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Live Reporting

Andrew Segal

All times stated are UK

  1. Live coverage of local elections

    Our live coverage of the election results in the South West is coming to an end.

    Here's a recap of what has happened:

    If you want to find out the results for your area, you can enter your postcode here.

    We'll bring you more reaction over the weekend on Cornwall and Devon.

  2. Labour loses overall control of Plymouth City Council

    Andrew Segal

    BBC South West

    The Conservatives have seen significant holds and gains on Plymouth City Council as Labour lost overall control.

    A third of seats on the unitary authority, 19 out of its 57, have been up for election this year.

    Nine of those have been gained by the Tories and five held.

    Labour has held on to five seats.

    However, with 24 seats in total to the Conseratives' 26, both will most likely be looking to the council's seven Independents to see who will have the most influence in the latest version of the city's administration.

    Plymouth City Council count
  3. Tories first party to take full control of Cornwall Council

    Andrew Segal

    BBC South West

    The counting is not quite over, but the Conservatives have won Cornwall Council and become the first party to take full control of the unitary authority since it was created.

    It brings to an end no party having overall control since it was created in 2009, replacing Cornwall's former county authority and six district councils.

    The Tories, as of just before 19:00, had 46 of the 87 seats, with Independents and the Liberal Democrats the next biggest groups with 14 each. Two seats were left to declare.

    Cornwall-based party Mebyon Kernow has five seats and Labour has four, with the Labour & Cooperative Party and the Greens both have one.

    Cornwall Council
  4. 'Great projects' in Exeter next year

    Daniel Clark

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Labour has increased its majority on Exeter City Council.

    Leader councillor Phil Bialyk told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We have retained the council, we have got some good councillors back, have a good manifesto which has been supported overwhelming by the people of Exeter, and we intend to carry that for the benefits of everyone in Exeter.

    “I always say it is a privilege to be elected by the peers and I believe there is a degree of trust in politicians here in Exeter.

    "We have some great projects happening in the next year, St Sidwell’s Point is to open, the Riverside is to reopen on July 24, investing £50m into the city and providing jobs, but there is a lot going on in Exeter."

    Exeter
  5. Conservatives gain seven seats on Plymouth City Council

    Andrew Segal

    BBC South West

    The Conservatives have made some gains on Plymouth City Council.

    A third of seats on Plymouth City Council, 19 out of its 57, are up for election this year.

    Out of 13 declared already, seven of those have been gained by the Tories and three held.

    Labour have held on to three seats: Devonport, Efford & Lipson and Sutton & Mount Gould.

    Six wards have yet to be declared.

    Plymouth City Council election count
  6. Conservatives take Cornwall Council

    Andrew Segal

    BBC South West

    The Conservatives have won a majority on Cornwall Council.

    A finish line of 44 on the now 87-seat authority has been passed.

    Independents are currently the next biggest group with 13 seats, followed by the Liberal Democrats with 12.

    Cornwall-based party Mebyon Kernow has five seats.

    Labour has four seats, with the Labour & Cooperative Party and the Greens both having one.

    Cornwall Council
  7. Labour wins 11 of 14 seats on Exeter City Council

    John Ayres

    BBC Spotlight

    Exeter City Council's elections have concluded.

    Of 14 seats contested - a third of the city authority - Labour has 11, the Conservatives two and the Greens won the remaining seat.

    It means Labour has 28 out of 39 seats, keeping control of the council.

  8. Conservatives remain ahead in Cornwall Council election

    Andrew Segal

    BBC South West

    The Conservatives have won nearly half of the seats in the Cornwall Council election, as of 17:50, according to the council's website.

    The Tories have 43 seats on the now 87-seat authority, and would see a majority if they got to 44.

    Nine more seats are yet to be declared.

    Independents are the next biggest group, with 13 seats; followed by the Liberal Democrats with 11.

    Cornwall-based party Mebyon Kernow has five seats.

    Labour has four seats, with the Labour & Cooperative Party and the Greens both having one.

    Cornwall Council website
  9. Poll sees four more years of Conservative rule in Devon

    Daniel Clark

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    It will be four more years of Conservative rule in Devon after the Tories comfortably retained control of Devon County Council.

    Under John Hart’s leadership, they have been in charge of the council since 2009, and Thursday’s local elections saw them stretch that until 2025.

