Sophie Calvert
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

It’s an unpredictable night in Stoke-on-Trent.

Can Labour regain control of the city council after four years? Or will the City Independents and the Conservatives keep the gains they made in 2015 or even add to them this time?

A coalition of City Independents, Conservatives and UKIP councillors has been running the authority, but Stoke remains a big target for Labour - so much so, the national party launched its main campaign for the local elections in the city.

Since 2015's polling, two councillors have quit Labour.

There are several elections in our area where the overall outcome could be close.

One of those knife-edge authorities is Telford & Wrekin Council. Labour held a one-seat majority there as polls opened.

The Conservative group is looking to regain power for the first time since 2011.

There are also Liberal Democrat, UKIP and Green party candidates, together with nine Independent candidates.

Things are also finely balanced in Dudley, Walsall, Stoke and Worcester. And those authorities are counting as you read this.

Patrick Burns
Political editor, Midlands

In these local elections in the West Midlands, no party faces a sterner test than the Conservatives.

Image source, Getty Images

The latest polls suggest the Tories may have to brace themselves for some catastrophic losses, costing them hundreds of hard-won seats from previous elections.

But these elections are not without dangers for Labour too.

The position of "constructive ambiguity" over a further EU referendum risks annoying their Remain-supporting voters in places like Warwick just as much as it angers their Leave-supporters in Walsall and Dudley.

You can read more of my analysis, written before voting took place, here on the BBC website.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Nearly 30 councils have been holding elections in the West Midlands on Thursday.

Eleven of those, marked in bold below, are counting this evening and overnight. The others will begin that task a few hours after the sun's come up.

The other thing to remember is that while all seats are up for election in some authorities, others will have only a third of seats contested - one in each ward.

Here's a quick breakdown - and remember, those in bold are the ones where counting is imminent, and in theory, the ones where results will come through quickest....

METROPOLITAN AUTHORITIES - VOTING IN THIRDS

• Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton

UNITARY COUNCILS - WITH ALL-OUT ELECTIONS

• Herefordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin

DISTRICT COUNCILS - WITH ALL-OUT ELECTIONS

• Bromsgrove, Cotswold, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, Malvern Hills, North Warwickshire, South Staffordshire, Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands, Stratford-on-Avon, Tewkesbury, Warwick, Wychavon, Wyre Forest.

DISTRICT COUNCILS - VOTING IN THIRDS

• Cannock Chase, Redditch, Rugby, Tamworth, Worcester

Allen Cook
BBC News

Welcome to our live service covering the 2019 local elections across the West Midlands.

We'll be bringing you all the results - and reaction - through the night and into Friday.

You can get in touch with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook, external.