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LIVE UPDATES: English local government elections – results and reactions

Photo: @Keir_Starmer

LIVE UPDATES AS THEY HAPPEN. REFRESH THE PAGE FOR LATEST

Read all the results of the English local government elections as they come in – with key reactions as we get them…

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19:28 Labour holds Hounslow

19:12 Labour lose Enfield to No Overall Control

19:09 Labour lose St Helens to Reform

18:53 Labour lose Birmingham to No Overall Control

18:52 Labour hold Camden

18:51 Labour lose South-Tyneside to Reform

Reform have won 41 seats in South-Tyneside, where Labour has lost 27 seats.

18:49 Labour holds Trafford

Trafford remains under a Labour majority. Labour lost six seats in Trafford to the Conservatives, Reform and the Greens that gained two seats each from Labour.

18:47 Labour lose Newcastle-upon-Tyne to No Overall Control

Labour have lost control of Newcastle-upon-Tyne to no overall control, after losing 44 seats in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Reform gained 24 seats while the Greens gained 22 in Newcastle.

18:42 Labour holds Greenwich

Labour holds another London council in Greenwich. Labour lost 13 seats, but retained majority control. The Greens gained 9 seats, the Conservatives gained 3 and Reform gained 1.

18:26 Labour lose Brent to No Overall Control

Labour have lost control of Brent council, which they had held since 2010. Labour lost 21 seats in Brent across three parties. Greens took 9 seats from Labour, the Liberal Democrats gained 8 and the Conservatives gained 4. Brent council now left with no overall control.

18:15 Labour lose Swindon to No Overall Control

Labour have lost 21 seats in Swindon. Reform take 14 seats from Labour and the Conservatives take 7, leaving Swindon borough council with no overall control.

18:09 Labour lose Leeds to No Overall Control

Labour lose 12 seats in Leeds, the Greens gain 6 and Reform win 8, leaving the West Yorkshire city council with no party majority.

17:59 Labour lose Waltham Forest to Greens

Labour lose 31 seats in Waltham Forest to the Greens, who take control of the council from Labour as a result.

17:56 Labour hold Islington

Labour are down 9 seats to the Greens in Islington, but still hold the North London seat.

17.31 Labour lose Norwich to Greens

Greens gain 6 seats from Labour in Norwich, while Reform take 2. Greens take control of the council as a result.

17:29 Rowenna Davis fails to capture Croydon mayoralty

The Tories have held the mayoralty of the outer London borough by 1,103 votes.

17.11 Labour Leader in Camden loses to the Greens

Richard Olszewski, has list in Holborn & Covent Garden ward. This ward covers part of the PM’s own constituency of Holborn and St Pancras.

17:04 Tribune’s Sarah Owen says “it’s do or die” for the PM

Sarah Owen tells Aubrey Allegretti of the Times: “The public’s message to the Prime Minister is clear – and it is now do or die for the Labour Leadership.

“The Labour Government at its best has made some headway on reversing austerity, bringing in new rights for workers and renters, and taking children out of poverty but that has not been fast or far enough for people to really feel it in their pockets, and see it their communities. 

“Unless Keir Starmer delivers tangible change and truly connects with the public on a human level, he can’t lead us into another election (locally or nationally). People want politics and politicians who are upfront and true to their values.”

16:48 Anneliese Midgeley “It was a mistake to block Andy Burnham”

Speaking to Pippa Crerar of the Guardian the Knowsley MP has said: “The results here and across the North are beyond our worst expectations. It’s truly devastating.

“Unless that changes significantly and quickly it’s clear the PM can’t lead us into another election.

“It was a mistake to block Andy Burnham in Gorton & Denton and if a situation arises, he should not be blocked again.”

16:31 Labour loses Sunderland to Reform

Reform have taken control of Sunderland council winning at least 39 seats with more still being counted.

16:27 Labour leader in Newcastle loses seat to Reform

Karen Kilgour has lost her seat and Labour are yet to win a seat in Newcastle with half the seats counted.

16:11 Labour strengthen hold on Merton Council gaining one seat

The seat was a Lib Dem target but Labour have kept control returning 32 of 57 councillors.

16:04 ‘Former cabinet minister Louise Haigh says the PM “cannot lead us into another election” if he does not deliver change.

Speaking to ITV, the Labour MP for Sheffield Heeley said: “But I think what is abundantly clear, is that unless the government delivers significant and urgent change, then the prime minister cannot lead us into another election.”

15:25 Labour lose Cambridge to no overall control

Labour has lost 6 councillors including Leader Cameron Holloway in a straight swap with the Greens.

