Local elections 2023 – live: Labour set to form next government, says Starmer, as Tory losses mount

Sir Keir Starmer is celebrating wins in key battlegrounds in the local elections as an indication Labour is on course to win the next general election, but Rishi Sunak remains defiant despite heavy losses.

The prime minister is under pressure as the results being declared showed both Labour and the Lib Dems seizing control of Tory councils across England.

The Labour leader said the “fantastic” results combined with a hoped-for recovery in Scotland would give him a majority in Westminster after a national poll.

With nearly half of authorities having declared, the Conservatives had lost 23 local authorities and more than 360 councillors.

Sir Keir’s party was projected to have won a nine-point lead over the Conservatives if all of Britain had gone to the polls.

Mr Sunak conceded the results were “disappointing” but said he was “not detecting any massive groundswell of movement towards the Labour Party or excitement for its agenda”.

The elections watchdog said “regrettably” some people were turned away from polling stations as a result of new rules requiring voters to carry photographic ID.

Key Points

• PM under pressure to ‘deliver’ on key priorities

• Disappointing to lose ‘hard-working’ colleagues - Sunak

• Starmer - Labour ‘blew doors off’ with Medway win

• Davey hails Lib Dem gains

• ‘Terrible’ night for Tories as Labour and Lib Dems make sweeping gains

• Voters ‘turned away for not having correct ID'

• Results coming in for local authority and mayoral contests across England

Sunak under pressure to ‘deliver’ on key issues

12:07 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak is facing pressure from senior Tories MPs to “deliver” on key issues if the party wants to avoid defeat at the next general election, Kate Devlin reports.

The prime minister had to show voters his party had made improvements in areas including the economy and the NHS before they go to the polls again, they said.

One former cabinet minister, who supported Mr Sunak’s bid to become Tory leader, told the Independent he now had to “deliver on his five priorities”, which including lowering waiting lists and inflation.

Lord Barwell, a Tory peer who served as Theresa May’s chief of staff in No 10, said Mr Sunak had to “deliver improvements on the key issues that matter”, including growing the economy.

Green Party win sole control of council for first time

16:15 , Jane Dalton

The Green Party has won its first outright majority on a UK council.

Mid Suffolk fell from a minority Conservative administration to sole control of the Greens.

The left-wing environmentalists have controlled local authorities in minority and coalition administrations but this is the first time they will have outright control.

With eight more results to be declared, the Greens’ victory was declared when they won 18 of the East Anglia council’s 34 seats.

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said: “This paves the way for success in the general election next year in Waveney Valley.

“Greens have taken majority control of the main council in the area, as well as winning all four seats in the two East Suffolk wards in the constituency (Bungay and Halesworth).

“Just a few months ago, a by-election saw us become the largest party on Bristol City Council.

“If these results are replicated in a general election, we will be well on the way to my co-leader Carla Denyer being elected in Bristol and myself elected in Waveney Valley.”

Party co-leader Carla Denyer said it was the first outright council majority for the Greens in the northern hemisphere.

Labour ‘would lead Tories by nine points'

15:47 , Jane Dalton

In a general election, Labour would have a nine-point lead over the Conservatives based on today’s results, if all of Britain voted, the BBC is projecting.

Greens take Mid-Suffolk

15:43 , Jane Dalton

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.

Tory seats go to Labour, Lib Dems, Greens and others

15:40 , Jane Dalton

With results declared from 102 out of 230 councils, the Conservatives had lost 278 seats, while Labour gained 219, the Liberal Democrats gained 104 and the Greens gained 43.

The Conservatives had lost control of 19 councils, while Labour had taken control of six and the Lib Dems had taken control of three.

The headline picture emerging from these results is one of Tory collapse

15:25 , Matt Mathers

The headline picture emerging from these results is one of Tory collapse – but not necessarily vast Labour gains, writes Jon Stone.

Tory losses have been distributed quite widely among opposition parties: with around half of councils declared, Labour are up 220 seats - but the Liberal Democrats are up 89 and the Greens 81.

Election guru Michael Thrasher, of the famous Rawlings and Trasher projections, says his analysis of the data so far points to Labour as the largest party in a hung parliament.

But he says the projection necessarily doesn’t take into account changes in Scotland - where the SNP has taken a polling hit.

"Labour are set to become the largest party, but in a hung parliament. So a very good result, but not quite getting over the line," he told Sky News.

He added that it was a "reasonable argument to make" that winning seats in Scotland could take Labour over the line.

"Whether there would be enough seats: Labour doesn’t form a majority government in the UK without a big number of seats coming to them from Scotland," he said.

Sir John Curtice, one of the UK’s top elections experts, said earlier in the day that dissatisfaction with the Conservatives appeared to be driving the results – but that this could still take Labour over the line if repeated at a general election.

