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Local and mayoral elections: Conservatives make gains Local and mayoral results: Conservatives make gains
(about 1 hour later)
The Conservatives have gained control of five councils while Labour have lost two, on a night of contrasting fortunes for the parties in local polls.The Conservatives have gained control of five councils while Labour have lost two, on a night of contrasting fortunes for the parties in local polls.
Among the first sets of results in England and Wales, the Tories gained Warwickshire and Lincolnshire, where UKIP lost all of its 13 seats. Among the first results in England and Wales, the Tories gained Warwickshire, Lincolnshire and Monmouthshire.
Labour lost control of Blaenau Gwent and Bridgend, but held onto Cardiff.Labour lost control of Blaenau Gwent and Bridgend, but held onto Cardiff.
Lib Dem results have been patchy and the party failed to stop the Tories retaining control in Somerset. Lib Dem results have been patchy - they failed to stop the Tories retaining control in Somerset - while UKIP have lost all of their 42 seats so far.
Many authorities, including all those in Scotland, will not begin counting until Friday morning. Despite the results, the Conservatives have attempted to downplay their significance as a guide to the outcome of the general election on 8 June.
A total of 4,851 council seats were up for grabs in 88 councils - all of those in Scotland and Wales and 34 in England - five weeks before the general election. When are the results declared?
At 09:00 BST, across the 23 English and Welsh counties that had fully declared results, the Tories had control of 10 authorities and 561 seats, a net gain of 155. A total of 4,851 seats are up for grabs in 88 councils - all 32 in Scotland, 22 in Wales and 34 country councils and unitary authorities in England.
Labour had control of five authorities and 404 seats, a net loss of 125. So far, 24 councils in England and Wales have announced their results.
The Lib Dems had 143 seats, a net loss of 28. UKIP had failed to win any seats, a net loss of 41, while the Greens had picked up five. The remainder - including the likes of Lancashire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Norfolk - will declare during Friday morning and afternoon.
Professor of Politics John Curtice said that the Conservatives had so far put in their best election performance since at least 2008, with an average swing of seven points from Labour to the Tories since 2013. Counting in Scotland is just getting under way. The result in Glasgow, where the SNP is trying to wrest control from Labour, is not expected until about 1500 GMT.
How have things gone so far?
At 10:00 BST, the Conservatives had control of 10 authorities and 582 seats, a net gain of 166.
Labour, meanwhile, had control of five authorities and 421 seats, a net loss of 127.
The Lib Dems had 153 seats, a net loss of 24. UKIP had failed to win any seats, a net loss of 42, while the Greens had picked up 11.
A good night for the Conservatives
The Conservatives are now in charge of Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire, the Isle of Wight and Monmouthshire, all of which were previously under no overall control.
So far, the party has only lost four seats as it also held onto Dorset, Essex and Somerset among others.
The Conservative candidate for the new "metro mayor" post for the West of England, Tim Bowles, beat Labour's Lesley Mansell by 51.6% to 48.4%.
John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University, said the Conservatives had so far put in their best election performance since at least 2008, with an average swing of seven points from Labour to the Tories since 2013.
He said the Conservatives appeared to have been the main beneficiaries of a sharp decline in support for UKIP.He said the Conservatives appeared to have been the main beneficiaries of a sharp decline in support for UKIP.
Conservative defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the outcome was "very encouraging" but denied the general election was in the bag, saying the results were not necessarily an accurate guide to what would happen on 8 June. Conservative defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the outcome was "very encouraging", but denied the general election was in the bag, saying the results were not an "accurate prediction" of next month's poll.
Disappointment for Labour
Labour-controlled councils in England, such as Derbyshire and Durham, have yet to declare - but they will be closely watched as there are already signs of the party losing ground in areas which voted to leave the EU.
It lost ground in Lincolnshire, Cumbria and Warwickshire. Phil Johnson, the party's general election candidate in Nuneaton, lost his seat on Warwickshire council to the Conservatives.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said this was not the "wipe-out that many commentators were forecasting" and Labour were building a "solid base" for the general election.Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said this was not the "wipe-out that many commentators were forecasting" and Labour were building a "solid base" for the general election.
But the BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the opposition should be "gobbling up" seats rather than trying to "put a rosy picture" on holding onto seats in some of their traditional heartlands.But the BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the opposition should be "gobbling up" seats rather than trying to "put a rosy picture" on holding onto seats in some of their traditional heartlands.
'Difficult night' What's happened in Wales?
The Conservative candidate for the new "metro mayor" post for the West of England, Tim Bowles, beat Labour's Lesley Mansell by 51.6% to 48.4%. It was a mixed picture for Labour in Wales, where it has been the dominant force in local government for decades.
It lost control of its heartland seat Blaenau Gwent to independents. It also lost Bridgend while the result in Merthyr Tydfil is on a knife-edge as the final three seats will not be declared until 8 June and Labour would have to win them all to retain a majority.
Merthyr Tydfil's Labour leader Brendan Toomey, among those to lose his seat, said the party was "having a very disappointing evening to say the least".
Vaughan Gething, a member of the Labour government in Wales, said there was an "awful lot of work" for the party to do before the general election.
He told Radio 4's Today there had been "mixed messages" on the doorsteps about Jeremy Corbyn but there had also been strong results - with his party "turning back the Tory tide" in Cardiff, Newport and Swansea.
UKIP's 'challenging night'
It has been a bleak night so far for UKIP, which has lost all of its 42 seats that have been declared.