15:15 Unison ‘Labour face oblivion’

Unison General secretary Andrea Egan has said “Labour faces oblivion because it is not delivering for the vast majority of people.”

She added “What must change is not just the leader but the entire approach: only a Labour Government which always puts the interests of workers before the wealthy can succeed.”

15:14: Labour lose Preston to No Overall Control.

Labour have lost 5 seats in Preston leaving the council with no party majority. Conservatives also lost 3 seats, while Reform picked up 4. The Liberal Democrats and the Greens both picked up 2 seats respectively.

15:09 Labour hold Bury and Rochdale

Labour has held the same number of seats on Bury council where there vote has held up better than elsewhere in Greater Manchester. However they have lost 10 seats in Rochdale with only a third of seats up for election there.

15:00 Unite: ‘Labour will die if it doesn’t fundamentally change course’

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has warned that Labour will die if the party does not implement “fundamental, irreversable change”.

She said: “The writing is on the wall for this Labour government and it could be the beginning of the end for the party itself. The working class have been abandoned and have delivered their verdict.

“They have painted the ballot boxes of our towns and swathes of the Midlands and the North turquoise and even green. They have done so using the brush of decades of Labour failure.

“Labour ministers can loyally read out lists of their achievements, but no one is listening. If every one of those achievements were in stereo, they wouldn’t even touch the sides of the vision that is needed now.

“We are stuck in a rigged system where everyday people always, always pay.

“Only fundamental, irreversible change will stem the tide. If the party does not shift decisively towards the working class it is finished.

“It is change or die. Now or never.”

14:50 Apsana Begum: ‘To avert Reform government, there needs to be change’

14:45 Nadia Whittome calls on PM to announce timetable for resignation

Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome has joined calls for the PM to announce a timetable for his departure.

14:40 Ian Lavery joins calls for Keir Starmer to resign

Blyth and Ashington MP Ian Lavery has called on Keir Starmer to resign as Labour leader and warned that the party is on the road to “utter annihilation”.

He told the BBC’s The World at One: “Keir Hardie started the Labour Party… It could be another Keir – Keir Starmer – that could end the party forever.”

14:35 Dawn Butler: ‘We need our best players on the pitch’

In an interview with Sky News, MP Dawn Butler has said that Labour needs its best players on the pitch, and alluded to the need for Andy Burnham to return to the Commons. However, she refused to join some of her colleagues in calling for Keir Starmer to stand down or announce a timetable for his resignation.

14:05 National equivalent vote so far

Sky News has tallied up votes across the nation – and has Reform’s national equivalent vote share falling compared to the local elections last year. Their model has Reform on 27 percent, down from 31 percent. Labour is languishing in third on just 16 percent, up one percent from 2025.

13:50 Ousted council leader calls on Starmer to quit

Phil Riley, the ousted council leader of Blackburn with Darwen, has called on Keir Starmer to resign as Prime Minister, saying Starmer had a “very poor reputation” among voters.

“He has clearly done a very good job in terms of foreign affairs but I think the party lacks political direction. I believe he has to go.”

13:40 Big Labour losses in Manchester

Although Labour have remained in control of Manchester council, the party has so far lost 19 seats – with 14 going to the Greens and five to Reform. Deputy leader Joanna Midgley is among those to have lost their seats to the Green Party.

13:31 Labour lose Hyndburn

Labour have lost control in Hyndburn after losing five councillors, with Reform being the biggest winner in the council chamber. Meanwhile, in Burnley, Labour have been overtaken by Reform – the council remains in No Overall Control.

13:15 Report from Worthing

East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tom Rutland, who is attending the Adur and Worthing councils count, has said an announcement has been made of a swarm of bees outside the leisure centre being used to count ballots…

13:10 Labour losses in Sheffield

Labour has lost seven seats in Sheffield, with the Green Party and Reform making gains on the council. It remains under No Overall Control, with Labour narrowly remaining the largest party at the moment.

13:05 No move against Starmer from Cabinet – reports

A Cabinet minister has told The i Paper that there will be no move from their colleagues against the Prime Minister, and said that the grassroots of the party would find any attempt to depose Starmer “unforgivable”.

“No one in the Cabinet is going to move… [even though] some people are some people are clearly hoping that’s the case,” they said.

12:45 Labour loses control of Blackburn with Darwen

Labour has lost control over Blackburn with Darwen, with the council moving into No Overall Control. Labour remain the largest party, but have lost 11 seats to Reform and independent councillors.

This takes the total number of lost Labour councils to nine.

