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Image source, PA

Labour's John McDonnell says he was "furious" that communist and pro-Syrian regime flags were displayed at a May Day rally in London.

The shadow chancellor, who addressed a rally in Trafalgar Square on 1 May, says: "The TUC organisers didn't know they were there."

"I'm a trade unionist," he insists, adding: "When I saw those flags afterwards, I was absolutely furious."

The Conservatives have made gains in the local council elections, with Labour and UKIP losing out, as the early results are declared.

Details here

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"It has been tough, there's no doubt about that," says shadow chancellor John McDonnell of Labour's performance so far.

However, he tells the Today programme, "it isn't the wipeout that many predicted".

He says Labour has "extremely popular policies" and that Jeremy Corbyn campaigned in Cardiff, which Labour has held.

As a result of the general election campaign, he argues, "we get balanced airtime in the broadcast media" and people can "make a fair judgement" of both party and leader.

Mr McDonnell says Jeremy Corbyn is "honest, decent and, above all, principled".

Labour has suffered losses in Wales during the council elections overnight but the Tories have failed to make as many gains as expected.

Labour was hit with three major blows after losing its council leader in Merthyr Tydfil, control of Blaenau Gwent and its majority in Bridgend.

But it held Cardiff, Swansea and Newport.

Many of the losses were to independent candidates.

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Image source, Bridgend council

The former Merthyr council leader says Labour is "having a very disappointing evening to say the least".

The party has gained control of IOW in the 2017 local elections.

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Image source, Getty Images

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon says the results for the Conservatives are "encouraging" but "these are very early days", with only about a fifth of the results announced so far.

He rejects the suggestion that he's talking down the results and is worried that the Conservatives have "peaked too soon".

He insists that leadership is a factor in the elections and there is a "contrast between the strong leadership we're going to need... and the kind of feeble approach we've seen from Jeremy Corbyn".

Labour have held Cardiff Council, with 38 of the 75 seats. 

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John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, told BBC 5 live a "broad picture" was emerging, of Conservatives a long way ahead of Labour and UKIP's vote "in danger of disappearing". 

But he added: "We have to remember that the Conservative party isn't just wanting to win this [general] election, it's wanting to win it big. It does, therefore, have to do extraordinarily well.

"It's early days, but it could be the best set of local election results for the Tories for 25 years or so.

"But even so, because the ambition they have for themselves on 8 June is so high, we can't be sure as yet as to whether or not these results necessarily match that ambition."

Vale of Glamorgan remains under no overall control. 

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Former Liberal Democrat MP and Business Secretary Sir Vince Cable says his party has "done exceptionally well" in areas where it hopes to regain general election seats, such as Cheltenham, Eastleigh and Wells.

He adds that the Conservatives' ranks are "swollen with UKIP supporters" and people will be looking for a strong opposition.

Sir Vince, who is planning a bid to regain his former seat of Twickenham for the Lib Dems, makes a play for support from the "middle-of-the-road Conservative who voted Remain" in the EU referendum.

He claims the Tories are "taking on board the agenda as well as the former voters of UKIP".

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UKIP's local government spokesperson has defended the party's loss of seats in the local elections. It has been the biggest casualty of the local elections so far - losing all the seats it is defending. 

But Peter Reeve says UKIP is still "leading the national agenda" and maintains that even with these losses they will still have 300 councillors and remain strong in local government.  

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The party "absolutely is not" over for UKIP, says local government spokesman Peter Reeve.

"We've been very clear for years now that this is going to be a very tough day," he tells the Today programme, adding that independent candidates UKIP has worked with have won substantial majorities.

He says the Conservatives have managed to "build the national agenda into these local government elections".

With many results still to come in, he thinks there is "much good news to come" and adds that UKIP still has more than 300 councillors.

Labour has held on to control in Swansea and Torfaen.

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BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins says "the challenge for Labour now" is to win the general election following its local election showing.

The party will be looking for a historical precedent for a party losing ground in a local election but still going on to make progress in a general election, Ross tells Today.

He adds that many in Welsh Labour are saying "Carwyn not Corbyn", highlighting Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones rather than Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

And Ross says: "I thinks it's fair this morning to question the whole future of UKIP."

Image source, EP

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon says the Conservatives are not being complacent about the general election, despite the "encouraging progress" in the local voting. 

"The reason we are not crowing is there is nothing yet, really, to crow about," he told ITV's Good Morning Britain. 

"Only a quarter of the votes have been counted and the turnout is only half what you get in a general election.

"So it is far too early to predict - even from last night - what is going to happen by the end of today and it is five more weeks to the general election."

Image source, AFP/ Getty

Lib Dem former business secretary Sir Vince Cable has described the local election results so far as "neutral" for his party. 

He says the party's overall vote share has increased significantly, while it has also made progress in areas like Cheltenham and Eastleigh, where it hopes to gain back MPs at next month's general election. 

"We're in a relatively encouraging position, though there hasn't been a spectacular breakthrough," he adds. 

Here's a round-up of a few results that have just come in. 

Gillian Troughton, the Labour Party candidate for Copeland in the general election, has lost her seat in Howgate. 

Lib Dem Tessa Munt wins the Wells seat after a recount, unseating Somerset County Council Leader John Osman in the process.

Harwich has been held by Labour's Ivan Henderson, who is a former MP.

And the Conservatives have held onto Clacton West, Frinton and Walton, Clacton North and Tendring Rural East.

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BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith dares to ponder - despite it being "early days" - if the Conservatives could be "entering landslide country" in next month's general election, following their success so far in the local polls.

He says the results overnight are "formidable" for the Conservatives, "wiping out UKIP", stamping on the threatened Lib Dem revival and "they've defeated the Labour party across England", most significantly in Warwickshire.

"This is not normal politics," says Norman. 

He argues that normally governments do badly in local elections, with people using them "as a protest vote", yet despite seven years of austerity, Theresa May is doing well.

While Jeremy Corbyn's name has been mentioned on the doorsteps in England as a reason why people haven't voted for Labour, in Wales the party has "been shielded" by Labour First Minister Carwyn Jones, Norman adds.