Mixed results in UK local elections

Both Labour and the Conservatives failed to maintain control over key councils across England in local elections, as results streamed in on Friday.

The first public opinion test since 2017’s general elections proved to show mixed opinions with Labour failing to win massive gains. By early afternoon on Friday, with most results counted, the leftist part won control of 55 councils, down one, with 1477 council seats representing an increase of 40.

Conservatives won control of 34 councils, no change on before, with 918 council seats being an improvement of seven.

In London where all 32 boroughs were up for grabs, the Tories avoided a wipeout and it also gained support in regions elsewhere which prevented a big win for Labour, including winning the key opposition target of Barnet.

The conservatives have held onto Wandsworth council, a Conservative stronghold since Margaret Thatcher’s government and also maintained power in Westminster council, a strong symbolic win.

The results are not good news for the Labour party which expected a big win since the ruling parties typically suffer losses at local elections. Nevertheless, elsewhere in London results swung in Labour's favour.

Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "Obviously I'm disappointed at any places where we lost a bit of ground... but if you look at the overall picture, Labour gained a lot of seats across the whole country, we gained a lot of votes in places we'd never had those votes before".

The biggest ‘loser’ of the elections was UKIP, which suffered the most as it lost more than 100 seats, nearly all of the seats it won in 2014.

Michael van Dulken from Accendo Markets said: “The results from UK local elections appear inconclusive thus far. UKIP looks the biggest seat loser while both the Conservatives and Labour got good and bad news and the Lib Dems taking control of Richmond.

“However, voters look to have failed to deliver a clear verdict on the PM’s efforts regarding Brexit talks, leaving her with a still shaky negotiating mandate.”