Labour takes Redditch for first time since 2018

Incoming Redditch council leader Joe Baker said he was stunned at the result

Labour has taken control of Redditch Borough Council for the first time since 2018.

In the first local election results in the West Midlands on Friday, the party won 21 of the 27 seats in play.

Worcester City Council remained under no overall control although the Conservatives lost six seats.

In Redditch, the Greens won one seat while the Tories held on to five.

Matt Dormer, who had been leader of the previously Conservative council, retained his seat.

But overall his party lost 11 in total, while Labour picked up nine to give it overall control.

He said good councillors had lost seats and paid the price for a poor national picture.

"I always knew this kind of result was possible and probably on the cards," he said.

"It was about damage limitation tonight."

Counting at Redditch's Abbey Stadium produced a result at about 05:00 BST on Friday

Redditch's incoming Labour council leader Joe Baker told the BBC he was stunned and in shock.

"I'm overwhelmed by the size of the majority," he said.

"It means a stable and fresh start for Redditch. I can't wait to get started."

This local election was the biggest in Redditch in a generation, with boundary changes meaning all the council seats were contested.

• Follow live coverage of the election results across the country

Labour leader Lynn Denham said she was absolutely thrilled with the election result in Worcester

In Worcester, Labour won 17 seats, the Greens won 12 and Liberal Democrats held five.

Only one Conservative councillor remained after the party lost six seats at the count.

Labour leader Lynn Denham, joint leader of the council for the past year, said she was "absolutely thrilled" with the election result.

"Talking to the people of Worcester, they are completely fed up with this current government and they want rid of them," she said.

'Resilient party'

Prior to the election, she said it would have been "unimaginable" to have only one Conservative councillor in Worcester.

Former Conservative councillor James Stanley described the result as disappointing and hoped for success in the future.

"Obviously, we live in a democracy and people have chosen their representatives for the next four years and we have to respect that.

"We are a resilient party, we have been in difficulties before and we've always come back," he added.

Visit the BBC's local election results live page for all the latest from across England and Wales.

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