow local authorities – 10 times its annual spending on local services – to enable a string of investments in solar energy and other businesses.

One of the interesting things emerging tonight is the change in vote share.

With 132 wards counted, Labour have gained 7.5% of the vote share since 2019, most of which is seems to be wrested from the Tories. The Lib Dems have gained 1.1%.

It is still very early, and many of these are within the red wall, but this is still encouraging for Labour.

Conservatives lose Tamworth – second council lost to no overall control

The Tories have lost their second council, Tamworth, to no overall control after a strong result for Labour, which have won seven seats, five from the Conservatives, one from UKIP and one from the Independents.

Updated

Eleven councils called: where things stand

We’ve passed the ten-council mark and nearing 2am, which is when we hope to get a result from Thurrock, one of tonight’s key seats – the Tories have the seat and are hoping to hold onto it. If they don’t, it could spell trouble more widely.

Here are the results so far:

Brentwood is the only council whose fortunes have changed emphatically: it has moved from Conservative control to no overall control as the Lib Dems saw a strong result.

Labour has held onto: Halton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

The Conservatives have held onto: Broxbourne, Harlow and Redditch.

The Independents have held onto Castle Point.

And Hartlepool and Rochford remain under no overall control.

Rochford remains under no overall control

In Rochford, the Tories lost four seats, the Lib Dems gained three and the council remains under no overall control.

Just a note to say that I made a mistake earlier, reporting that Labour had held Hartlepool – they have won five seats, but failed to secure a majority, so Hartlepool is under no overall control.

Updated

Independents hold Castle Point

The Independents have held onto Castle Point, gaining six seats from the Tories.

Labour hold Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tories hold Redditch

Labour have held onto Newcastle-upon-Tyne but have lost two seats to the Lib Dems.

The Conservatives have held onto Redditch, but Labour has had a strong result, gaining five seats.

Brentwood moves from Conservative to no overall control as Lib Dems gain seats

The Liberal Democrats have taken three seats from the Conservatives in Brentwood, which means that the council is now under no overall control – this is the first council leadership change of the night.

Labour leader Keir Starmer visited Hartlepool on Wednesday – he focussed on crime. Starmer met with community members affected by anti-social behaviour, promising that Labour would tackle crime. Tonight’s result was strong, but not strong enough – Labour has failed to win a majority and the council has no overall control.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks with local children on 3 April 2023 in Hartlepool, England.
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks with local children on 3 April 2023 in Hartlepool, England. Photograph: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

Updated

As the result begin to come in, here are some scenes from earlier in the day:

A member of the Conservative party and a member of the Liberal Democrats on local elections day outside the Polling Station at the town hall in Eton High Street, Windsor
A member of the Conservative party and a member of the Liberal Democrats on local elections day outside the Polling Station at the town hall in Eton High Street, Windsor Photograph: Maureen McLean/Shutterstock
Green and Labour Party tellers sit outside the polling station at Wensum Community Centre as voting opens in the local election in Norwich, United Kingdom
Green and Labour Party tellers sit outside the polling station at Wensum Community Centre as voting opens in the local election in Norwich, United Kingdom Photograph: Martin Pope/Getty Images
Two dogs stand with their owner in Middlesbrough, England
Two dogs stand with their owner in Middlesbrough, England Photograph: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images
A man walks past a polling station at Langsett Barn in Sheffield
A man walks past a polling station at Langsett Barn in Sheffield Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA

No overall control in Hartlepool

In what is the closest council result of the night so far, Labour has gained five seats, one from the Tories and four from other parties. But they have failed to secure a majority.

(Earlier we reported that Labour had held onto Harlepool and have now corrected the above).

Updated

The Government estimated that about 4% of Britain’s population – or two million people – were unlikely to have a valid form of photo ID to vote, PA reports.

Turnout was just 22.01% in Hull, 22% in Basildon and 24% in Broxbourne, PA reports – a pretty dire result.

Where things stand

It is still very early days, but here is where things stand at the moment – in short, no major surprises.

Labour hold onto three of the five councils called, with Halton, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

The Conservatives hold Broxbourne and Harlow.

The conservatives have lost two council seats, the Lib Dems have gained one and the Greens have gained three.

Labour hold South Tyneside

We’ve called South Tyneside for Labour, which has 38 seats – the Greens have also had a decent result, winning three seats from Labour for a total of nine.

