Conservative Ben Houchen has been re-elected the mayor of Tees Valley, receiving just under a 73% share of the vote.

Speaking to the BBC he says there is a "pride returning" to the area, adding it is "not true" the government has pumped lots of money into it over the past few years only because it was run by a Conservative.

He argues he has achieved more with the same amount of money than Labour mayors in the North West.

Houchen adds the problems in his area "won't be solved in a few years" but big projects - like the freeport and the airport - are "moving us in the right direction".

Senior Conservatives have congratulated Ben Houchen on his landslide victory in the Tees Valley mayoral contest.

Party co-chairman Amanda Milling and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were among those who highlighted Mr Houchen's re-election.

Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said: "Few have done more to transform a community. Teesside is a very different place.

"Leadership matters. We need more elected mayors delivering for our communities."

Ben Houchen won 73% of the vote ahead of Labour's Jessie Joe Jacobs, the only other candidate.

Second preference votes are being counted in the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) election after no candidate got more than 50% in first preferences.

In the first round, Labour's Kim McGuinness was more than 60,000 votes head - securing 179,021 (47%) votes ahead of Conservative Duncan Crute's 118,543 (31%), independent Julian Kilburn's 45,567 (12%) and Lib Dem Peter Maughan's 40,955 (10%).

A declaration was expected between 15:00-16:00 but it's now expected to be later.

Turnout for the vote is 36.9%

Luke Walton
BBC Look North

Look North political reporter Luke Walton is covering the Cleveland PCC election and said the result was "not entirely unexpected perhaps because of the Hartlepool by-election result".

He's been at the count in Thornaby where Conservative candidate Steve Turner's has been elected with nearly double the number of votes as his nearest rival.

Luke said: "It's still a big blow for Labour and a massive result for the Conservatives because Labour has lost seats here with the likes of Redcar and Stockton South in recent years, and I was speaking to a Labour party activist here who said the mood of the party is despondent."

Former councillor Steve Turner wins with nearly double the number of votes of his nearest rival.

The Conservatives gain the council after two winners were decided by picking lots out of a box.

Conservative Steve Turner easily beat off the other candidates for the Cleveland police and crime commissioner.

Here are the full results:

Steve Turner (C) 74,023

Matthew Storey (Lab) 39,467

Barrie Cooper (Ind) 16,667

Christopher Jones (LD) 6,540

The Conservative candidate has been elected as the Cleveland police and crime commissioner.

Steve Turner, a political advisor and former Redcar and Cleveland borough councillor, gained almost twice as many votes as his nearest rival, Labour's Matt Storey, to win in the first round.

Image source, Conservative Party

Lisa Oldroyd, who was appointed as acting PCC when Barry Coppinger stepped down in in September, did not stand.

Votes are being counted for the Northumbria police and crime commissioner (PCC) role.

Counting started about an hour ago and a declaration is expected this afternoon between 15:00 and 16:00.

Results are being counted for the Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner.

Early indications are that it's good news for the Conservatives, and bad news for Labour.

Results are still being counted for other council elections, as well as for two mayors and four police and crime commissioners, and it may not be until Monday before they are all announced.

Ones due today are the Cleveland and Northumbria PCCs, and the Tees Valley Mayor.

North Tyneside Council could be today or Saturday.

On Saturday there will be the Durham PCC, North Tyneside Mayor, and Durham County Council along with Hartlepool Council.

All eyes are likely to be on the latter in the light of the Tories winning the parliamentary seat.

The council's 36 seats are up for grabs, and currently with no overall control, it is led by a coalition involving Conservatives, all manner of independents and other groups.

Cumbria PCC results are then due to be announced on Monday.

Relive the action as Derby avoid relegation from the Championship and Bolton secure promotion to League One.

The Tories win five vacant seats on the council and defend three seats in Redcar.

Listen to live BBC radio commentary of Bath v Bristol Bears.

Northumberland is a "funny place" according to the council leader, and he was not talking about the election count, where for the second time running dead heats had to be decided by a draw.

Speaking after the Conservatives took overall control, with a majority of one, Glen Sanderson so described the area because it "tends not to follow national trends".

However, in this case, it did - with the Tories gaining seats, as they have in many places elsewhere.

In Northumberland's case he put it down to the council's record in doing "important, every day stuff".

He said: "I think it's because people realise in troubled times we've shown leadership, we've shown courage and our staff have worked fantastically well providing frontline services.

"I think our record speaks for itself, and that's the reason."

As local election votes were counted on Thursday evening, it emerged rivals have put plans in motion to try to replace the Labour party's figurehead, Nick Forbes.

Byker councillor Nick Kemp, who quit the council’s cabinet last summer in a split from Labour’s leaders, confirmed he is putting himself forward to become leader.

it will be decided at the Labour group’s annual general meeting on Monday evening.

Mr Forbes (pictured) said: “I have both a strong track record of delivery and ambitious ideas for the future to put to the Labour group.”

Mr Kemp has sat on the council since 2002 and had previously had responsibility for issues such as trading standards and bin collections in his role as cabinet member for environmental and regulatory services.

Daniel Holland
Local Democracy Reporter

Labour lost two seats in Newcastle and council leader Nick Forbes is to face a leadership challenge next Monday from one of his former cabinet members, Nick Kemp.

The city’s ruling party, which still boasts a heavy majority on the council, saw two seats in the outer west of Newcastle fall to the Newcastle Independents party.

Labour manage to hold off challenges from the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives’ long run without an election win in Newcastle continued.

The Green Party’s hopes of securing a first seat on the city council were also dashed

There were 28 seats up for grabs - 18 were held by Labour, six held by the Lib Dems, two won by the Newcastle Independents, and two held by independents.

The overall political makeup of the council is now: Labour 52, Lib Dem 20, three Newcastle Independents and three independents.

If you're just joining us, good morning and here is a round-up of what has happened so far:

• The Conservatives won the Hartlepool by-election with Jill Mortimer (pictured below) named as the town's new MP
• Labour had held the seat since the current constituency was created in 1974
• Ms Mortimer won with 15,529 votes, while Labour's Mr Williams received 8,589
• The Conservatives also took control of Northumberland County Council with a majority of one seat
• Labour kept control of Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead and South Tyneside Councils but with some losses
• Results still to come are the Northumbria and Cleveland police and crime commissioners (PCC), Tees Valley Mayor and North Tyneside Council later today.
• Durham County Council, Hartlepool Council Durham PCC and North Tyneside mayor are expected on Saturday and Cumbria PCC on Monday

Image source, PA Media

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Chris Binding

Labour has kept control of South Tyneside Council.

The party lost four seats but easily retained control, taking 16 out of the 20 seats which were contested across the borough.

Now the council’s overall make-up is 44 Labour councillors, five independents, three Greens, one Conservative and Jeff Milburn who is listed on the council’s website as an Independent Conservative.

The council's leader Tracey Dixon, who retained her seat in Whitburn and Marsden with 1,337 votes, said she was “slightly disappointed” with the result.

She said: “We were hoping that we would retain 20 Labour councillors but unfortunately we have lost four seats and that isn’t for the want of the candidates trying, it’s been a very difficult year for this year’s election."