Labour suffered the worst result in a local election since the 1990s, losing more than 380 council seats.
The Conservatives have taken control of 28 councils, while Labour secures control of nine.
Writing on ConservativeHome, Lord Gary Porter chairman of the Local Government Association, said candidates had been greeted with 'genuine joy' by voters.
He wrote: 'Whilst I am happy that this is in some part a reaction to the great work we all do at the local level, it is an inescapable truth that it is due in large part to the strong leadership at national level being offered by Theresa May, which is amplified by the the failings of the opposition party leaders to resonate with the voting public.'
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, said the results were 'disappointing' for the party. 'We had welcome victories in Manchester, Liverpool, Wales, Doncaster and elsewhere but too many fantastic councillors, who work tirelessly for their communities, lost their seats,' he said.
'We face a huge challenge in the next five weeks. But this General Election campaign is also a great opportunity. A chance to break free, to create a society in which people are no longer held back by a system that is rigged for the rich. A chance to rebuild Britain for the many not the few.'
The Liberal Democrats failed to achieve their expected breakthrough, losing 42 council seats. However, party leader Tim Farron said they had made good progress. He said: 'Our projected national vote share is up 7% - the largest vote increase of any party. In many parts of the UK, the Lib Dems won more councillors and took a big step to winning on 8th June.'
The Green Party doubled its number of council seats after securing 40 in the election.
UKIP also suffered a damning loss in the elections, after only securing a single councillor in Lincolnshire.
UKIP leader, Paul Nuttall, said the party was a victim of its own success. 'UKIP's decision to target our general election effort in a group of seats where we are very strong on the ground is clearly the right one and we remain excited by our prospects in the best of these,' he added.
SNP are still the largest party in Scotland despite Tory gains, securing 16 councils.
Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of LGiU, said: 'This is the worst set of local election results for the Labour Party since at least the 1990’s with the Party losing control in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Northumberland. Victories in Merseyside and Greater Manchester will not disguise the loss of the Mayoralties in Tees Valley, the West of England and the West Midlands.
'The loss of nearly 200 councillors is a major blow to Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. With weeks remaining until the General Election the Party has lost many of the footsoldiers who would be expected to knock on doors to send the electorate the party’s message.
'This was the Conservative’s night. Tory MPs have heralded the victory. However, it will be interesting to note how amenable these Members of Parliament will be when faced with an emboldened county leadership who will be campaigning for sustainable funding on social care, children’s services and more devolved powers.'
