Summary

  • The latest updates on the 2019 local elections in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk

  • The Liberal Democrats unexpectedly win Chelmsford from the Tories, and North Norfolk from No Overall Control

  • Conservatives lose Basildon, Southend, St Albans, Tendring and Peterborough to No Overall Control

  • The Tories also fail to take one of their target councils, Colchester, where group leader Darius Laws lost his seat to the Greens

  • Conservatives hold Epping Forest, Castle Point, Rochford, Braintree, Maldon and Brentwood

  • Labour hold Ipswich, Harlow and Cambridge

  • Independents make gains in Thurrock, which remains in No Overall Control

  1. Colchester Borough Council: No overall controlpublished at 04:46 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Colchester Borough Council, external remains in no overall control.

    The Lib Dems run the council in a coalition with Labour,

    Of the 19 seats up for for grabs, the Lib Dems lost to the Green Party in Castle ward and Labour in both New Town and Christchurch.

    The Lib Dems did, however, take Wivenhoe from Labour.

    The Conservatives last won a majority in 1984.

    Colchester count
  2. Harlow District Council: Conservative gainpublished at 03:42 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Andrew Sinclair
    BBC Look East political correspondent

    The Conservatives have taken control of Harlow District Council , externalfrom Labour.

    Labour held onto just one of the seven seats it was contesting.

    Council leader Mark Ingall has lost his seat.

    Harlow count
  3. Southend-on-Sea Borough Council: No overall controlpublished at 03:26 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Southend-on-Sea Borough CouncilImage source, Google

    Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, external, a unitary authority, remains in no overall control

    Of the 17 seats up for election, the Conservatives gained two seats from Independent candidates in Belfairs and Shoeburyness.

    The Conservatives lost control in 2019 - losing seats to Labour, the Lib Dems and independents.

  4. Harlow: Could be a close result?published at 02:33 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Andrew Sinclair
    BBC Look East political correspondent

    Counting proper is now under way in Harlow and the contest is said to be very close in several seats.

    Labour currently runs the council but a very good night for the Tories could see them take it.

    Harlow count

    In fact, the first ward has already been declared and it's a win for the Conservatives, taking the seat from Labour.

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  5. Southend-on-Sea Borough Council: Current situationpublished at 02:28 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Southend-on-Sea Borough CouncilImage source, Google

    Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, external is a unitary authority which looks after all the local council services, such as schools, road maintenance, bin collections, public housing and social care.

    Party in power: No overall control

    Seats up for election: 17

    Seats on council: 51

    The Conservatives lost control in 2019 - losing seats to Labour, the Lib Dems and independents.

  6. Harlow: Turnout just over 32%published at 02:25 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    The returning officer has told everyone at the Harlow count that the verification - counting the number of ballot papers - is complete.

    The votes now being counted are in the 11 wards for the Harlow Council election and the three Harlow divisions in the Essex County Council election.

    The counting of votes for the Fire, Police & Crime Commissioner for Essex will take place on Saturday.

    Turnout for this election is just over 32%, the officer said.

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  7. Colchester: Counting in full swingpublished at 02:19 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Colchester's Charter Hall is a "hive of activity" as counting takes place for Colchester Borough Council, external, Essex County Council, external and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex.

    Results here are expected at about 04:30 BST.

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  8. Southend-on-Sea: Turnout nearly 34%published at 02:18 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Counting is under way in Southend with the first results expected shortly.

    The council has announced that turnout was 33.74% which is 2% higher than the 2019 local elections.

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  9. Epping Forest: Flying through verification at North Wealdpublished at 02:09 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    We're not expecting the result from the Epping Forest count until Friday evening but this view in Hanger 6 at North Weald Airport is too good to miss.

    Essex County Council has said it is a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (Dakota) in the background.

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  10. Colchester: Lib Dems under pressure?published at 01:57 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Deborah McGurran
    BBC East political editor

    At the Colchester count in Charter Hall, the Lib Dems - who run Colchester Borough Council in a coalition with Labour - appear to be under pressure.