We’re expecting to see Hartlepool called shortly.

Conservatives hold Harlow

The Conservatives have held onto Harlow, in Essex, and won a seat off Labour, according to the Guardian’s results tracker.

Updated

Plymouth Conservatives “are predicting something approaching a wipe-out for them in the Devon city and a big majority for Labour,” the BBC’s political editor, Chris Mason, reports. Currently, three MPs cover the city in Devon: two Conservatives and one Labour. While there is no overall control, the council is governed by a Conservative minority administration.

The Guardian’s Jamie Grierson wrote about the council’s tree-gate:

If Plymouth’s relationship with politics had a Facebook status it would be “it’s complicated” – and that’s before you mention the trees.

In the past 25 years or so in Britain’s Ocean City, there have been four Conservative majority administrations, five Labour majority administrations and, as there is now, there have been four periods of “no overall control”.

And then the trees happened. On 14 March, the Tory council leader signed an executive order to fell 110 trees overnight on Armada Way, a major commercial street in the city centre, prompting a public outcry and ultimately the leader’s resignation.

In response, the two Conservative MPs, Johnny Mercer and Gary Streeter, called for the Labour opposition leader to take over the council until this week’s local elections.

Updated

Science minister Paul Scully has said “we clearly need to see” the impact that the voter ID requirement has had on the local elections, PA reports.

Asked about the statement by the Electoral Commission on the BBC’s Elections 2023 programme, Scully said: “I think the chief exec of the electoral returning officers has said in his view that it has worked pretty well. It hasn’t had much of an effect.

“But we do need to see. We clearly need to see after this,” he said.

“I think when it was introduced by a Labour government in Northern Ireland, the then-Northern Ireland minister said at the time it was introduced, it had no effect on suppressing the vote there.”

He added: “But what we have got to find out is whether those people weren’t able to vote at the time or whether they went back and got their ID. We have heard a couple of examples, but it is not good enough to use anecdotes.”

British political scientist Sr John Curtis has told the BBC that turnout is down compared with 2022 and 2019, which might be the impact of the new voter ID rules.

Senior political correspondent Aubrey Allegretti explained previously that the new voter ID rules were brought in by ministers in what they said was an attempt to crack down on a handful of allegations of in-person voter fraud, the move means political parties are having to work harder than before to “get out the vote”.

Previously, people in England, Scotland and Wales could attend a polling station and simply give their address to vote, with some choosing to bring along their poll card.

Voter ID is already used in Northern Ireland because of previous examples of organised and mass voter impersonation by sectarian groups. But elsewhere in the UK, cases of voter impersonation have been rare.

Already one of the key themes of this election is voters being turned away for not having photo ID. The new requirement has left a number of people, often from more marginalised groups, unable to cast ballots in local elections – although as the Guardian’s deputy political editor, Peter Walker, and Midlands correspondent, Jessica Murray report, the widespread chaos feared by some officials did not materialise.

Though again, as my colleagues note, opposition MPs and some administrators said a lack of conclusive data collection for the numbers who were unable to vote could mean the problem was notably worse than it appeared.

Updated

Labour hold Halton, Conservatives hold Broxbourne

As you can see from the Guardian’s results tracker, Halton council has been declared for Labour, which has also managed to gain a seat from the Conservatives, while the Conservatives have held onto Broxbourne.

Updated

If you’re just joining us, here are the key results to watch out for before dawn, and what times we can expect them. In between, we’ll have context and analysis from the Guardian’s reporters and elsewhere, news and pictures of dogs waiting outside polling stations. It is currently midnight in the UK.

Below are the key results – but altogether we are expecting the results from about 60 councils overnight.

2 am: Thurrock, currently held by the Conservatives who have 29 councillors in the seat –and are desperate to cling on.
3 am: North East Lincolnshire: a key Labour battleground, controlled by the Tories since 2019.
4 am: Plymouth City Council: led by a Conservative minority administration, from whom Labour is hoping to grab it
6 am: Things speed up. First up we have Medway, where Starmer has campaigned twice in the run-up to polling day. Labour hopes to win the unitary authority* here for the first time since its creation in 1998. The council is currently 33 Tory and 20 Labour. We’ll also get the first glimmers of results from Stoke-on-Trent, Tameside and South Gloucestershire around now.

