Counting is underway to determine the results of council elections across England with some counts providing surprising results so far.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, most councils started counting today, but some were counted through the night.
The first big shock came in the Hartlepool by-election, where the Conservative candidate Jill Mortimer was elected as the constituency’s MP after winning 51.9% of the vote, a 23% increase for her party.
Ms Mortimer will be Hartlepool’s first woman and first non-Labour MP, with the latter holding the seat since its formation in 1974.
In terms of council results, the Conservatives gained Harlow in Essex from Labour, with council leader Mark Ingall losing his seat, while former leader Emma Toal also lost hers.
The result means that the Conservatives are in control of the council for only the second time.
In Stockport, Greater Manchester, the council remains in no overall control, however, the Green Party had a stunning result in the Reddish South ward to win their first ever seat on the council.
It gained the seat from Labour by increasing their vote share by 41%, with Labour’s dropping by 23.1%.
Elsewhere, the Greens enjoyed gains in the Alnwick and Humshaugh wards of Northumberland, whilst also gaining the Beacon and Bents and West Park areas of South Tyneside.
In Greater Manchester, Labour held Oldham, but there was a major shock, as council leader Sean Fielding lost his seat to the Failsworth Independent Party.
The only mayoral election result so far has been in Doncaster, which saw incumbent Ros Jones re-elected for the third consecutive time.
With a 145 councils holding elections, there is so much still to play for and it will only be over the weekend that we will know which political direction councils are going in.
Away from the council elections, counts are still to take place for seven combined authority mayoral elections, including in Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and the West of England.
Results will also be announced in the Mayor of London vote, the London Assembly elections and for Police and Crime Commissioners.
Elsewhere in the UK, the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Parliament (Senedd Cymru) results will also become clear
It is clear that it will be an exciting weekend of results as people’s voices are heard the length and breadth of the country.