“If the Conservatives are doing very badly, even if Labour aren’t advancing very much, that might still be sufficient to enable Labour to win a general election,” he told the BBC’s PoliticsLive programme.

Watch: BBC Breakfast's Charlie Stayt laughs when Tory chair says Rishi Sunak is popular

15:15 , Matt Mathers

Results are a ‘massive wake up call’ - Tory chair

15:04 , Matt Mathers

Tory chairman Greg Hands has described the local election results as a “massive wake up call” for his party, Kate Devlin reports.

“These local elections are a massive wake-up call. If you want to stop Keir Starmer, then we have to come together now,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Hands expressed disappointment about the Conservatives losing control of Medway Council to Labour, but attempted to downplay the opposition’s chances at a general election.

The Conservative Party chairman told Sky News: "There’s areas, of course, that we’re disappointed. I was in Medway during the course of the campaign.

"But equally there are areas that Labour need to win to show that they’re making progress and I don’t think they’re making the comprehensive progress that they need to make."

Salford councillor urged to quit after winning second seat in Cotswold

14:12 , Matt Mathers

A Lib Dem councillor who exploited a loophole in electoral law to win a second seat has been urged to resign.

Chris Twells, who won a seat on Salford council last year in the Ordsall ward, stood as what his own party insisted was a “paper candidate” in the Cotswolds – and won.

Paul Dennett, the Labour mayor of Salford, called on Mr Twells to “do the right thing” and give up his seat in Salford after winning the second 160 miles away.

It is legal for someone to be a councillor for two different local authorities, as long as they do not lie on the nomination forms when they stand for election about where they live.

To become a councillor, candidates must be registered to vote in the area or have lived, worked or owned property there for at least 12 months before an election.

Result: Labour wins control of Swindon Council

14:02 , Matt Mathers

Labour has won control of Swindon from the Tories - one of the party’s key target seats.

Labour won 29 council seats overall, compared to the Conservative Party’s 22.

The Lib Dems took one seat.

Labour also gained Blackpool from no overall control.

We benefitted from ‘anti-Tory' sentiment - Lib Dems

14:02 , Matt Mathers

Liberal Democrat business spokeswoman Sarah Olney said the party had ridden to success on a wave of “anti-Tory” sentiment.

She said voters were being driven away from the Conservatives by the party’s mishandling of the economy and misconduct by MPs and ministers - especially Boris Johnson.

“There is no doubt the Tory vote is dropping off a cliff. We are not seeing a huge rush to Labour and are benefitting from people thinking ‘who is the best person in our area to beat the Tories?’, she said.

Ms Olney told The Independent voters are complaining about “economics, economics, economics”, and “can’t stand” the conduct of senior Tories.

She added: “They thought Boris Johnson’s personal conduct was shambolic and embarrassing, and these are professional people who own businesses.“These people are looking at the amount they are going to pay on their mortgages and the higher taxes they are facing.“That, and the current shambles, is just not what you vote Conservative for.”

Ms Olney said the party’s focus is not on acting as a power-broker at the next general election, but “trying to win as many seats as we can”. “It is not going to be like 2010, I doubt there will be a formal coalition.

Our priorities will be around voting reform and our focus now is about maximising those seats,” she said.

‘Road to a better Britain starts here’ Starmer tells staff at Labour HQ

13:52 , Matt Mathers

Keir Starmer told Labour staff the “road to a better Britain starts here” as he thanked them following the party’s strong performance at last night’s local elections.

Speaking to a packed HQ around midday, the Labour leader said: "Thank you all so much for all your work, I can see a lot of tired looking eyes but a lot of happy faces.

"It’s been a long campaign and a long night but none of what we are doing would be possible

"We’re going to cut the cost of living, cut waiting times, cut crime.

"We’re going to end the Tory sticking plaster politics and we’re going to replace it with a mission-led Labour government that gives working people their future back.

"We’re going to do all that - together.

"This feeling is the reward for all the hard work we’ve done.

"All the changes we made to our party.

"All the hours we put in.

"The public want change and because we’ve changed, they trust us once again.

"The road to a better Britain starts right here and it’s going to stretch all the way from Devon to Dundee, Swansea to Southampton.

"It’s going to be paved with Labour wins and it’s going to change this country - our country - for the better.

"Thank you!"

Tories may lose slightly fewer than 1,000 seats - polling expert

13:30 , Matt Mathers

Polling guru Sir John Curtice told BBC Radio 4’s World at One the Conservatives may lose "slightly" fewer than 1,000 seats, Archie Mitchell reports.

"I would say that at the margin, and it is only at the margin, perhaps in the areas where we’ve been collecting the detail, ward by ward results and therefore trying to track just how well each the party is doing in terms of votes…

the figures for the Conservatives have just not been quite so bad as they were in the overnight counts.

