What early election results show us in maps and charts

Reform UK has emerged as the principal victor overnight, successfully securing hundreds of seats and establishing control over a council in the recent elections across England.

In contrast, Labour has experienced a significant setback, losing numerous councillors and relinquishing control of eight councils.

The Conservative Party has faced substantial losses as well, with dozens of seats lost and one council under their control, while gaining another.

The Liberal Democrats have taken command of two councils but have also lost one, and the Green party of England and Wales has achieved an increase of over 20 seats.

Results for 46 areas have begun to arrive since midnight on Friday, with an additional 3,800 council seats across 90 areas expected to be reported throughout the day and into Saturday.

Counting for the Welsh and Scottish Parliaments, alongside the elections for six mayors in London and Watford, is scheduled for later on Friday.

Key Council Changes

Reform UK has successfully taken control of Newcastle-under-Lyme from the Conservatives.

In Hartlepool, Reform UK's gains were sufficient to diminish Labour's majority, resulting in both parties holding 15 councillors each. Meanwhile, on Redditch and Tamworth councils in the West Midlands, as well as Tameside in Greater Manchester and Exeter, Labour remains the largest party but has lost overall control.

Additionally, Labour has lost overall control of both Southampton and Wandsworth councils.

The Conservatives have reclaimed control of Westminster City Council from Labour.

Reform UK has become the largest party on Rochford and North East Lincolnshire councils, although it has not achieved an outright majority.

The Liberal Democrats have taken full control of Stockport Council after successfully defending 11 seats and securing an additional two. They also gained control of Portsmouth but have lost their singular majority in Hull City Council.

Regional Patterns

In certain localities where Labour maintained control, its majority was already solidified before voters cast their ballots. The party lost all 22 of the seats it was defending in Wigan to Reform UK, yet it still maintains control of the council due to only a third of seats being contested.

Labour has also suffered losses in various other north-west councils, including Chorley, Halton, and Salford, where its majorities were securely buffered.

Exeter demonstrated how Labour could lose seats to both the Greens and Reform UK, while the Conservatives faced a defeat to the Liberal Democrats.

Election Context

On Thursday, over 5,000 councillors were up for election across 136 councils in England, representing a mix of district, metropolitan, unitary, and county councils, as well as all London boroughs.

Labour was tasked with defending over 2,500 seats, while the Conservatives were responsible for more than 1,300, the Liberal Democrats nearly 700, and the Greens approximately 150.

Most of these seats were last contested in 2022, a time when Reform UK had limited involvement in several areas. Consequently, the party stood to benefit the most compared to others.

The Conservatives witnessed gains in areas such as Wandsworth in London and Harlow in Essex, where they also improved their majority.

Many councils that reported results overnight typically elect only a third of councillors at a time, making it more challenging for Reform UK to gain total control. Similarly, numerous councils where the Greens are positioned to make significant gains will be counting votes later on Friday.

The results from overnight indicate considerable losses for Labour in the north-west and east of England. The Conservatives have similarly lost many seats in the east and Midlands.

The majority of results are still pending, including those for the Scottish and Welsh parliament elections.

Forthcoming Elections

In Scotland, all 129 seats are under election. Before this election, the Scottish National Party, led by John Swinney, was the largest party. The last election, held in 2021, saw the SNP fall just one seat short of a majority.

The Welsh Parliament is transitioning from 60 to 96 seats, accompanied by a newly introduced electoral system. The boundaries have undergone significant changes; the previous constituencies and regions have been replaced with 16 new constituencies, each electing six members through a system of proportional representation. Following the last election in 2021, Labour held half of the seats.