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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Labour loses council strongholds | Labour loses council strongholds |
| (29 minutes later) | |
| Labour has lost control of its four remaining county councils in England after damaging defeats in what were once seen as traditional strongholds. | Labour has lost control of its four remaining county councils in England after damaging defeats in what were once seen as traditional strongholds. |
| It lost Staffordshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire to the Conservatives for the time in decades while Nottinghamshire passed to no overall control. | It lost Staffordshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire to the Conservatives for the time in decades while Nottinghamshire passed to no overall control. |
| Labour had controlled Derbyshire since 1981 and had been in power in the other three councils since the early 1980s. | |
| Deputy Leader Harriet Harman said the results were "disappointing". | Deputy Leader Harriet Harman said the results were "disappointing". |
| Labour losses | Labour losses |
| As the results of elections to 34 English councils are being declared, they indicate that Labour's vote has been squeezed across the country. | As the results of elections to 34 English councils are being declared, they indicate that Labour's vote has been squeezed across the country. |
| According to the BBC projections, Labour's share of the national vote has fallen by three points since 2004 to 23%, behind the Tories on 38% and the Liberal Democrats on 28%. | According to the BBC projections, Labour's share of the national vote has fallen by three points since 2004 to 23%, behind the Tories on 38% and the Liberal Democrats on 28%. |
| Derbyshire's loss means it passes out of Labour control for the first time since 1977 as the Conservatives took 19 seats to gain overall control. | Derbyshire's loss means it passes out of Labour control for the first time since 1977 as the Conservatives took 19 seats to gain overall control. |
| The Conservatives also took control of Staffordshire, with Labour winning in only two out of 62 wards called so far. | The Conservatives also took control of Staffordshire, with Labour winning in only two out of 62 wards called so far. |
| The BBC's Midlands political editor said this result had been greeted with despair by Labour, with one former councillor describing the result as a "complete wipe-out". | The BBC's Midlands political editor said this result had been greeted with despair by Labour, with one former councillor describing the result as a "complete wipe-out". |
| We have to understand and learn the lessons Harriet Harman Conservatives make large gains Labour set to lose Nottinghamshire href="/1/hi/england/derbyshire/8085339.stm">Tories win county after 28 years | |
| The Tories picked up 18 seats in Lancashire, another historic Labour heartland, to gain control of the council for the first time since 1981. | The Tories picked up 18 seats in Lancashire, another historic Labour heartland, to gain control of the council for the first time since 1981. |
| But the BNP won a seat in Burnley, one of two it has picked up across England so far. | But the BNP won a seat in Burnley, one of two it has picked up across England so far. |
| The BBC North East political editor Richard Moss said Labour had suffered some "major reverses" in the region in what had been a "terrible day" for the party. | The BBC North East political editor Richard Moss said Labour had suffered some "major reverses" in the region in what had been a "terrible day" for the party. |
| Ms Harman said the backdrop to the election was very difficult for Labour given voters' anger over the expenses scandal and the recession. | Ms Harman said the backdrop to the election was very difficult for Labour given voters' anger over the expenses scandal and the recession. |
| "I think that we're all facing disappointment in these results in the Labour Party," she said. | "I think that we're all facing disappointment in these results in the Labour Party," she said. |
| "We have to listen to what the voters are saying," she told the BBC. "We have to understand and learn the lessons." | "We have to listen to what the voters are saying," she told the BBC. "We have to understand and learn the lessons." |
| Tony Lloyd, chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, said it was clear beforehand that the results would be bad. | Tony Lloyd, chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, said it was clear beforehand that the results would be bad. |
| "We have got to demonstrate that the policies we have got are those which relate to what ordinary people want," he told the BBC. | "We have got to demonstrate that the policies we have got are those which relate to what ordinary people want," he told the BBC. |
| According to the BBC projections, the Greens are averaging 12% of the vote in this year's poll, with UKIP and the BNP on 14% and 11% respectively. | According to the BBC projections, the Greens are averaging 12% of the vote in this year's poll, with UKIP and the BNP on 14% and 11% respectively. |