"And perhaps not quite so good for the Liberal Democrats and not enough to fundamentally change the picture.

"But that might just be enough, question mark, question mark, to mean that the Conservatives’ eventual losses are perhaps slightly less than 1,000.

"But frankly, we’ve still got an awful lot of councils to declare."

Derby City Council likely to remain under no overall control, says leader

13:16 , Emily Atkinson

Chris Poulter, the Conservative leader of Derby City Council, said he expects the council to remain in a position of no overall control.

The council is currently led by a Conservative minority, with the Tories having 18 seats, while 26 are needed for a majority.

Discussing his party’s chances, Mr Poulter, a councillor for Spondon, said: “It’s tough. I’ve seen the national picture, and some seem to expect that, but in Derby I expect us to buck the trend.

“I expect us to be strong where we are strong already, I expect us to hold our own and even have a bonus on top of that.

“My gut feeling is that there will be no overall control in the city and then it will be up for discussions afterwards to see what the final picture looks like.

“International issues have affected us. The cost of living, fuel charges, and wars are things people have no control over.

“What we can control in Derby is what we do locally, that’s why we call ourselves local Conservatives, as our focus is entirely on the benefits of the city and then all our efforts are put into that.”

This election is the first “all-out” election since the council voted to change its electoral system last year, with all seats up for grabs. Boundary changes mean there are several new wards, while some have changed names.

Labour makes ‘hugely significant’ gain in East Staffordshire

13:05 , Emily Atkinson

Labour has claimed victory in East Staffordshire, saying the “hugely significant” win from the Tories proves it is on course for a majority at the next general election.

A party spokeswoman said: “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.”

Sunak faces a ‘hell of a job’, says Theresa May’s former chief of staff

13:00 , Emily Atkinson

Lord Barwell, Theresa May’s former chief of staff, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme Rishi Sunak now had a “hell of a job” ahead of him.

“The problem is not the current government, the problem is the damage Boris Johnson and Liz Truss have done to the Conservative brand,” he said.

“No 10 will privately not be surprised at this result.”

He added: “The problem is not Sunak but he started miles behind and he has a hell of a job to do to close the gap fully.”

“I’m not saying steady as she goes they need to deliver improvements on the key issue that matter.”

These included getting inflation down, getting the economy growing and rebuilding the NHS, he said.

Farage: Tories are in deeper trouble than people realise

12:51 , Emily Atkinson

Nigel Farage told The Independent the Tories are in “deeper trouble than people realise”, reports Archie Mitchell.

The honorary president of Reform UK, formerly the Brexit Party, said the populist party will benefit from voters turning away from the Conservatives.

Mr Farage said: “Many of these seats were last fought in 2019. On that day, the Brexit party stormed to victory and the Tories had their worst result in 200 years.

“If they are losing seats against that performance then they are in deeper trouble than people realise.”

Dissatisfaction with Tories appears to be driving results - election guru

12:42 , Emily Atkinson

Sir John Curtice, one of the UK’s top elections experts, has said that dissatisfaction with the Conservatives appeared to be driving the results – but that this could still take Labour over the line if repeated at a general election, reports Jon Stone.

“If the Conservatives are doing very badly, even if Labour aren’t advancing very much, that might still be sufficient to enable Labour to win a general election,” he told the BBC’s PoliticsLive programme.

“Certainly, one criterion we can use to argue that perhaps what’s happened on Thursday is at least as much to do with discontent with the Conservatives as it is to do with enthusiasm for Labour, is that while the Conservative vote is ... four or five points down on where it was last year, Labour basically are in the same position.”

Sir John said that comparing Labour’s share of the vote now with “what it was under Ed Miliband in 2012” showed that “actually Labour’s share of the vote is still somewhat lower” that at that time.

He added: “But that said, we’re certainly looking at a situation where the gap between Labour and the Conservatives is probably much significantly wider than it has been in any previous set of local elections, and that at around four per cent or so the swing from May 2019 in these elections is not that far short of the 5 per cent swing that we would expect from the opinion polls and may just be enough to take Labour to [a majority] in the House of Commons.”

Sunak must ‘deliver’ on his five priorities, says former cabinet minister

12:33 , Emily Atkinson

Rishi Sunak is under pressure from senior Tories MPs to “deliver” on his five priorities to avoid losing the next general election, writes Kate Devlin.

In the wake of an initial raft of local election results one former cabinet minister suggested that voters needed to see results.

He told The Independent that had to “deliver on his five priorities”, adding: “He needs to keep going”.

He said it was “clear lots of Tories did not vote, but they did not switch to other parties either.”

He suggested that there was no sign of the enthusiasm voters showed for Blair before 1997, adding that there was “all still to play for for both parties”.

Mr Sunak set out his key tasks in a speech at the start of the year.

