Tim Donovan
BBC London, Political Editor

Image source, PA Media

There is a growing sense that Lutfur Rahman will take the Tower Hamlets mayoral election from Labour.

If he does it would be a remarkable turn around in one way given his previous five-year suspension from office, but not so puzzling really if his underlying support was only on hold too and didn’t disappear.

The Conservatives have taken Harrow from Labour.

The Tories won 31 seats while Labour gained 24 seats.

We'll have analysis from the Local Democracy Reporting Service soon.

With victories for Labour in three Tory-held councils, here's how election night unfolded in London.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, Reuters

The Labour Party has retained control of Hounslow – fending off competition to win 52 seats, giving them a majority of 42.

Across the west London borough, 169 candidates from the four main parties and three independents battled it out.

Labour remains in overall control of the council, with 52 councillors, out of a total of 62 seats in 22 wards.

Conservatives won 10 seats amid an overall turnout of 33.6%.

All eyes in Hounslow will now be on who Labour choose to pick as the new leader of the council, after incumbent Steve Curran stepped down ahead of the elections due to ill health.

Going to the polls, issues at the forefront of voters’ minds included how to tackle the high levels of crime and fly tipping in the borough, as well as how to tackle the shortage of social housing.

As a borough, Hounslow was hit particularly hard by the pandemic, with many residents employed at Heathrow Airport made redundant or put on furlough as traffic at the airport ground to a halt.

Hounslow is still recovering, so the cost of living crisis, and how candidates proposed to support the borough’s post-pandemic recovery will have played heavily on the minds of voters.

Labour’s victory in Hounslow signifies a fourth consecutive term in power for the party, who have maintained control on the borough since 2010.

Sir Keir Starmer spoke in Barnet earlier after Labour's victory in the north London borough.

He told supporters there Labour had managed to root out anti-Semitism from the party and therefore gained trust among voters.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, Google

Labour Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz won a second consecutive term in the east London borough with 35,696 votes.

Cllr Fiaz eclipsed her rivals gaining more votes than the other six candidates combined with 56% of the vote.

Turnout in the ballot was unusually low, with just 28% of the electorate voting – 10% less than the last election in 2018.

Labour’s Sir Robin Wales was the first mayor of Newham and won five consecutive terms, serving from 2002 to 2018.

Cllr Fiaz successfully challenged Sir Robin for the Labour candidacy in 2018 - after first being elected a councillor in 2014 - and was elected later that year.

Results for Newham Council are yet to be announced, but we expect to see a landslide win for Labour

There is the possibility of Labour winning every council seat in the borough for the third time in a row.

During the campaign, Cllr Fiaz said she wanted to improve housing and community engagement in the next term, among other issues.

She added: “I want our residents to have a real stake in our borough’s future, be at the heart of everything we do and deliver fairness during these tough times with a radical Labour agenda.”

Thomas Mackintosh
BBC London News

Image source, Reuters

With results available from 19 out of 32 London councils, the state of play shows that the Tories have lost 73 council seats across London so far.

Labour has gained the most (71) while the Lib Dems and Greens have also made strides in parts of the capital - particularly in Merton and Richmond respectively.

There are still 13 councils still to declare - most of them we should have results for by this evening.

Croydon and Tower Hamlets councils will announce results tomorrow.

Havering Council has already said it will not be making a full declaration until Monday over one ward needing a recount.

There were a mix of cheers and disappointment at counts in the capital and across England when parties found out the results of this year's council elections.

So far, Labour has made gains in London councils held by Tories for decades and Liberal Democrats have performed well.

Tolu Adeoye
Reporter, BBC London

The count for Tower Hamlets next mayor is taking place in the East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf in east London.

It is a huge and imposing 27m-high arched glass building with marble floors - mainly used for hosting events.

The count for the next Mayor of Tower Hamlets started around two hours ago.

Piles of ballots are suggesting two front runners at the moment.

Current mayor Labour’s John Biggs and Aspire’s Luftur Rahman - the former Mayor of Tower Hamlets.

There’s a long way to go - but it could end up being close.

Thomas Mackintosh
BBC London News

Image source, Labour Party

Another victory for Labour in the mayoral elections - making it a hat-trick following earlier wins in Lewisham and Hackney.