*For those who don’t know what a unitary authority is: County councils are responsible for functions such as transport, social care and education. District councils are responsible for matters including housing, planning and waste collection. Unitary authorities are responsible for all these functions within their area.

The Lib Dems have also won a seat off the Conservatives in Sunderland, making them the official opposition party in the council:

Updated

Labour retains Sunderland

Labour has retained control of Sunderland City Council after winning 13 seats, PA reports.

The council has so far declared 18 out of the 25 seats up for election, including two gains for Labour and one for the Liberal Democrats.

Labour went into the election with control of the council and now has enough seats to retain its majority.

We’re expecting to see Sunderland, the first council result of the night, called any minute.

Hello, this is Helen Sullivan taking the reins – I’ll be bringing you the overnight results as they happen. You can get in touch with me or follow along on Twitter here, or via email at helen.sullivan@theguardian.com.

Voters who feel they have been wrongly refused a ballot paper should contact their local elections office, the Association of Electoral Administrators said.

Chief executive Peter Stanyon said: “The initial picture is that polling day has run as smoothly as usual, without any major issues. This is testament to months of planning and hard work from returning officers and electoral administrators.

“We’ve seen many anecdotal reports of people not having been able to vote because they didn’t meet new voter ID requirements. If anyone feels they have been wrongly refused a ballot paper, we would encourage you to contact your local elections office with details so they can look into it.

“It is still too early to gauge how introducing voter ID has gone. Data will be released at local council level in the coming days, but the main focus for now will be counting votes.”

You can follow all the results throughout the night on our graphic:

Labour’s shadow education secretary said she was “confident” the party had made progress in key battleground areas during the local elections.

Bridget Phillipson told BBC’s Newsnight that Swindon, Darlington, Hartlepool, Telford and Gravesham were areas where Labour is looking to make gains.

Updated

Labour gain seat in Sunderland

Labour have gained a seat in Sunderland.

Catherine Hunter won a seat in the city’s St Anne’s ward, unseating Conservative Pam Mann.

Labour went into the election looking to consolidate its control of the council, where it held 43 out of 75 seats.

The Northern Ireland secretary, Chris Heaton-Harris, said the Conservative party had experienced a “bit of a blip” and that “fantastic councillors” were set to lose their seats following the local elections.

Heaton-Harris, asked which out of Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson were to blame for the Tories’ low opinion poll ratings, told BBC’s Newsnight programme: “We are a government that is in mid-term, and mid-term after 13 years.

“And yes, we had, you could say, a bit of a blip and we’ve been trying to make sure we win people’s trust back, and we’ve been doing that by talking about and acting on people’s priorities.”

Told a Savanta survey found 25% of Tory councillors were dissatisfied with the party’s leadership, Heaton-Harris replied: “We know we’ve got work to do and it is going to be a tough set of results for us — we are in no doubt about that.”

Updated

Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) said: “With polls now closed in these local elections, a huge thanks must be given to the countless council staff and volunteers who made today happen. Local democracy works because of these individuals.

“With an added layer of complexity from the introduction of voter ID this year, these teams have gone above and beyond. And, they will be continuing to work tirelessly through the night and days to follow to ensure each and every vote is counted.

“But our research shows a worrying disconnect between how important local elections are and how well people understand them. While more than half of people (56%) see the council as the institution that has the biggest impact on their quality of life - only 34% of people understand how decisions are made and what the role of elected councillor is.

“Given this, it’s unsurprising that turnout in local elections is always less than 40%. We hope today has bucked that trend.”

Prof Rob Ford, an elections specialist, has written an article for the Guardian trying to assess what would be a good result and a bad result for the political parties in the local election. You can read it here:

Results from more than 60 councils are expected overnight with the remainder expected to trickle in throughout the day on Friday.

Shabana Mahmood MP, Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator, said: “We are proud of the positive campaign we have run, focused on the issues that matter most to voters.

“This is a cost-of-living election. We have set out the choices we would make to help people through the cost-of-living crisis, cut crime and cut NHS waiting lists, but the Tories have been silent on the issues that matter most.

“If the Conservatives go backwards from their disastrous 2019 local election results, the voters will have sent a damning message about Rishi Sunak’s leadership.

