Local elections 2019: West Midlands results

Summary

East Staffordshire: Conservatives hold
Wyre Forest: Conservatives lose control
Stafford Borough: Conservative hold
South Staffordshire: Conservatives hold
Staffs Moorlands: Tories lose control
Wychavon: Conservatives retain control
Malvern Hills: Conservatives lose control
Bromsgrove: Conservatives hold
Lichfield: Conservatives hold
Solihull: Tory majority cut to just one
Warwick: Conservatives lose control
Stratford-upon-Avon: Conservatives hold
Herefordshire: Conservatives lose control
Cannock Chase: Labour lose control
Redditch: Conservatives hold
Walsall: Conservatives gain overall control
Worcester: Conservatives lose control
Telford and Wrekin: Labour boosts majority
Dudley Council: Cons and Lab tie
Stoke-on-Trent: No overall control
Rugby: Conservatives hold
Sandwell: Labour claim every seat
Wolverhampton: Labour hold
North Warwickshire: Conservatives hold
Tamworth: Conservatives hold
Coventry: Labour hold

Live Reporting

Andrew Dawkins

'Brexit effect' on Telford Tory losses 'very sad'published at 08:12 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Alex Moore
It was a bad night for the Conservatives in Telford and Wrekin and, after suffering losses, their local leader's admitted Brexit "often eclipsed" local issues in their campaigning.
Labour kept control of the authority and, having gone into the election with a majority of one, increased that to 18, largely at the expense of the Tories.
The Conservatives will still be the main opposition party but have lost seven councillors to end with a total of 13.
Quote Message
I understand people being very angry about the issues surrounding Brexit. I’m very angry about it myself and I can understand this leeching into local issues, but that still doesn’t change the fact that it is very sad that has happened."
Councillor Andrew Eade, Conservative leader, Telford and Wrekin Council
'Get on with Brexit' - Tory plea after losing Worcesterpublished at 07:55 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Tom Edwards
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
The Conservative leader at Worcester City Council has called on the government to "get on with Brexit" after his party lost control of the authority.
Eleven of the council's 35 seats were up for election: the Tories won seven, Labour three and the Greens secured one.
In total, the Conservatives now have 17 seats after losing one to the Green Party which has a total of three.
Like many parts of the country, the Worcester Tory leader was blaming a Brexit backlash at the ballot box.
Quote Message
There is a message to government here, get on with Brexit, get us out of Europe quickly and I call on my colleagues in the Conservative Party who are not voting for Theresa May's deal to vote for it and let's get this deal done."
Marc Bayliss, Conservative leader, Worcester City Council
Brexit blamed for 'peculiar' results in Coventrypublished at 07:14 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis
A senior Labour councillor in Coventry has blamed the ongoing stalemate over Brexit for a "fightback" against the party.
Labour comfortably held on to its majority, sticking with its 40 seats to the Conservatives' 13.
But afterwards, Jim O'Boyle, who's in the council's cabinet, said some of the results were "somewhat peculiar", adding both main parties had seen a fightback from the electorate.
He said: "We have to reflect on that and how we respond to the concerns our country is telling us. Everyone knows what it is, it is Brexit."
Hopes for renewed Stoke-on-Trent coalitionpublished at 06:58 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
The Conservatives had the best of the election results overnight in Stoke-on-Trent as Labour's plans to take back control fell apart.
With the final results declared, Labour is the biggest party with 16 councillors, but just one behind are the Tories, having made eight gains., external
The City Independents have 12 councillors and there is one independent.
The Conservatives and the City Independents say they're "hopeful" of working together again to run the authority.
Election success 'not about step back to being MP'published at 06:47 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
BBC Shropshire
The former Telford MP David Wright has told the BBC being elected as a local Labour councillor is not a stepping stone back to the Commons.
Mr Wright lost the town's seat in 2015 - having served since 2001 - when Conservative Lucy Allan was elected.
At local level overnight, he's been part of a Labour surge which has seen the party keep control of Telford and Wrekin Council - and increase its majority.
Quote Message
I've enjoyed it but I've made it very clear that I'm not running again for Parliament, this isn't a staging post for Parliament, I really am keen to be a local councillor in the community."
David Wright, Former Telford MP
Labour won't take back overall control in Stoke-on-Trentpublished at 06:29 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
With 39 out of 44 seats declared in Stoke-on-Trent, Labour isn't going to be able to take back overall control of the authority.
The benchmark for that is 22 members, but with just five wards left, Labour has 14, the Conservatives 13 and then there are 11 for the City Independents, along with one independent. , external
In 2015, Labour lost control of the authority to a Tory-City Independents coalition.
Stories of the nightpublished at 06:09 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
For those of you waking up, this is how the overnight election results have panned out in the West Midlands.
Image source, LDRS
One of the big results saw the Conservative Party seize overall control of Walsall Council, taking two seats off Labour.
However, the party couldn't make enough gains to take Dudley Borough Council as it tied with Labour for the number of seats, although, with a Tory mayor, it has a casting vote when it comes to deciding later this month who'll lead the authority.
Elsewhere, the Tories lost their majority in Worcester but held on to North Warwickshire, Rugby and Tamworth.
Labour, meanwhile, held on to Coventry, Sandwell, Telford and Wrekin and Wolverhampton.
We're still waiting for the final result from Stoke-on-Trent.
Former Telford MP wins council seatpublished at 06:06 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Labour retains control of Telford and Wrekin Council, where it previously held a one-seat majority.