12.35 ‘Nobody should be launching a coup’

Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who has previously called for Keir Starmer to go as leader, has said that the party needs a chance to have a thorough discussion about the results – and that now is not the time for a coup.

“Nobody should be launching a coup, we need to give party chance to have a thorough discussion about what has happened, why and what’s needed now but everything has to be on agenda.

“Keir will need to put party and country first in judging whether he is risking opening door to Farage.”

12:25 Labour hold Manchester

Sky News are reporting that Labour has held Manchester, again as it was mathematically impossible for the party to do so…

12:25 Luke Akehurst on how Labour can win Reform-voting communities back

North Durham MP Luke Akehurst has drawn parallels with the results in northern councils backing Reform to the success Farage’s party had in County Durham last year.

Akehurst said: “To win these communities back Labour needs to:

  • focus on tackling the cost of living crisis
  • not backslide on tackling illegal immigration
  • reindustrialise – invest in high quality jobs and transport infrastructure in left behind communities – including ensuring the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan has a regional jobs impact
  • deepen initiatives like Pride in Place to regenerate high streets and town centres
  • tackle ASB, drug crime, shoplifting and offroad bikes – be pragmatic about net zero policies so that they don’t cause jobs to be lost, whether that’s allowing the 2 new oil and gas fields to proceed, or ensuring the ZEV mandate works for the car industry

12:16 Labour hold North Tyneside

Labour have held control of North Tyneside – because it is mathematically impossible for Labour to lose control due to the majority the party has on the council.

With only one of 20 council seats declared, Labour has lost one seat to Reform on the council.

12:15 Blue Labour leader: ‘We have no answer for working class voters who’ve been left behind’

Dan Carden, Liverpool Walton MP and leader of the Blue Labour group in the Commons, has said Labour needs to think whether the party wants to represent working people at all in response to the local election results.

He said: “Labour is losing today because we are a party that won’t say Britain is broken – when it is, won’t challenge the rules of globalisation, and we are now a party defined only through tax, spend and welfare — and with no answer for working class voters who’ve been left behind.

“The question isn’t how to win them back. It’s whether Labour wants to represent them at all.”

12:10 ‘Next 24 hours crucial’

A Labour backbencher has told LabourList: “The next 24 hours will be crucial. Then we need to set out how we change people’s lives.”

12:05 ‘People here are putting this government on notice’

Labour Mayor of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard has told Sky News: “Keir Starmer has got a lot of soul searching to do I think and has got to understand that people here are putting this government on notice. Parties and governments that don’t listen to people don’t last very long.”

11:57 ‘Entire governing project of Labour right has failed’

A soft left Labour source has been damning about the election results and told LabourList: “We’re paying the price of McSweeneyism – winter fuel and Mandelson. The Labour right own this.”

11:54 Green Party wins Hackney mayoralty

The Green Party has defeated Labour in the battle to become Mayor of Hackney – an area that is traditionally a Labour stronghold.

Zoe Garbett won 47.2 percent of the vote, compared to Labour on 35.5 percent, with the Conservatives a distant third with just 8.4 percent.

11:45 ‘Bin fire’ in Birmingham

Birmingham Labour has reportedly said that the party is set to face a bruising result, with LBC’s Lewis Goodall claiming that a source from the local party has said: “It’s going to be a bin fire.”

11:35 Polanski to attend Hackney count

Green Party sources are reportedly telling journalists that leader Zack Polanski will be attending the count in Hackney later today, suggesting his party is bullish about their chances. Polanski is said to be considering standing as a candidate in Hackney at the general election.

11:30 ‘Answer to results isn’t panic, it’s calm leadership’

Rugby MP John Slinger has reiterated his support for the Prime Minister despite the disappointing local election results. In a post on social media, he said: “Mid-term local elections are rarely kind to governments. Voters have sent a message and we must listen. But the answer isn’t panic. It’s calm leadership, the King’s Speech setting out our plans, and getting on with the day job.”

His comments were echoed by Stoke-on-Trent South MP Allison Gardner, who said: “One thing the quiet reasonable people of our country do NOT want is continuation of the Tory chaos of leadership changes. We keep calm and carry on delivering stability and change we promised.”

10:50 Fabian Society: ‘Carrying on regardless is not an option’

Joe Dromey, general secretary of the Fabian Society, has described the election results so far as “devastating” for Labour – and said that “the scale of the losses show this is much more than mid-term blues”.

He said: “Carrying on regardless is not an option. We need to listen to the message the voters have sent, and to learn lessons.”

10:35 ‘People want change’, says Compass

Campaign group Compass has reacted to the election results so far, calling for “a different economy, a different approach to the cost of living and a different politics”.