They included passing controversial new laws to stop small boats crossing the channel, halving inflation this year to ease the cost of living, and growing the economy as well as ensuring that NHS waiting lists fall.

The final priority was to ensure national debt is falling, to “secure the future of public services”

Watch live: First lady Jill Biden visits 10 Downing Street ahead of coronation

12:24 , Emily Atkinson

Tories have ‘lost support’ of 2019 backers - former minister

11:05 , Matt Mathers

Tory former minister John Redwood said the Conservatives have “lost the support” of many 2019 backers and “need to do better”, Archie Mitchell reports.

In a blog post on his website, John Redwood’s Diary, the senior MP set out what the party needs to do to win back voters.

Mr Redwood urged Rishi Sunak to not adopt “more Labour or Lib Dem policies”, but instead push for policies “on the side of greater freedom”.

“There is a majority to be had amongst people who want to be left to get on with their own lives, who want to spend their own money in ways of their choosing, and want to keep enough of the proceeds of their work and savings,” he said.

He added: “It is high time Conservatives moved on from right/left as a method of analysis of politics.”

Mr Redwood said Brexit “appealed to people from all shades of political opinion” and that wanting lower taxes, deregulation and greater border controls is not “right or left”.

And he concluded by saying the prime minister’s current pledges to the country “are fine”, but voters will need to see them succeed”. Mr Redwood said: “When will the small boats stop? When will taxes be cut and growth accelerate? When will more capacity be put in to help bring price rises under control?”

Tory MP Michael Fabricant said the results "may not" spell disaster for the Conservatives at the next general election - suggesting voters may have simply stayed at home rather than turning to other parties.

He told The Independent: "An interesting post-analysis will be how many Conservative voters switched to Labour or another party or merely stayed at home.

"If the latter was the case, as often happened in European elections, then it may not be a disaster for the general election provided the party delivers in its objectives."

Asked why voters did not get out to support the Conservatives, Mr Fabricant told The Independent it was "so bloody obvious" that he "would not bother to comment".

‘Time is up’ for Sunak - Lib Dem leader

10:38 , Matt Mathers

Ed Davey has declared that "time is up" for Mr Sunak and demanded a general election at a "victory rally" in Windsor, Archie Mitchell reports.

The Liberal Democrat leader 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.”

Watch: Change is possible’ - Keir Starmer hails Labour’s local election results

10:20 , Matt Mathers

One of the biggest winners from today’s early results are the Liberal Democrats

10:10 , Matt Mathers

One of the biggest winners from today’s early results are the Liberal Democrats, writes Jon Stone.

Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey said on Friday morning he had a "Cheshire-cat" grin on his face following a "ground-breaking night" for his party.

The Lib Dems say they have delivered a "hammer blow" to the Tories in areas they dub the "Blue Wall" – formerly safe Tory seats in the south of England.

With many councils still to declare the party has wrested control of Windsor and Maidenhead in the south east from the Tories.

And it has ousted the Tories in South Gloucestershire, with a gain of three seats tipping the council in to no overall control.

The liberals also saw off a challenge from Labour to retain control of Hull council.

As of 10am the party has so far picked up at net gain of 61 seats, against 228 losses for the Tories and 119 gains for Labour.

"These are groundbreaking results for the Liberal Democrats and are exceeding all expectations," a Lib Dem source said.

"We have delivered a hammer blow to the Conservative party in the Blue Wall.

The Conservative party never expected to make these kinds of losses to us tonight - the Blue Wall is looking fragile ahead of the general election next year."

We’ll get a clearer picture as the results roll in today.

Labour ‘blew the doors off’ with win in Medway - Starmer

09:59 , Matt Mathers

Labour “blew the doors off” with its win in Medway, Kent, party leader Keir Starmer has said.

Mr Starmer praised the work of party activists in the area after Labour took control of the council for the first time since 1998.

He visited Medway in his first outing this morning as the local election results continue to trickle in across England.

The Labour leader said his party was having “fantastic” results across the country, pointing to wins in Plymouth and Stoke-on-Trent.

Tories are problem, not solution - Starmer

09:49 , Matt Mathers

As we’ve been reporting, Keir Starmer has been speaking from Medway, Kent, where Labour won control of the council from the Conservatives.

The Labour leader claimed voters had turned to his party because the government is “the problem, not the solution” on issues such as the cost of living crisis and the economy.

He said voters now trust Labour again and that his party was ready to “change the country”.

‘Absurd’ to claim Tories are making progress in key battlegrounds - Labour

08:56 , Matt Mathers

Labour has dismissed as “absurd” claims by Rishi Sunak that his party was making “progress” in key battlegrounds such as Sandwell, Archie Mitchell reports.

A party figure called it an “absurd line”, pointing out that each year a third of Sandwell’s seats come up for election.

In 2022, Labour won all 24 seats, while this year the party took 22 out of 24 seats - with the Conservatives gaining two.

