Labour looks set to emerge as the big winner from yesterday’s local government elections, with the party poised to gain around 700 local seats and control of 20 major authorities.

Based on official results so far, the Labour Party is projected to end up with a 39% national share of the vote, an increase of three points, with the Conservatives taking 31%, a decrease of four points. The Liberal Democrat share of yesterday’s vote is expected to remain stable, at around 16%.

Around 180 UK councils held elections yesterday, with some 5,000 seats up for grabs.
In what is likely to be seen as Labour’s strongest local government showing for many years, the party has swept back into power in Birmingham – a city Labour had not held for 20 years – and has added a string of councils in the southeast of England, including Southampton, Plymouth, Thurrock and Reading. Labour has also taken a string of councils in Wales.

Labour MPs are already claiming the party’s strong showing is a ring endorsement of leader Ed Miliband’s stewardship, but Conservative ministers have been quick to dismiss the Labour gains as a traditional mid-term rebellion against the Government.

Emily Thornberry, shadow attorney general, said: ‘It is encouraging the way in which we are regaining the trust of the public.’

Yesterday’s votes are not all good news for Labour, however. In Bradford, where Labour had been hoping to take overall control of the authority, the resurgent Respect Party has taken five council seats – deposing Labour’s local leader, Cllr Ian Greenwood, in the process.

In Scotland, Labour has come under heavy pressure from the Scottish National Party, while in London incumbent Conservative mayor Boris Johnson is poised to win his battle with his old Labour adversary, Ken Livingstone.

There have also been some surprisingly strong performances by some of the UK’s smaller parties, with the UK Independence Party polling at around 14%, on average, in areas where it fielded candidates.

Early indications are that UKIP has benefited from lower local support for the Conservatives.
A bad night for the Liberal Democrats – the party is now likely to have fewer than 3,000 councillors and has lost overall control of authorities such as Cambridge – was lifted slightly by news that the party has retained control of Portsmouth.