Today, as town halls continue to change political control, hundreds of councillors are now discovering that their time in local politics is over (for the next four years at least). Some councillors you might have been speaking to will be out of a job and after the Bank Holiday you may be looking at a completely different local political context.
Results started coming in late last night and the following national picture is emerging:
- Gains for UKIP across the country – although the party still does not control any local authorities and didn’t do as well in London as expected
- Gains for Labour, particularly in London, including taking control of Hammersmith and Fulham from the Conservatives
- Both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have suffered major losses as the electorate demonstrates its frustration with the Coalition Government
At a regional and local level:
- Several Conservative councils in the south of England now have no overall control following UKIP gains. Four councils in south Essex have been lost
- The Conservatives have lost control in Maidstone, despite remaining the biggest party on the council
- Labour has lost control of Thurrock to no overall control
- The Conservatives have lost control of Peterborough – no-one party has control of the authority
- Labour has taken Cambridge, ending 14 years of Liberal Democrat rule
- Liberal Democrats have lost control of Portsmouth. The City Council is now under no overall control, although the Liberal Democrats are still the largest party
Yesterday was a big day in London with a total of 1,800 seats up for grabs in all 32 boroughs and the City:
- Labour has taken Croydon from the Conservatives, as well as Conservative flagship Hammersmith and Fulham
- Labour also gained Merton, which previously had no overall control
- Liberal Democrats in Kingston have conceded defeat to the Conservatives
For all the latest go to the BBC Local Election homepage.