“It’s going to be a long night and the full picture of results will not form until well into Friday afternoon but we expect to make gains and show we’re making the progress in the places we need to win at the next election.”

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “I have knocked on countless doors in recent weeks and heard real anger and frustration from voters who are sick and tired of being taken for granted by this Conservative government. Tonight, their voices will be heard.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank Liberal Democrat councillors, candidates and volunteers who work tirelessly for their communities. They are true local champions who stand up for their local areas, and have done the party proud.”

A Tory spokesperson said: “This will be a tough night for the Conservatives. Any government which has been in power for 13 years is highly likely to lose seats.”

The Conservatives have sought to manage expectations by pointing to forecasts by academic experts Profs Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher which suggest they could lose more than a thousand seats if things go badly.

The Tory spokesperson added: “Independent experts Rallings and Thrasher have said we could lose over 1,000 seats.

“But if Labour want to be in with a chance of taking office after the next general election as they did in 1997, they need to be making very significant gains as they did in 1995 – the last most comparable election – anything less than that will pose serious questions for Labour HQ.”

The analysis by professors Rallings and Thrasher suggest gains of more than 700 for Labour would represent Sir Keir Starmer’s party’s best performance for at least a decade, which could put them on the path to becoming the largest party at a general election – even if short of an overall majority in the Commons.

The Green Party said it was clear on the doorstep that many people are “appalled” by the Conservatives and are “deserting the party in droves”.

“But also, there is no enthusiasm for Labour because they’re not offering any inspiration or practical solutions to the crises we’re facing,” the party added.

Updated

Campaigners opposed to the photo ID requirement said it had been a “dark day for democracy”.

Tom Brake of Unlock Democracy, who is leading a coalition of groups opposed to the move including the Electoral Reform Society, Fair Vote UK and Open Britain, said “many thousands” of people were estimated to have been turned away.

“Today has been a dark day for British democracy. Reports from all over the country confirm our very worst fears of the impact of the disastrous policy which has been made worse by the shambolic way it has been introduced,” he said.

“One voter turned away is one too many, but early estimates point to many thousands of people being turned away and denied their right to vote.

“Too many people were unaware that they needed photo ID or weren’t clear on exactly what type of ID was required.

“The buck for this attack on democracy rests squarely with government. This policy was always a sledgehammer looking for a nut to crack.”

Electoral Commission: some people were unable to vote due to new ID rule

The Electoral Commission said “our initial assessment is that overall, the elections were well run” however “some people were regrettably unable to vote” because of the new photo ID requirement.

It added it had started work to understand the impact of the new photographic ID requirement.

An Electoral Commission spokesman said: “These were the first set of polls to take place since the voter ID requirement came into force.

“Our initial assessment is that overall, the elections were well run.

“Across the country, votes were cast throughout the day and in line with the law.

“This is in large part thanks to the dedication of electoral administrators, who have worked hard to prepare for today and for the implementation of this new measure.

“Confidence in the overall picture, however, should not overlook other impacts which can only be revealed through detailed data collection and analysis over the coming weeks.

“We already know from our research that the ID requirement posed a greater challenge for some groups in society, and that some people were regrettably unable to vote today as a result.”

Updated

The Guardian’s Midlands correspondent Jessica Murray spoke to voters in Stafford before the local elections and found there was a mixed outlook in the “blue wall” town.

While some voters were turning away from the Tories, they were not necessarily turning towards Labour.

She writes:

All 40 seats on Stafford borough council are up for grabs, and Labour is hoping a combination of anger over national political scandals and frustration over local issues could give it the advantage it needs to wrest overall control from its rivals.

But the view among voters on Tuesday was decidedly mixed. “This will be the first time I’ve not voted Tory in my life,” said Phil Howard, 75, a retired driver for GEC, once a major employer in the town. “This year is a totally different ballgame. Since the Boris Johnson affair it seems like the party have gone to pieces. Just look at immigration, cost of living, and even locally, the town feels dead. But I don’t know who I will vote for. All I know is it won’t be Tory.”

You can read her full dispatch here:

Voting has closed in local elections which marked Rishi Sunak’s debut as an electoral figurehead for the Conservatives, as well as for the full rollout of new rules obliging people to show photo identification at the polling booth.

