Voting has now closed in key elections across the country
Voting has now closed in elections across the country with over 2,600 council seats up for grabs and 11 mayoral battles.
Around a third of councils are due to declare overnight, including Bolton and Hartlepool, where Labour is hoping to win overall control, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock – key tests of Conservative and Labour popularity in Essex – and Redditch in Worcestershire, where the Tories could lose their majority if the party’s vote collapses.
We’ll be bringing you the results as they trickle in through the early hours.
Labour’s Campaign Coordinator Pat McFadden MP says: “We are proud of the positive campaign we have run, focused on turning the page after fourteen years of decline under the Conservative Party.
“These elections have been about offering change. We have set out our plan to get Britain building again, take back our streets, and bring opportunity to every corner of the country, while the Conservatives have once again stayed silent on the issues that matter.
“The most important election of the night is the historic by-election in Blackpool, caused by yet more Tory chaos and scandal. It’s the only election today where voters have had the opportunity to directly reject Rishi Sunak’s party in Westminster.
“It’s going to be a long night and the full picture of results from local elections may not be clear until over the weekend, but we expect to see Labour gains that show we’re making progress in the places we need to win the next general election.”