Neal Lawson, director of the cross-party group, said: “The overnight message is the one the country’s been saying for months now: people want change.

“Labour’s massive falls are almost directly related to strong Green performances all over the country, paving the way for Reform wins. It lays bare the systemic issues of our voting system and the fragmentation of the new progressive bloc.

“But both sets of voters need the case made to them. Labour’s economic record is simply not good enough – a different economy, a different approach to the cost of living and a different politics is needed.”

10:10 TSSA: ‘We will work with other unions to oust Starmer’

General secretary of the Labour-affiliated TSSA Maryam Eslamdoust has repeated her calls for new leadership for the Labour Party – and said she would work with other trade unions to oust Keir Starmer.

She said: “Unions like the TSSA will not stand by in the wake of this electoral disaster and let Keir Starmer pave the way for a hard right government led by Nigel Farage.

“Joe Biden did exactly that in the US, and it’s clear from these results that we’re facing a similar catastrophe unless Labour changes leadership and direction. The TSSA will now seek to work with other unions to assert our political influence at all levels of the Labour Party to try to deliver that.

“At the last general election, the country didn’t vote simply to repaint the front bench red. People voted for meaningful change they could actually feel in their lives.

“That’s why Labour urgently needs a leadership election to allow members to pick a candidate who is much more responsive to the needs of working people and who can stop the very real danger of a far right government coming to power in this country.”

09:40 Watch – Keir Starmer’s response to election results so far

09:30 Counting underway in Birmingham

Counting is now underway in Birmingham and many other parts of England where council results will be declared in the coming hours. Some MRPs ahead of polling day forecast a disappointing set of results in Birmingham, with Labour forecast to lose control of the council to no overall control.

08:55 Are Reform or the Greens the greater threat to Labour?

Reform have made most of the gains in the results overnight, with Labour losing many seats to Farage’s party. However, polling expert John Curtice has suggested that the dynamics at play are more complex for Labour.

He told the BBC: “A sharp fall in Labour’s performance is accompanied more often by an above average Green performance than it is by a strong Reform performance. It should be remembered that Labour may often lose seats to Reform because it is losing votes to the Greens, while the Conservatives are losing votes to Reform. The net effect can be that Labour end up losing a seat to Reform.”

08:27 Starmer: ‘Tough results… but I’m not going to walk away’

Prime Minister and Labour leader Keir Starmer has spoken to broadcasters after a difficult set of local elections in England. He said the results were “tough” for Labour, but said he was not going to “walk away from [the] issues and challenges” the country faces.

He said: “Let me be clear, these are really tough results. The voters have sent a message about the pace of change, how they want their lives and those elected to meet those challenges and I’m not going to walk away from those issues and challenges.”

While he said that he takes responsibility for the loss of “brilliant Labour representatives” who were not re-elected, he said: “Days like this don’t weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised.”

08:15 Picture for Labour so far…

With results in for 40 local councils across England, Labour currently have held ten, but lost eight – including Exeter, Hartlepool, Southampton, Tamworth and Westminster.

06:57 Labour loses Westminster to Conservatives

Labour lost nine seats to the Tories in Westminster, resulting in the Conservatives taking power of the council.

06:19 Labour holds Ealing

Labour holds Ealing, remaining comfortably the largest party with 46 councillors elected for an historic fifth term.

06:05 Labour loses Southampton to no overall control

Labour have lost ten seats in Southampton, losing the council to no overall control. The Conservatives also lost four seats, while Reform gained eight, the Greens gained four and the Liberal Democrats gained two.

05:54 Labour loses Wandsworth council to no overall control

Labour has lost Wandsworth to no overall control. Labour lost seven seats to the Conservatives, leaving the council without a party majority.

05:45 Labour holds Merton

Labour holds Merton, gaining one seat in the process.

05:43 Labour holds Plymouth, but loses seats

Labour holds Plymouth but lost nine seats tonight, while the Tories lost six and Reform gained 14 and the Greens picked up one.

05:37 Labour holds Hammersmith and Fulham

As more London results begin to be declared, Labour hold Hammersmith and Fulham, losing just two seats overall to the Conservatives.

05:03 Oxford remains no overall control

Oxford remains no overall control. Labour has lost five seats in Oxford while the Greens have gained five.

04:07 Labour(List) Hold

Our fantastic business manager Ellie Ormsby has held her council seat in Westminster – and even increased her majority. Well done Ellie!

04:02 Turnout is up across the country

Traditionally turnout is low in local elections but there seems to be a uniformly higher than expected turnout.

04:00 Labour have lost five councils to no overall control.