“If that is all the PM and CCHQ can point to as ‘progress’ they are in enormous trouble. Those are two landslides, year on year,” the source added.

Results ‘unambiguously bad news’ for Tories - Curtice

08:18 , Matt Mathers

As we reported, polling expert Sir John Curtice has been speaking to Radio 4 about the local election results.

Archie Mitchell has more details from the interview:

The local election results were “unambiguously bad news” for the Tories, according to polling guru Sir John Curtice.

But while he acknowledged Labour may be the largest party after the next election, it was unclear whether it would be able to secure an overall majority.

Sir John told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The clear message of the night is indeed that the Conservatives have done badly.

“They have already lost 200 seats, they might, although I emphasise might, end up losing 1,000 by the end of today, despite their hopes that that wouldn’t be the case.

“Even though they did badly in May 2019 their share of the vote in the wards where we have taken votes and added them up is actually down a point from then.

“All of that is unambiguously bad news for the Conservatives.”

He added: “The difficult thing for the Labour Party is that while it has hit some of its targets, it has made significant gains already, it is having to share the spoils with other opposition parties.”

Disappointing to lose ‘hard-working’ colleagues - Sunak

08:08 , Matt Mathers

Prime minister Rishi Sunak said it was “disappointing to lose hard-working conservative councillors and friends and colleagues”, Archie Mitchell reports.

“It’s still early, we’ve just had a quarter of the results in, but what I am going to carry on doing is delivering on the people’s priorities, halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing debt, cutting waiting lists and stopping the boats,” Mr Sunak said.

He told Sky News: “We’re making progress in key election battlegrounds like Peterborough, Bassetlaw and Sandwell.

“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 Mr Sunak said he was “not detecting any massive groundswell of movement towards the Labour Party or excitement for their agenda”.

Results show Labour ‘should’ be biggest party at next general election - polling expert

07:58 , Matt Mathers

The local election results so far show Labour “should” be the largest party at the next general election, a polling expert has said.

When asked if the results show the opposition is on course to win next year, Sir John Curtice told BBC Radio 4 Today: “Part of my answer depends on what you mean by win.

“It’s certainly the case that if extrapolating this to what might happen at a general election… that Labour should be the largest party.”

Sunak now has a ‘hell of a job’ on his hands - May’s former chief of staff

07:48 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak has “a hell of a job” on his hands as Tory leader and prime minister following what looks set to be a bad night for his party at the local elections, a senior MP has warned.

Gavin Barwell, Theresa May’s former chief of staff, said the party’s woes were the result of the continued negative impact of the Boris Johnson and Liz Truss administrations.

“The problem is not the current government, the problem is the damage Boris Johnson and Liz Truss have done to the conservative brand,” he said.

No 10 will privately not be surprised at the this result.”

He added: “The problem is not Sunak but he started miles behind and he has a hell of a job to do to close the gap fully.” “I’m not saying steady as she goes they need to deliver improvements on the key issue that matter.”

These included getting inflation down, getting the economy growing and rebuilding the NHS, he said.

‘Terrible’ night for Tories as Labour takes key councils in local elections

07:38 , Matt Mathers

The Tories suffered a “terrible” night in Rishi Sunak’s first electoral test as prime minister, with Labour making significant early gains.

Labour is on course to win the next general election after taking control of a series of key councils, Shabana Mahmood has said.

The party’s national campaign coordinator said the local poll had been a “disaster for Rishi Sunak and the Tories” so far. And she said the results show Labour is “on course for a majority government”.

Archie Mitchell reports:

‘Terrible’ night for Tories as Labour takes key councils in local elections

‘Disappointing’ night - Tory chair

07:28 , Matt Mathers

Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands said the local election results have been "disappointing", telling 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."

Result: Lib Dems gain Windsor & Maidenhead from Tories

07:24 , Matt Mathers

The Liberal Democrats have gained Windsor and Maidenhead from the Tories.

“This is a huge win for the Lib Dems and a massive blow to Rishi Sunak,” a party spokesperson said.

Councils in Surrey, Hertfordshire and Sussex to start counting shortly.

Labour on course for majority at next general election - Labour MP

07:12 , Matt Mathers

The local election results show Labour is on course for a majority at the next national poll, a Labour MP has claimed.

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

"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.

"Tonight has been a disaster for Rishi Sunak as voters punish him for the Tories’ failure."

Result: Labour gains Medway, Kent from Tories

06:55 , Matt Mathers

Labour has gained Medway Council in Kent from Conservative control for the first time since 1998.

The party won 30 of 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.

‘Terrible’ night for our party - Tory minister

06:49 , Matt Mathers

The local election results have so far been “terrible” for the Conservatives, a Tory MP has said.

