General and local election updates from 7 and 8 May
Conservatives retain control of Welwyn Hatfield Council with no change in wards held.
The council sees Conservatives with 31 seats on the council, Labour with 14, Liberal Democrats hold two and the Independents one.
Dani Bailey
Beds, Herts & Bucks Live
Gavin Shuker, re-elected as Labour MP for Luton South, has arrived in the BBC Three Counties Radio newsroom ready for an appearance on BBC Look East later.
He's had just two hours sleep out of 36 but, rest assured, he has a coffee in hand.
Brentwood Council has come under Conservative control after the party gained five seats.
The Conservatives now have 23 seats, the Lib Dems 10, Labour two, Brentwood First and the independents one a piece.
The full breakdown has just come in and despite the Tory council leader being ousted, little has changed at Peterborough City Council with it remaining as no overall control.
With the one loss, Conservatives now have 27 seats. Labour kept their 12 seats and independent candidates maintain seven seats, with just the one loss.
Liberal Democrats keep their four seats with UKIP on four and the Liberals on three.
The Conservatives have gained three extra seats on Southend Borough Council, though no party has taken overall control.
Of the 51 seats, the Conservatives now have 22, the Independents 11, Labour nine, UKIP five and the Liberal Democrats four.
Dr Dan Poulter tweets, external: A great privilege to have been returned as MP for Central Suffolk & North Ipswich
Image source, from Twitter
David Keller
BBC News Online
Back in May 2013, Marco Cereste survived a surprise leadership challenge at Peterborough City Council after being criticised for his support for major projects including a solar and wind farm.
He has now lost his Stanground Central ward to fellow Conservative Ray Bisby, who received 1,731 votes at the local election, and UKIP's John Whitby who took the second seat with 1,560 votes.
Marco Cereste came third with 1,418 votes. The city council has stayed as no overall control, with the Tories leading a majority with 26 seats.
Dani Bailey
Beds, Herts & Bucks Live
The Liberal Democrats have lost five seats in Watford resulting in no party having overall control.
The loss of candidates leaves the Liberal Democrats with 18 councillors, Labour gain two leaving them with 13 and the Conservatives have five, which is four more than previously.
The Green Party lose their one councillor.
The Conservatives have increased their majority in Chelmsford, holding all but five seats on the city council with 52.
The Liberal Democrats are the big losers, suffering a blow of 10 seats leaving them with just five.
No other party now has any power at the authority.
Conservatives have held the borough of Broxbourne, with only a third of the wards being elected and none changing hands.
It means the Conservatives keep 24 councillors, Labour have three, the Independents two and UKIP one.
The Liberal Democrats retain 18 seats - but it's not enough to stay in control.
Basildon Council remains as no overall control, with one seat each gained by the Conservatives and UKIP.
It means the Conservatives now have 18 seats, UKIP have 11 and Labour has nine. Three seats are held by independents on the council, with the Lib Dems retaining one.
Zoe Applegate
BBC News
Liberal Democrat Sir Bob Russell, who lost his Colchester seat to Conservative Will Quince, said he has been swept up in the political tide.
"I got elected 18 years ago with the national tide that brought me in. The tide has been in for 18 years and the tide is going out," he told BBC Look East.
"My party has taken a hammering tonight around the country and I've got caught up in it and there is nothing I can do about it."
Laurence Cawley
BBC Essex presenter Sadie Nine is out in Basildon asking shoppers in Eastgate whether they are happy or not with the General Election result.
Shoppers can put their cross beneath a smiley face or a sad face.
Katy Lewis
Beds, Herts and Bucks Live
There'll be lots more to come from the east on our live page special throughout the day as the council election and referendum results come in.
Meanwhile - here's a quick look at what happened nationally:
The Conservatives win the election after securing the 326 seats a party needs to give it a majority
The Labour, Liberal Democrats and UKIP leaders - Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage - have all quit as leaders of their respective parties
The SNP is the main party in Scotland after crushing Labour and winning 56 of the 59 seats
Andrew Sinclair
Political correspondent, BBC East
That's it folks! Every result for the general election is in. Labour hold onto their two seats in Luton, they will also celebrate winning two new seats in Cambridge and Norwich South.
For the Conservatives it has been an amazing night. They now have some unassailable majorities and probably haven't been this dominant in the east for 25 years.
Conservative candidate for Luton North, Dean Russell tweets, external: Whilst saddened to not be elected as your MP. Thank you to all across #Luton North for your support. It's been a pleasure & an honour.
Thurrock Council stays as no overall control, despite a surge from UKIP which gained seven seats.
Image source, Getty ImagesLabour remains the majority party in the council holding 18 seats, a loss of five from last year.
Conservatives are next with 17 seats, losing one, with UKIP gaining seven seats to have 13 in total. An independent candidate takes up the final seat.
Newly-elected South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge tweets, external: It's been an amazing night but just need to grab a bit of kip then back to Trinity Park for the Babergh district count this afternoon.
Conservative Peterborough City Council leader Marco Cereste has lost his seat in the local elections to UKIP and a fellow Conservative candidate in the two seat ward of Stanground Central.