Rohksana Fiaz has won with 35,696 votes - around 17% less than four years ago when she took over from Labour's Sir Robin Wales, who was deselected after 23 years in the post.

Speaking in 2018 Ms Fiaz said she was "proud and privileged" to be London's first directly-elected female mayor.

At this year's election Conservative candidate Attic Rahman came second with 7,390 votes; while third placed Green candidate Robert Callender increased the party's share with 7,003 votes.

The overall turnout was just over 28%.

Jennifer McKiernan
BBC London

Image source, Reuters

The local borough in which Downing Street and Buckingham Palace both sit has voted Labour councillors into power for the first time in its history.

City of Westminster Council has been "true blue" ever since the borough was formed in the 1960s.

Wandsworth, too, has long been Conservative. It was Margaret Thatcher's favourite council and pioneered her Right to Buy scheme. #

So what has turned voters against the party they have previously favoured at the ballot box?

I've been out speaking to voters gathering their reaction to two of Labour's huge election gains.

Thomas Mackintosh
BBC London News

The latest result is in - and Labour has held onto Islington Council in north London in what is pretty much a clean sweep of seats.

Labour has been in power in Islington since 2010 and this is now the fourth successive time Islington has voted red in local elections.

In summary, Labour remains in overall control with 48 seats.

Labour holds a 45 seat majority over the Green Party in second which took all three seats in the Highbury ward.

Full analysis from our Local Democracy Reporter shortly.

Helen Hoddinott
Journalist

Image source, PA Media

It is quite a day to be here in Westminster. There is definitely an air of disbelief but of course a sense of real elation for Labour.

Sadiq Khan was here just a short while ago. He was walking side-by-side with the newly elected City of Westminster Council leader Adam Hugg. A group of campaigners cheered holding banners up too.

The mayor gave them a short speech thanking them for their canvassing and listening to issues that matter to residents here.

They did some chanting of "Westminster Labour gain". Words many thought they would never hear.

Out of the boroughs earmarked for Labour gains overnight this was probably considered unlikely.

But, now areas like Hyde Park, Mayfair and Lancaster Gate have all turned red. In fact Hyde Park was always considered a proper Conservative stronghold on a local level and now all three councillors are Labour.

Just in terms of symbolising - Westminster is of course home to the Houses of Parliament. Those corridors of power now on land which is firmly controlled by Labour for the first time ever.

This borough has been Conservative since it was created in 1964 and incoming the leader of Cllr Hugg has promised a "root and branch revolution" of everything the council does.

He says it is an enormous honour to be elected and he will work incredibly hard to deliver what was promised.

So a big task ahead of him it is fair to say.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

The Conservative Party has strengthened its hold on Kensington and Chelsea Council by winning 35 seats.

Despite Labour making huge gains in neighbouring councils, they were they were unable to improve on their 2018 result. The opposition party still has 13 seats, with a second Liberal Democrat councillor also being elected.

Voters backed the Tories to keep council tax low, protect regular bin collections and tackle air pollution. The Conservatives also promised to save Notting Hill Police Station from being turned into luxury housing.

Meanwhile, Labour pledged to help residents during the cost of living crisis and tackle potholes and anti-social behaviour. The party also vowed to advocate for locals living in unsuitable social and affordable housing.

Control of Kensington and Chelsea Council has remained in Conservative hands since its inception in 1964.

The average house prices in the borough are the highest in the country while council tax remains low.

The council was recently in the spotlight as the ongoing Grenfell Inquiry heard testimonies from survivors and staff about how the authority dealt with the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. The Grenfell Tower fire killed 72 people on 14 June 2017.

Thomas Mackintosh
BBC London News

Image source, Reuters

The head of the think tank Centre for London has warned that the relationship between national government and the capital "could well worsen" after last night's election victories for Labour.

CEO Nick Bowes expects some big changes in parts of London - including the West End of London after more councils turned red.

He added: "Prospects for solving London’s critical challenges like TfL funding and securing other forms of government investment look much more difficult in light of the city looking significantly less important to the Tory government this morning.

"An already fractious relationship with the national government and the capital could well worsen.”

Mr Bowes said the Tories in London are "bound to be disappointed" after flagship councils in Wandsworth, Westminster and Barnet turned red - but he said that it wasn't as easy a night for Labour as the headlines suggest.