    Results here are expected at about 04:30 BST.

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  11. Chelmsford: Counting under waypublished at 01:46 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Residents in Chelmsford have been voting for county councillors and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex.

    Those in the Moulsham Lodge ward of the city council have also been voting in a by-election to fill a vacancy after a councillor resigned.

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  12. Could the Conservatives take control in Southend?published at 01:44 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Simon Dedman
    BBC Essex political reporter

    The unitary authority in Southend should be quite interesting.

    That's because the Tories could in theory take control of the council. They are currently the largest party on the council, but control is currently held by a rainbow coalition of Labour, Lib Dem and Independent members.

    The other parties do not seem too interested in working with the Tories at present. But let's see whether the Independent members still feel that way once the results are in.

    The leadership vote in 2019 at Southend Borough CouncilImage source, Southend borough Council
    Image caption,

    The leadership vote in 2019 at Southend Borough Council

  13. Harlow District Council: Current situationpublished at 01:28 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Harlow District CouncilImage source, Google

    Harlow District Council, external is responsible for services like bin collections, parks, public housing and local planning applications.

    Party in power: Labour

    Seats up for election 13

    Seats on council: 33

    Other public services are controlled by Essex County Council , externalwhich covers a wider area.

  14. Harlow will be a council to watchpublished at 01:22 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Simon Dedman
    BBC Essex political reporter

    Harlow is a classic red-blue bell-weather ding dong council.

    Labour has a pretty good majority on that council and on the face of it you would think it would be quite hard to lose there.

    But on the county council elections last time around, the Conservatives took all the Harlow seats up for grabs.

    It is definitely one of the Essex councils to keep an eye on.

  15. Castle Point Borough Council: Current situationpublished at 01:09 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Castle Point Borough CouncilImage source, Google

    Castle Point Borough Council, external is responsible for services like bin collections, parks, public housing and local planning applications.

    Party in power: Conservatives

    Seats up for election: 13

    Seats on council: 42

    The Conservatives dominate most areas of Castle Point but Independents could hold the Canvey Island wards.

    Other public services are controlled by Essex County Council, external which covers a wider area.

  16. Colchester Borough Council: Current situationpublished at 00:56 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Colchester Borough Council HQImage source, Google

    Colchester Borough Council, external is responsible for services like bin collections, parks, public housing and local planning applications.

    Party in power: No overall control

    Seats up for election: 19

    Seats on council: 51

    The Conservatives last won a majority in 1984.

    Other public services are controlled by Essex County Council , externalwhich covers a wider area.

  17. Southend: The ballot boxes arrivepublished at 00:36 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    At the count for Southend-on-Sea, the ballot boxes have arrived and verification is taking place before the count begins.

    In Southend, residents have been voting for representatives for Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex.

    Southend has a unitary authority which looks after all the local council services such as schools, road maintenance, bin collections, public housing and social care.

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  18. Harlow: The count is under waypublished at 00:21 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

    Andrew Sinclair
    BBC Look East political correspondent

    I'm in Harlow tonight where it is very different to a normal count. Everyone is wearing masks and are social distancing.

    Harlow count
    Image caption,

    The staff at the count were briefed

    Harlow count
    Image caption,

    Then the count began

    In Harlow, residents have been voting for representatives for Harlow District Council, external, Essex County Council, external and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex.

    Results are expected here at about 03:00 BST.

  19. Two charged with murdering stabbed manpublished at 10:17 British Summer Time 6 May 2021

    Tom Lewis, 23, died in hospital two days after being stabbed in the street.

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  20. Boreham Wood 5-1 King's Lynn Townpublished at 17:09 British Summer Time 3 May 2021

    Kabongo Tshimanga scores a hat-trick in Boreham Wood's 5-1 National League win against struggling King's Lynn.

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