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| Lib Dems suffer polls 'mixed bag' | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell accepted it had been a "mixed bag" of results after his party's share of the vote fell a point from 2006 to 26%. | Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell accepted it had been a "mixed bag" of results after his party's share of the vote fell a point from 2006 to 26%. |
| But he claimed "three-party politics is here to stay" after taking Hull Council in John Prescott's constituency. | But he claimed "three-party politics is here to stay" after taking Hull Council in John Prescott's constituency. |
| The victory was a bright spot despite a net loss of 147 English councillors, mostly lost to the Conservatives. | |
| But, he said: "Nationally the Lib Dems have won a higher vote share than in the last General Election." | But, he said: "Nationally the Lib Dems have won a higher vote share than in the last General Election." |
| 'Here to stay' | 'Here to stay' |
| The BBC's projected share of the vote across Britain puts the Conservatives on 41% - one point up on 2006, with Labour on 27%, also one point up. | |
| Despite some significant successes, the Lib Dems saw key southern councils like Bournemouth and Torbay fall to the Conservatives. | Despite some significant successes, the Lib Dems saw key southern councils like Bournemouth and Torbay fall to the Conservatives. |
| I've always said these were going to be tough elections for us name here | I've always said these were going to be tough elections for us name here |
| In Scotland, the Lib Dems lost seats to the SNP, and Roxburgh and Berwickshire to the Tories. | |
| In Wales, the party appears to have kept its five seats with most of the counting complete. | |
| Sir Menzies told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that his party had proved it was a "permanent feature" on the British political landscape. | Sir Menzies told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that his party had proved it was a "permanent feature" on the British political landscape. |
| He said he would prefer his party's share of the vote to be higher than 26%, but added: "I've always said these were going to be tough elections for us. | He said he would prefer his party's share of the vote to be higher than 26%, but added: "I've always said these were going to be tough elections for us. |
| "And to win Hull from Labour, not just John Prescott, but Alan Johnson's home territory, and to win Eastbourne, right in the heartland of the Conservatives - these are two very significant results, but I accept, it's a mixed bag." | "And to win Hull from Labour, not just John Prescott, but Alan Johnson's home territory, and to win Eastbourne, right in the heartland of the Conservatives - these are two very significant results, but I accept, it's a mixed bag." |
| Sir Menzies claimed that Labour had been "wiped out in the south", while the Conservatives "have failed to make any inroads into the northern cities". | Sir Menzies claimed that Labour had been "wiped out in the south", while the Conservatives "have failed to make any inroads into the northern cities". |
| "These results show that three-party politics is a permanent feature of the British political landscape," he said. | "These results show that three-party politics is a permanent feature of the British political landscape," he said. |