Labour has biggest majority in Swindon since 1990s

Counting the votes began at 09:00 BST on Friday

The Labour Party holds control of Swindon Borough Council, following local elections on 2 May.

Votes were counted for 20 seats, representing a third of the seats on the council.

Labour has made nine gains, enough to retain control of the council it won back in 2023, for the first time in 20 years.

There are now 41 Labour councillors on the authority, giving them their biggest majority since the 1990s.

“I’m really pleased," said Labour council leader, Jim Robbins.

"It’s nice to get some Labour gains and it feels like a real endorsement of the work we’ve been trying to do in the last year since we took over the council.

Mr Robbins said he was "really pleased" with the results

“I think we were worried to see how people would respond to us.

"We know it’s different when you’re in control of the council, as to when you’re fighting to take control, so it’s really encouraging that we’ve seen us holding Labour seats that we’ve had for a while, and picking up new ones elsewhere.

"Hopefully it helps to send that message that we are different, we are changing the council, and are here to build a better Swindon.”

Nationally, Labour has also been making gains in local elections across England - winning councils in Redditch, Rushmoor, Thurrock, and Hartlepool.

Mr Sumner said the Conservatives would make a "comeback" in the next elections

Gary Sumner, the Conservative party leader on the council, said: “I think we’ve established ourselves as an opposition group that’s credible.

"I think we’ve got good candidates still. I was really focused on making sure that we have experienced councillors coming back into the council to hold the Labour administration to account.

“I know how hard we and the candidates have worked, but actually I think what today’s count is showing is that the Labour tide in some of those areas is not quite the same as the national tide, so they’ve not won by overwhelming majorities.

“I’m feeling happy, we’ve got new elections in 2026, we’ll start the comeback then."

Elections have taken place in 107 local authorities across England

Analysis from Wiltshire political reporter Dan O' Brien

Having won big last year, no one really doubted Labour would keep control of Swindon Borough Council today - with only a third of the council seats up for grabs, the numbers were clearly in their favour.

Among the Labour gains, the party has won back Liden, Eldene and Park South - an area that had switched to the Conservatives for the very first time when these seats were last contested three years ago.

Gaining nine seats, bringing their total to 41, it gives the party which spent most of the last two decades in opposition, a majority of 25.

The Conservatives, who until this time last year were still confidently in power, are now down to just 15 councillors.

The Liberal Democrats have one existing councillor, but didn’t make any progress today. The Greens still don’t have any Borough Councillors but they beat the Lib Dems in most of the seats they were competing.

What we have seen is a 180-degree handbrake turn on the politics of just three years ago, a time when the Tories were winning Labour heartlands like Park South, Rodbourne Cheney and Central - among the wards going back to Labour this year.

Labour have also made some significant gains in traditionally-Conservative areas of town like Priory Vale and Haydon Wick.

But the Tories found some signs of hope, holding on in key areas like Covingham & Dorcan, and winning both seats up in Wroughton & Wichelstowe.

The Borough Council makeup is now set for the next two years - before whole council elections in 2026.

Turnout overall was 31% - down on last year but still about typical for local elections here.

These results will be watched closely on a national level too - as Swindon has such form for electing MPs of the party who end up in government, have Labour done enough to win back this town when the General Election is called?