Crawley count gets under waypublished at 16:35 BST 7 May 2021
Piers Hopkirk
Reporter, BBC South East Today

After a lengthy delay caused by verifying votes, counting is now under way in Crawley where a third of seats are being contested.
Our live page coverage has concluded for the day.
Piers Hopkirk
Reporter, BBC South East Today
After a lengthy delay caused by verifying votes, counting is now under way in Crawley where a third of seats are being contested.
Labour have retained control of Hastings Borough Council.
The Conservatives won eight of the 16 seats contested at this election, reducing Labour's majority on the council.
The Green Party gained one seat in the Old Hastings ward.
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Piers Hopkirk
Reporter, BBC South East Today
The count for Crawley Borough Council is about to begin at the K2 Leisure Centre, with a third of the seats being contested.
The turnout in this key battleground council was 36%.
Lauren Moss
Political Editor, BBC News
There is all to play for as Labour look to gain seats in the South East, a region which has been a Conservative stronghold.
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Caroline Williams
Political reporter
Dara Farrell, the leader of the Labour Group on Kent County Council, has lost his seat.
The Ashford South seat was taken by Conservative Dirk Ross, with 44% of the vote, compared to Mr Farrell's 41%.
Huw Oxburgh
Local Democracy Reporter
The Green Party have gained a seat in Hastings, with Julia Hilton taking Old Hastings, previously held by an independent.
The Conservatives have also taken the Baird seat from Labour, with Rob Cooke ousting sitting councillor Gary Davies by 72 votes.
Labour have held the seats of Braybrooke, Central St Leonards and Hollington, while the Conservatives have held Ashdown and Maze Hill.
Rory Cassian Love has kept his seat on Kent County Council for Cheriton Sandgate & Hythe East with 42% of the vote.
The Tories have won four of the five seats so far declared in the county.
The first results are in for Kent County Council with the Conservatives holding on to seats in Romney Marsh and Folkestone West, while in Hythe West, they have gained one previously held by the Green Party.
Meanwhile, in Folkestone East, Labour has gained a seat from the Tories.
Kent County Council will see a total of 80 councillors elected from 71 divisions after voters went to the polls on Thursday.
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