Johnny Mercer, the defence minister and MP for Plymouth, was speaking after his party lost control of Plymouth Council to Labour.

In early results, Rishi Sunak’s party lost control of five councils, including Brentwood, Tamworth, North Leicestershire, Hertsmere and East Lindsey.

Ed Davey hails ‘groundbreaking wins’

06:40 , Matt Mathers

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey hailed a set of “groundbreaking wins” that “show people are sick to the back teeth of this government”

Commenting on early local elections results, Mr Davey said: “This is a groundbreaking night for the Liberal Democrats. 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.

“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.”

‘Voters’ punishing Sunak for Tories failure’

06:27 , Namita Singh

Labour is on course to win the next General Election, national campaign co-ordinator Shabana Mahmood has said. “These results show that we are on course for a majority Labour government,” she added.

“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.

“Tonight has been a disaster for Rishi Sunak as voters punish him for the Tories’ failure.”

Ed Davey hails Liberal Democrats ‘groundbreaking wins’

06:26 , Namita Singh

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey hailed a set of ‘groundbreaking wins’ that ‘show people are sick to the back teeth of this government’

Commenting on early local elections results, Mr Davey said: “This is a groundbreaking night for the Liberal Democrats. 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.

“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.”

UK Conservatives suffers a net loss of 144 seats

06:26 , Namita Singh

British prime minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives were facing a bleak set of local election results with voters punishing his party over political scandals, sluggish economic growth and high inflation, early results showed today.

While governing parties often struggle at mid-term elections, the council results in England will be the largest, and possibly last, test of voter sentiment before the next general election which is expected to be held in 2024.

The Conservative Party suffered a net loss of 144 seats on local councils that were up for re-election, the early results showed. The main opposition Labour Party, which is hoping to gain hundreds of seats in a mid-term vote, added 96 seats.

The Liberal Democrats had a net gain of 40 seats.

The results will decide more than 8,000 council seats in 230 local government authorities who are responsible for the day-to-day provision of public services such as bin collections and schools.

Tory losses ‘certainly’ fault of Johnson and Truss, says transport minister

06:13 , Namita Singh

Transport minister Huw Merriman suggested that former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss were to be blame for the Conservative losses in local elections across England.

“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,” Mr Merriman told the BBC.

“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 Mr Johnson and Ms Truss’s fault, the transport minister responded in the affirmative.

“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.”

Major results declared so far

06:05 , Namita Singh

Results from 45 out of the 230 councils have been out. Here is what the outcome looks like so far

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

• Labour gained control of two councils, securing Plymouth from Conservatives and Stoke-on-Trent from no overall control

• While Labour put on 84 councillors, Liberal Democrats have put on a net 30 councillors

• Labour’s Chris Cooke won the battle to become mayor of Middlesbrough, defeating independent incumbent Andy Preston

Labour celebrates gaining Stoke on Trent council

05:54 , Namita Singh

Tories lose control of Hertsmere

05:47 , Namita Singh

The Tories lost control of Hertsmere where deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden is MP, with 13 councillors voted out. Labour gained seven and the Lib Dems six.

Major results so far

05:23 , Namita Singh

Tamworth, Brentford and North West Leicestershire fell from Tory administrations to no overall control, while were replaced Labour as the largest party in Hartlepool and Worcester.

Labour gained control of Plymouth, where the Tories had run a minority administration - a result branded “terrible” by government minister and local MP Johnny Mercer - then did the same in Stoke-on-Trent, another general election battleground.

Local election result tracker: Which party is coming out on top?

05:09 , Namita Singh

Voters across England headed to the polls on Thursday for the latest round of local elections – and now the results are being counted and will begin to trickle in.

More than 8,000 seats were contested across 230 councils, with Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough among several cities and regions choosing a new mayor.

Going into Election Day, the Conservatives had 3,363 seats to defend, Labour 2,140, the Liberal Democrats 1,221, independents 954, the Green Party 240, residents associations 112, UKIP 25, the Reform Party four and the Liberal Party and the Yorkshire Party two apiece.

Follow the very latest updates with our local election result tracker as the counting continues:

Local election results tracker: Which party is coming out on top?

How did wards supporting Brexit vote?

05:00 , Namita Singh

Politics researcher Will Jennings in his analysis says that Labour enjoyed larged gains in wards that voted to leave EU in 2016, while Conservatives experienced biggest losses in areas choosing to remain.

Labour's Chris Cooke elected Mayor of Middlesbrough

05:00 , Namita Singh

Labour’s Chris Cooke has been elected Mayor of Middlesbrough after he led ahead of Conservative John Cooper by about 8,000 votes. While Mr Cooke received 10,956, his Tory counterpart received 2,997 votes.

Conservative lose control in North West Leicestershire

04:43 , Namita Singh

Tories lose control in North West Leicestershire with the council chamber left hung after no party secured majority.