In Lincolnshire, where UKIP had 16 councillors elected in 2013 and was the official opposition on the council, the party has lost all of its remaining 13 seats.
It also lost all its seats in Warwickshire, Hampshire, Essex and the Isle of Wight, which were taken by the Conservatives.
Former UKIP leadership contender Lisa Duffy described the performance as "very disappointing" and "challenging", adding: "We knew it was going to be a difficult night."
What about the others?
Lib Dem president Sal Brinton described her party's performance overall as "patchy", while former business secretary Vince Cable said there had been no "spectacular breakthrough".Lib Dem president Sal Brinton described her party's performance overall as "patchy", while former business secretary Vince Cable said there had been no "spectacular breakthrough".
Ros Jones, the Labour mayor of Doncaster, has been re-elected after getting just over 50% of votes. The Conservatives saw off the Lib Dems' challenge to hold on to Somerset County Council - although leader John Osman was ousted by Lib Dem former MP Tessa Munt.
Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire, the Isle of Wight and Monmouthshire gained by the Conservatives, had all been under no overall control. In Cumbria, where party leader Tim Farron is hoping to be re-elected as MP for Westmoreland and Lonsdale, the party failed to increase its representation.
In Lincolnshire, where UKIP had 16 councillors elected in 2013, the party has lost all of its remaining seats. Ex-MP Stephen Williams only came third in the race to be the new metro mayor for the west of England.
Former UKIP leadership contender Lisa Duffy described that as "very disappointing" adding: "We knew it was going to be a difficult night." The Green Party have gained six seats in England while Plaid Cymru have added eight in Wales.
Labour has lost control of its Welsh heartland seat Blaenau Gwent to independents, and the result in Merthyr Tydfil is on a knife-edge as the final three seats will not be declared until 8 June and Labour would have to win them all to retain a majority. It has also been a good night for those unaffiliated to any political party, with 28 more independents than before.
Merthyr Tydfil's Labour leader Brendan Toomey was among those to lose his seat.
He told BBC Radio 4: "It's the birthplace of Labour, we are having a very disappointing evening to say the least."
Analysis: Where the parties stand... so farAnalysis: Where the parties stand... so far
By Chris MasonBy Chris Mason
The swing from Labour to the Conservatives, across the results we have so far, is substantial.The swing from Labour to the Conservatives, across the results we have so far, is substantial.
UKIP's vote is collapsing heavily.UKIP's vote is collapsing heavily.
The party has been wiped out in Lincolnshire, the very spot where its leader Paul Nuttall will fight for a Westminster seat next month, in Boston and Skegness.The party has been wiped out in Lincolnshire, the very spot where its leader Paul Nuttall will fight for a Westminster seat next month, in Boston and Skegness.
What about the Liberal Democrats? What about the Liberal Democrats? They can point to some high moments: their former MP Tessa Munt beating the Conservative leader of Somerset County Council, for instance.
But, for all their talk of a Lib Dem fight back, it is not amounting to much so far.
Read more from ChrisRead more from Chris
Vaughan Gething, a Labour member of the Welsh Parliament, said there was an "awful lot of work" for the party to do before the general election on 8 June. Still to come... the metro mayors
He told Radio 4's Today there had been "mixed messages" on the doorsteps about Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, but there had also been strong results - with his party "turning back the Tory tide" to retain control of Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. Along with the West of England, voters in Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City region, the West Midlands, Tees Valley, and Cambridge and Peterborough will also all elect "metro mayors" covering combined local authority areas.
Wrexham and Flintshire councils have remained under no overall control, while the Conservatives saw off a challenge from the Lib Dems to hold on to Somerset County Council - although leader John Osman was ousted by Lib Dem former MP Tessa Munt.
Among battles to watch out for on Friday are the SNP's attempt to seize control from Labour in Glasgow - and the Conservatives' bid to take back overall control of Norfolk County Council.
For the first time, voters in Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City region, the West Midlands, Tees Valley, the West of England, and Cambridge and Peterborough will elect "metro mayors" covering combined local authority areas.
The mayors will mostly be responsible for economic development, but some will have powers over transport and housing.The mayors will mostly be responsible for economic development, but some will have powers over transport and housing.
Former Labour cabinet minister Andy Burnham, who is stepping down as an MP, hopes to become Greater Manchester's first elected mayor while in the West Midlands, former John Lewis boss Andy Street is running for the Conservatives while Sion Simon hopes to secure the role for Labour.Former Labour cabinet minister Andy Burnham, who is stepping down as an MP, hopes to become Greater Manchester's first elected mayor while in the West Midlands, former John Lewis boss Andy Street is running for the Conservatives while Sion Simon hopes to secure the role for Labour.
This is a year of county council elections in England (34 councils, 2,370 seats). There were also polls in six unitary authorities where county councils and district councils have merged. The West Midlands result is expected at about 15.00 GMT and the Greater Manchester outcome at 18.00 GMT.
In Scotland, all 32 councils (1,227 seats) and all 22 councils in Wales (1,254 seats) were being contested. Turnout in these elections will be closely watched, amid reports that the number of eligible people voting in Liverpool could be as low at 10%.
In Doncaster and North Tyneside, residents voted for local authority mayors, who are elected leaders of their respective councils.In Doncaster and North Tyneside, residents voted for local authority mayors, who are elected leaders of their respective councils.
English mayoral candidates
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