    John Hart

    John Hart, leader of the council, who retained his Bickleigh & Wembury seat, said: "We shall continue to govern in Devon for the benefit of the county as a whole and for all our residents.

    “They’ve shown great resilience over the past year in ensuring we’ve had some of the lowest Covid infection figures throughout the pandemic.

    "But now, with the success of the vaccination programme and the Bank of England’s optimistic forecast for the national economy, we have got to focus on regenerating the Devon economy and driving the strongest possible recovery.

    “We mean to get back to work immediately for the benefit of everyone in the county. We have ambitious plans for a cleaner, Greener Devon with a thriving economy. We can’t create jobs but we can provide the right climate for business to create jobs."

  10. Ex-Cornwall MP elected to Cornwall Council

    Andrew Segal

    BBC South West

    Andrew George

    A former Cornwall MP has been elected to Cornwall Council.

    Liberal Democrat Andrew George won the Ludgvan, Gulval & Heamoor ward.

    He returns to frontline local politics after winning 1,483 votes - 56% of the ballots cast.

    He beat his nearest rival - Conservative Simon Elliott, who won 873 votes - by more than 600.

    Mr George was St Ives MP from 1997 to 2015.

  11. Tories win over half Plymouth City Council seats

    Ten of the 19 seats up for election at Plymouth City Council have been announced so far and all of them are wins for the Conservatives.

  12. Conservative hold for Devon County Council

    Scott Bingham

    BBC Spotlight

    It’s a Conservative hold for Devon County Council.

    With 56 of 60 seats declared, the Tories hold 36 – down two on four years ago.

    The Liberal Democrats have gained two seats and currently sit on nine, up from seven last time, to become the official opposition.

    Two East Devon wards, Exmouth and Broadclyst, are due to declare on Saturday.

    Both are double member wards, so four seats are up for grabs. They are currently all Conservative.

    The Tories lost seats to the Lib Dems in Barnstaple South and Teignmouth.

    Labour remains on seven seats so far.

    Independents have three and the Green Party one.

    Election counts in Exeter
  13. 'Great to be part of democratic process'

    Dean of Truro Cathedral Roger Bush says it is great the cathedral is being used as an election count centre and "part of the democratic process".

    View more on twitter
  14. Greens win Devon council seat with nearly 60% of vote

    Andrew Segal

    BBC South West

    The Greens have won a seat on Devon County Council with nearly 60% of the vote.

    Jacqi Hodgson has won the Totnes & Dartington ward with 3,026 votes.

    She was nearly 2,000 ahead of her nearest rival, Conservative Jamie Rogers, who won 1,088 ballots.

    Turnout in the ward was 48.0%.

    View more on twitter
  15. Mebyon Kernow make gain on smaller council

    Andrew Segal

    BBC South West

    Cornwall-based political party Mebyon Kernow (MK) has made a gain today.

    The Party for Cornwall has five councillors so far on Cornwall Council, an increase of one on the four members it had on the previous authority.

    However, one extra councillor does not mean a mere 25% increase in its membership in the debating chamber.

    It had four councillors on the former 123-seat authority, but has seen that rise to at least five on the new 87-seat council, giving it more influence within the new assembly.

    Loveday Jenkin, seen here in Tamsin Melville's tweet, has been re-elected in Crowan, Sithney & Wendron. She made part of her acceptance speech in Cornish.

    View more on twitter
  16. Former Tory wins council seat as an Independent

    Christine Butler

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    A former Conservative councillor has won a Cornwall Council seat as an Independent.

    John Fitter said he was determined to fight for the St Columb Minor & Colan seat after the Tories selected another candidate.

    He told the BBC: "The Conservative Party decided I wasn't right wing enough and red-toothed enough so selected somebody else."

    John Fitter
  17. Cornwall Lib Dem group leader loses to Conservatives

    Tamsin Melville

    Political Reporter, BBC Radio Cornwall

    The Liberal Democrat group leader on Cornwall Council, Malcolm Brown, has lost to Conservative Jordan Rowse in St Austell, Bethel & Holmbush.

  18. Labour keeps control of Exeter City Council

    John Ayres

    BBC Spotlight

    Labour has kept control of Exeter City Council.

    A third of the councils seats were up for election - 14 out of 39.

    Labour has already won five of the 11 seats it was defending.

    As it retains 16 seats from the two-thirds of the authority not being voted on, it is already at 21 seats - a majority.

    As other results are still due, it is yet to be determined how big a majority the party will have.