‘Dark day for British democracy,’ say campaigners opposed to photo ID introduction

04:36 , Namita Singh

The local elections were the first to be fought under new rules requiring voters to carry photographic ID, and the elections watchdog said “regrettably” some people were turned away from polling stations as a result.

The elections were branded a “dark day for British democracy” by campaigners opposed to the introduction of photo ID, who claimed thousands of people had been denied their right to vote.

But Mr Heaton-Harris insisted the policy was a “thoroughly good thing” even though the elections watchdog said some people had been turned away from polling stations.

An Electoral Commission spokesperson said: “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.

“It will be essential to understand the extent of this impact, and the reasons behind it, before a final view can be taken on how the policy has worked in practice and what can be learned for future elections.”

Tom Brake of Unlock Democracy, who is leading a coalition of groups opposed to the policy including the Electoral Reform Society, Fair Vote UK and Open Britain, said: “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.”

The Association of Electoral Administrators’ chief executive Peter Stanyon said there had been “many anecdotal reports” of people being unable to vote but “it is still too early to gauge how introducing voter ID has gone”.

Labour confident of gaining traditional Tory councils

04:31 , Namita Singh

Labour claimed that, based on the aggregate vote, the party would have won the Westminster constituencies of Hartlepool, Stevenage, Dudley South, Ipswich, West Bromwich East, Great Grimsby and Aldershot, which has been held by the Tories since its creation as a seat in 1918.

A Labour source said: “Tory MPs will be very worried. This is supposed to be Rishi Sunak’s political honeymoon, but on these results they would have lost a bunch of seats - including one they’ve held for over 100 years.”

Labour fails to regain Hull

04:21 , Namita Singh

In Hull, Labour’s attempts to regain the council from the Liberal Democrats failed, with Sir Ed Davey’s party tightening its grip on the authority.

‘Mercer’s a toast at next general election’

04:21 , Namita Singh

Veterans minister and Plymouth Moor View MP Johnny Mercer is “toast” at the next general election, neighbouring Labour MP Luke Pollard has said.

Commenting on Labour’s victory in Plymouth, Mr Pollard (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) told 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.”

‘Difficult night’ for Tories, says Kelly Tolhurst

04:13 , Namita Singh

Rochester and Strood’s Tory MP Kelly Tolhurst said it would be a “difficult night” for her party in Medway, where Labour hoped 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.

Labour replaces Tories as largest party in Worcester

04:09 , Namita Singh

After Hartlepool, Labour made strides in Worcester as well, replacing Tories as the largest party.

Tory councillor Chris Mitchell, who lost his seat on Worcester Council to the Greens, held the political backdrop in Westminster as a “key factor” in his party’s performance.

While he credited Rishi Sunak for having “steadied the ship”, he told BBC that the turmoil Tories are in “is a big tanker to turn round”.

Labour gains control of Plymouth

03:58 , Namita Singh

Labour gained control of previously hung Plymouth council.

“It’s been a really terrible night for us here in Plymouth,” said Conservative minister Johnny Mercer as he attributed the win to “a number of factors”, including “a difficult time” for the local Tory group.

“But we take it on the chin and we keep going forward. There’s really important stuff happening on a national level and we need to redouble our efforts and make sure we continue to work hard for the people here in Plymouth,” he told the BBC.

Conservatives seek to present setbacks as mid-term ‘blip’

03:50 , Namita Singh

Senior Conservatives have sought to present the setbacks as a mid-term “blip”, but with the prospect of a general election in 2024 there will be concerns that they have suffered losses in the north, south and the Midlands.

They have sought to manage expectations by pointing to forecasts by academic experts Professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher which suggest they could lose more than 1,000 seats if things go badly.

The Tories will seek to portray any defeat below that scale as better than expected - 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 Rishi 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.

Chris Heaton-Harris

‘Labour strides not enough to form government next election’

03:41 , Namita Singh

Labour is not gaining the seats that it would need to form a government at the next general election, a minister has said.

Transport minister Richard Holden told the BBC’s Elections 2023 programme: “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, Mr 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.

“I feel it when I do my weekly shop as much as... and other people will feel it even more actually, particularly if they are on tight budgets.

“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.”

Labour retains control of Sandwell, Tories of Thurrock

03:39 , Namita Singh

Labour have retained control of Sandwell council while Conservatives keep Thurrock.

ICYMI: Voters (and their dogs) head to polls - in pictures

03:30 , Martha Mchardy

Conservatives lose control of Tamworth and Brentford, Labour makes strides in Hartlepool

03:18 , Namita Singh

Rishi Sunak’s Tories are braced for heavy losses, with Labour and the Liberal Democrats both making gains in elections across England.

The Conservatives lost control of councils in Tamworth and Brentford, while Labour appeared on course to replace them as the largest party in Hartlepool.