"It’s not a clean sweep for Labour," he said. "However, with the party seeing losses in Enfield and the defeat of the leader of Merton council.

"The Greens and Lib Dems will also be pleased with the results so far, with the Tories left with handfuls of councillors or overtaken as the opposition in formerly blue boroughs like Redbridge, Richmond and Merton.

"Despite the Tories’ best efforts, Sutton staying Lib Dem was a result easy to miss."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, Getty Images

Voters delivered no surprises in Hackney, with Labour’s Philip Glanville being returned as directly elected mayor.

Mr Glanville first became Hackney mayor in a 2016 by-election with 22,595 votes, and was re-elected to the role in 2018 with 42,645 votes – when 36.9% of voters cast their ballots.

Following his third election win he vowed to create a "new administration" in the east London borough.

He said: "When we say we’ll work together for a better Hackney, we mean it. We mean it on the cost of living, we mean it on anti-racism, we mean it on equality, we mean it on climate action, we mean it on the housing crisis.

“We mean it on running the best services that we can.”

Mr Glanville took 59% of the vote on a day when turnout was down – with 34% of voters casting their ballot for the Hackney’s top political job.

He said Hackney Council needs to rebuild trust following the disastrous cyber attack in 2020 which hit services including housing benefit and has frustrated residents.

Mayoral candidates said the cost-of-living crisis was a key issue on the doorstep, more so than partygate.

Taking second place, Green candidate Zoe Garbett said she will continue fighting to combat the climate crisis in Hackney.

With the cost of living rising and residents worrying about making ends meet after the pandemic, the mayor faces a testing four-year term.

Tolu Adeoye
Reporter, BBC London

In Tower Hamlets residents have voted for both the council and the mayor of the borough - the mayoral count has just started.

In total, 86,009 ballots were received. That’s 41.92% of the eligible electorate casting their vote and it is slightly down on last time round.

Labour currently holds the majority of seats on the council and their mayoral candidate John Biggs is hoping to be re-elected.

He’s been mayor since 2015.

Mr Biggs' old political rival, Lutfur Rahman, is back standing for the Aspire party.

The former Mayor of Tower Hamlets was found guilty of electoral fraud in 2015 in an election court and given a five-year ban from holding office.

Mr Rahman has always denied any wrong doing.

Thomas Mackintosh
BBC London News

The election result for Havering in east London will not be known until Monday because of a recount in the Rainham and Wennington ward, the council has said.

The Conservatives have taken 20 seats so far, Labour nine, and residents and ratepayers 23.

With three wards still to come, Havering Council said the count would resume after the weekend.

BBC News

Image source, PA Media

Just stepping away from the London local elections for a moment - in other news Durham Constabulary has said it will investigate the potential lockdown breaches of Holborn MP and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

The force says it is doing so after receiving "significant new information".

In a statement, the Durham Constabulary said: "Earlier this year, Durham Constabulary carried out an assessment as to whether Covid-19 regulations had been breached at a gathering in Durham City on 30 April 2021.

"At that time, it was concluded that no offence had been established and therefore no further action would be taken.

"Following the receipt of significant new information over recent days, Durham Constabulary has reviewed that position and now, following the conclusion of the pre-election period, we can confirm that an investigation into potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations relating to this gathering is now being conducted."

You can read more on that here.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A third recount in one ward and the shock defeat of the council leader in Merton couldn’t stop Labour retaining control of the authority for another four years.

Most of the ward results came in early on Friday morning however Lower Morden ward required several recounts, with the third scheduled to take place at 14:00 BST.

But, by that point Labour had secured its majority, winning 29 of the 57 seats up for grabs, despite its incumbent council leader Mark Allison losing his seat to Liberal Democrat Kirsten Galea.

She was one of 17 Lib Dems to secure a seat, marking a strong performance from the party which gives them some clout as the biggest group in opposition.

It came at the expense of the Conservative Party which took a pasting, winning just six seats, having held 17 the previous day.

Merton Park Ward Independent Residents won the two seats up for grabs in their ward after one seat was lost in a boundary review.

The boundary review means most wards in the borough have slightly changed and the council now has a total of 57 councillors, a reduction of three seats.