Exeter, Hartlepool, Redditch, Tameside and Tamworth have all been lost to No Overall Control.

03:51 Labour loses Tameside to no overall control

Labour has lost fourteen seats to Reform who also gained one from the Tories.

03:44 Labour loses Exeter to no overall control

Labour has lost five seats on the council losing their majority.

03:31 Labour holds Wigan but loses all 22 seats it was defending to Reform UK

The council elects by thirds so Labour could not lose control, but have lost every seat it was defending.

03:06 Labour hold Lincoln

Labour have retained power in Lincoln. Both Labour and the Tories lost three seats each, Reform gained four, the Lib Dems gained one and the Greens one.

03:00 Labour has lost 83 percent of sitting councillors so far

At five hours after close of polls, Labour are calculated to have lost 83% of sitting councillors declared so far according to James Crouch of Opinium.

Emma Burnell, editor of LabourList, said: “This is a long night with a long way to go, but there is no denying this doesn’t just look bad – it looks terrible. Labour are losing heartland seats to Reform across the country. With most of London set to count votes tomorrow, we don’t yet know how much we will lose to Greens.

“Labour is going to have to have a long hard look at what it is getting wrong.”

02:38 Hartlepool Labour leader among those to lose their seat; reported to blame Starmer

The former Labour leader of Hartlepool Council Pamela Hargreaves has said to a BBC reporter that people were saying that Labour councillors were doing a good job but “could not vote for you while Keir Starmer is still Prime Minister”.

02:14 Labour loses Tamworth to no overall control

Labour has lost control of Tamworth Borough Council. They have lost two seats, with Reform gaining nine – six from the Tories, two from Labour and one from an Independent.

02:04 Labour loses Hartlepool to no overall control

Labour has lost control of Hartlepool Borough Council. The area has been somewhat of a touchstone as it was losing a Parliamentary by-election here in 2021 that reportedly led Keir Starmer to first consider resigning and then significantly change his strategy.

01:57 Redditch result in full

Labour have lost six seats on Redditch Borough Council. Reform have gained eight – the six from Labour as well as one each from the Tories and Greens

01:54 Labour lose control of Redditch

The BBC are reporting that Redditch council has gone to No Overall Control.

01:05 First Green gain from Labour in Chorley South West

The Greens have gained their first seat of the night from Labour in Chorley.

00:52: Reform gain six seats on Halton Borough Council from Labour 

Reform has gained six seats from Labour in the Merseyside council. Labour could not lose control as all seats were not up.

00:36 Labour hold Chorley Borough Council

00:22 First Reform gain from Labour at ward level

Reform has gained Chorley East – in Chorley Borough Council – from Labour. Labour’s vote share has dropped by 36.1%.

23:59 Lammy: Answer is not to change leader

Deputy PM David Lammy MP has said “There are questions we have to answer but there are no circumstances in which the answer to the questions the British people are raising is to change the leader yet again.”

23:35 Andy Burnham goes quiet

The Mayor of Greater Manchester has pulled out of a keynote speech at the Festival of Childhood tomorrow.

10.04 Elsewhere…

Several Welsh sources have told Will Hayward that it looks “brutal” and that Welsh Labour leader Eluned Morgan could lose her seat.

10.02 Lucy Powell speaks:

Lucy Powell MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, commenting on polls closing in the local elections, said:

“Labour has run positive, local campaigns right across the country, focused on our record of delivery, bringing communities together and addressing the public’s number one priority: easing the cost of living. The whole Party and government are so proud of our hardworking Labour candidates who serve their local communities and put themselves forward for election.

“These elections are tough and took place in a difficult context. After over a decade of Britain being held back, working people up and down the country rightly want to see the whole of our United Kingdom firing on all cylinders in their interests. Labour has started to deliver on that promise and we are determined to make it happen everywhere for everyone.

“Nigel Farage’s false promises and toxic politics won’t deliver the change people want to see. Zack Polanski has proved this week that he is unfit for office and has all the wrong answers to the problems our country faces.

“Labour will continue working every day putting our values into action and delivering the fairer future people want to see – by bearing down on the cost of living, fixing our NHS, taking on vested interests and rewiring the country to bring about a better Britain, built for all.”

The Labour Party posts:

10.00pm Polls have now closed

Polling stations have closed for council elections across England. We will be with you throughout the night and all through Friday to bring you updates.

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Tags: Parliament / Labour Party / MPs / Labour / Government / Politics / Downing Street / prime Minister / House of Commons / Keir Starmer / PM / UK politics / UK Labour Party / 2026 Local Elections /
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