In Tamworth - the seat of scandal-hit former Tory whip Chris Pincher - Labour made seven gains, pushing it from Conservative into no overall control.

With full results in from 25 out of the 230 councils where elections were being held, the Tories have so far lost control of two councils and suffered a net loss of 36 councillors.

Meanwhile, Labour had a net gain of 38 councillors and Liberal Democrats had put on a net eight councillors.

Tactical voting could see ‘terrible’ local election loss for Rishi Sunak, say polling experts

02:30 , Martha Mchardy

Anti-Tory tactical voting could see heavy local election losses for Rishi Sunak’s party and lead to a Labour majority at the next general election, top polling gurus have said.

Leading elections experts said the electorate had become increasingly “sophisticated” in switching between Labour or the Liberal Democrats, depending on which party has the best chance of defeating local Tory candidates.

Professor Sir John Curtice told The Independent that the tactical voting evident in last year’s local elections and recent by-elections was a worrying sign for Mr Sunak’s hopes of limiting council losses across England on 4 May.

Adam Forrest reports:

Tactical voting could see ‘terrible’ local elections for Rishi Sunak, say experts

Voices: The hidden dangers of two-party politics

01:30 , Martha Mchardy

In a two-horse race, declines in popularity for one candidate are equivalent to gains in popularity for the other, writes doctor of mathematics Kit Yates.

Opinion: The hidden dangers of two-party politics

Will the Tories really lose 1,000 seats at the local elections?

Friday 5 May 2023 00:30 , Martha Mchardy

Local election results are open to interpretation and the parties are exploiting that, writes Jon Stone.

Will the Tories really lose 1,000 seats at the local elections?

Local elections 2023: Key councils to watch out for

Thursday 4 May 2023 23:30 , Martha Mchardy

Results are expected at around 12.30am - although the vast majority will be declared later on Friday morning - after voters headed to the polls today.

Below we look at some of the key contests to look out for in each region of England.

Matt Mathers and Jon Stone report:

Key councils to watch out for in the 2023 local elections

Tories braced to lose hundreds of council seats as politicians complain of voter ID issues

Thursday 4 May 2023 23:00 , Martha Mchardy

Rishi Sunak is braced for the loss of hundreds of council seats as voters return to the polls for what could be the last time before the general election.

It comes amid claims voters were turned away because they didn’t have the right photographic ID to cast their ballot under new rules.

The prime minister is under pressure to avoid a bloodbath and prove to his party that he has drawn a line under the crises caused by Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

But Keir Starmer is also set to face questions over his leadership if the local election results fail to suggest he is on course to win power next year.

In what will be seen as a sign Mr Sunak is keen to build party morale after the vote, he has invited Tory MPs to drinks in Downing Street on May 15.

Kate Devlin reports:

Tories accused of ‘voter suppression'

Thursday 4 May 2023 22:44 , Jane Dalton

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell has accused the government of “voter suppression measures” with its new identity rules.

Analysis: The real numbers to watch in these local election results

Thursday 4 May 2023 22:30 , Martha Mchardy

Sean O’Grady on the trends to look out for and why this year’s polling matters.

These are the numbers to watch in the local election results

Tories braced to lose hundreds of seats as politicians complain of voter ID issues

Thursday 4 May 2023 22:28 , Jane Dalton

Rishi Sunak is braced for the loss of hundreds of council seats after voters returned to the polls for what could be the last time before the general election. Kate Devlin reports:

Tories braced to lose hundreds of council seats as politicians bemoan voter ID issues

New ID rule barred some people from voting, officials confirm

Thursday 4 May 2023 22:26 , Jane Dalton

The Electoral Commission said it believed the local elections were well run but some people were “regrettably unable to vote” because of the new photo ID requirement.

A 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.”

More than half polled not confident in government ability

Thursday 4 May 2023 22:24 , Jane Dalton

Pollsters’ question on confidence in the government’s ability shows confidence now at net minus 7.

1. Confident 45%

2. Not Confident 52%

Pollsters Techne UK questioned 1,632 people across the UK online on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Labour lead by 15 as polls close

Thursday 4 May 2023 22:21 , Jane Dalton

As polls close for the local elections in parts of England, our weekly tracker of Westminster voting intention gives Labour a lead of 15.

The Conservatives drop one point week-on-week to 29%, while the Liberal Democrats are up two to 11%:

1. Lab 44% (nc)

2. Con 29% (-1)

3. Lib Dem 11% (+2)

4. Reform 6% (nc)

5. Green 5% (nc)

6. SNP 3% (nc)

7. Others 3%

‘This is a cost of living election’, says Labour MP as polls close

Thursday 4 May 2023 22:03 , Martha Mchardy

Shabana Mahmood MP, Labour’s National Campaign Coordinator, commenting on the close of polls, 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.“