The ID regulations saw reports of dozens of people being turned away for lacking the necessary documents, but did not result in the chaos or potential disorder feared by some electoral officials.

More information about how many voters were put off should come in an interim study by the Electoral Commission next month, although opposition parties have warned the total numbers disfranchised may never be known.

The polls for the local elections in England have now closed.

Voters have decided who will run services in 230 local councils with around 8,000 councillors’ seats.

Four local mayoral posts are also up for grabs in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough. These mayors are the directly-elected leaders of their local authorities.

Key results to look out for across England

Commentators predict that Tory losses of even 500 seats would mean trouble for Rishi Sunak’s authority. But Labour also has a lot to prove, with more than 8,000 council seats across 230 authorities in England up for election on Thursday.

Here are the key seats and timings to look out for.

Early hours of Friday

2am Results from Thurrock will begin to emerge, where the Conservatives hold a majority with 29 councillors, which they are desperate to keep.

3am North East Lincolnshire has emerged as a key battleground for Labour, as the council has been controlled by the Tories since 2011. As results flow in, Starmer’s allies will be keen to see whether “red wall” voters are willing to really give Labour a chance.

4am Labour will hope to steal an early victory as results emerge from Plymouth city council, one of its targets. It is led by a Conservative minority administration, after Richard Bingley was sacked after a row over tree-felling. Labour is confident it can make gains in the bellwether council, but an outright majority could be difficult given only a third of the council is up for grabs.

Friday morning

6am Starmer has campaigned in the Conservative-run council of Medway twice in the run-up to polling day to insist the party is “positive and united” and has a “fighting chance”. Labour will hope to win the unitary authority for the first time since its creation in 1998. The council is now made up of 33 Tory councillors and 20 from Labour.

Results from Stoke-on-Trent, Tameside and South Gloucestershire will also start to emerge at around this time.

Friday afternoon

Noon Results from Solihull will arrive, where the Conservatives are defending a narrow majority which is under threat from the Green party and the Liberal Democrats.

2pm The Conservatives will be keeping a close eye on whether they can make gains in Torbay council, which is run by a coalition of the Lib Dems and independents.

4pm Labour has a slim majority of 1 in Gravesham and will be looking to retain and strengthen it. Labour would love to gain a toehold in Kent, where the Tories hold 16 out of 17 constituencies.

The Greens will be hoping to become the largest party in Mid Suffolk. In the 2019 elections, the Greens managed to pick up 34% of the vote share, almost double their count in 2015.

The Liberal Democrats hope to overturn several slim Tory majorities in the south-east council of Cherwell.

Friday evening

5pm Results from Bolsover will show whether Starmer has boosted Labour. A failure to win this council, which has a mix of independent councillors, will be deemed a bad result for the party.

Eyes will be on Leicester’s mayoral election when results are due in from the traditionally Labour-held council, nicknamed “Red Leicester”. The party has held overall control of the city council since 2007 and it holds 47 of the 54 seats. Sir Peter Soulsby has held the mayoral role since 2011 but the party may struggle this year – with all of its council seats and mayoral role up for grabs – after 19 sitting councillors, the majority of them from black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, were deselected by Labour’s national committee.

6pm In Cheshire West and Chester council, Labour is the single largest party and will be hoping to win an outright majority.

Updated

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the local elections across England.

With more than 8,000 seats up for grabs, we will bring you the latest results, reaction and analysis after voting has ended in 230 local authorities across England.

Before polls opened, Rishi Sunak said Conservatives were braced for a hard night. He blamed his predecessors, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, saying that Tory councillors would lose their seats because of the “box set” psychodrama that enveloped the party last year.

He said:

Good councillors will lose their seats because of all that has happened over the past year.

I’ve only been prime minister for six months but I do believe we’re making good progress. Just think about where we were then and where we are now.

Our economy is in much better shape. Our politics doesn’t feel like a box set drama any more. And our friends and our allies know that we are back.

This local election was the first in England where voters had to produce photo ID. And there were some reports during the day on Thursday that people without ID were being turned away from polling stations.

Other people are saying the photo ID rule has been an inconvenience, because it stopped them voting when they otherwise would have done.

Meanwhile, Labour are hoping to sweep the election in a test of the party’s wider chances before a general election next year.

We’ll bring you all the latest news, key results and developments as counting progresses through the night.

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