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Labour secures large Telford and Wrekin majoritypublished at 05:53 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
Labour now has a majority of 18 at Telford and Wrekin Council, making huge gains off the Conservative Party.
After half the results were announced, the party had already retained control of the authority and continued to make inroads after that.
The final totals saw 36 Labour seats, 13 Conservative, four Liberal Democrat and one independent., external
Labour and Tories see votes fall in Coventrypublished at 05:33 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis
With the votes all counted at Coventry City Council, the overall numbers for the parties mirrored the early national picture.
Both Labour and the Conservative Party saw their votes dip while there were increases for the Green Party, Liberal Democrats and UKIP.
That said, it still ended up with Labour in charge of the council as it gained one seat and lost another to the Conservatives.
The biggest news of the night was former Tory leader Ken Taylor losing his seat to Labour's Becky Gittins after 33 years at the council., external
'Hundreds' of ballot papers spoiled in 'Brexit' protestpublished at 05:23 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
David Lawrence
Hundreds of ballot papers were spoiled in Rugby Borough, according to the authority's returning officer.
Adam Norburn said many had the word "Brexit" scrawled across them.
But, despite the protests, he said turnout was on a par with previous years at just over 32%.
The Conservatives held on to control of the authority, securing eight of the 14 seats up for grabs to give them a total of 24 out of the 42 councillors in the borough.
Winning council leader 'appalled' at low turnoutpublished at 05:10 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Gurdip Thandi
The leader of Walsall Council has called the turnout in this year's election "appalling", despite his party winning overall control.
The Tories seized Bloxwich East and Birchills-Leamore – two traditional Labour strongholds – to upgrade on its minority administration status.
But some wards had a turnout of 20% and Mr Bird said while it was disappointing, he wasn't surprised, given the Brexit stalemate.
He said: "I understand why people might be apathetic to voting as they have probably been 'electioned-out'.
"I think there is a great deal of anger on the doorstep because the MPs in Westminster have not delivered the [Brexit] vote that the country cast."
Tory and independent gains dent Labour's Stoke planspublished at 04:53 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Sophie Calvert
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
Since those first Labour gains in Stoke-on-Trent, the picture's changing as other parties have made their own inroads.
The City Independents - which have been in a coalition with the Tories - took Hollybush and Longton West from Labour, with new councillor Shaun Bennett telling me he believed it may be the "Brexit effect".
Heather Blurton in Eaton Park and Rachel Kelsall in Trentham are both gains for the Conservative Party.
The closest count of the night may have come in Stoke-on-Trent too, as Labour's Paul Shotton was re-elected - by just two votes.
Will Labour make enough gains to take back Stoke?published at 04:40 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Sophie Calvert
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
It's early days in the results for Stoke-on-Trent but Labour has made three gains.
The party targeted this authority of which it lost control four years ago and launched its national campaign for the council elections in the city.
One scalp for Labour was the first result, when David Williams (pictured) took the seat of former City Independent council leader Dave Conway.
They've added two more, and the Conservatives have made one gain so far.
The city has been run as a Tory-City Independents coalition.
Ousted MP returns as councillorpublished at 04:33 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
It's four years since David Wright was last in politics in Telford, having been ousted as Labour MP in 2015.
Image source, Labour Party
Conservative Lucy Allan took his seat with a majority of 730. Mr Wright had held office since 2001.
It was the first time the Tories had won the seat since it was created in 1997.
But Mr Wright is back as a councillor, part of a success story for his party in Telford and Wrekin as it looks to be securing its hold on the authority with a comfortable majority.
Former Labour MP returns to politics in Telford and Wrekinpublished at 04:16 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Ben Godfrey
BBC Midlands Today
The Labour surge in Telford and Wrekin has seen a return to politics of former Telford MP David Wright, who's elected as a councillor tonight:
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Labour retains control in Telford and Wrekinpublished at 04:11 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
Labour has kept control of Telford and Wrekin Council.
With more than half of the results declared, they have made several gains already off the Conservatives and now have 30 seats out of the total of 54.
That already gives them a bigger majority than the one seat they had going into the election.
Six votes in final Dudley resultpublished at 03:48 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Rob Mayor
Political reporter, BBC WM
There were just six votes in it at the end when the Conservatives held the final seat in Dudley Borough Council's election to tie their total number of councillors with Labour at 36.
It means no-one is in overall control but the Conservatives look likely to form an administration with a mayor's casting vote., external
Dudley Council race ends in tiepublished at 03:45 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
It's a tie! Dudley Borough Council is under no overall control as the Conservative Party held the final seat to match Labour's total number of councillors.
These results mean both parties now have 36 members and the council says there'll be a meeting to decide who'll lead the authority on 16 May., external
'Missing' votes found in Telford and Wrekinpublished at 03:42 British Summer Time 3 May 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
Relief for Telford and Wrekin Council as the votes that went missing earlier in the St George's ward have been found., external
BBC Shropshire's Joanne Gallacher had said Conservatives were seeking legal advice from their head office when about 150 votes went missing between verification and counting.