Summary

  • Labour: No tax rises below £80,000

  • Tories' mental health treatment pledge

  • Lib Dems to keep pensions 'triple lock'...

  • ...but means-test winter fuel payment

  • General election on 8 June

  1. New Green councillor says party is 'force to be recognised'published at 04:15 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    One of Somerset County Council's two new Green councillors - Martin Dimery - says his election proves the party is "a force to be recognised".

    Mr Dimery, who was elected alongside colleague John Clarke, says his campaign in Frome was fought "very much" on local issues.

    He also warns that Green candidates should not always have to roll over for Lib Dem colleagues in suggested progressive alliances with other parties. 

  2. 'Labour's hold on South Wales valleys not as firm as people think'published at 04:11 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    Political scientist Professor John Curtice urges people to remember that Labour has not been consistently in control of Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent councils in recent years.

    The party lost control in 1999 and in 2008 - while in 2004 it only had a majority of one, he says.

    "Meanwhile, Labour also lost Blaenau Gwent in 2008," Prof Curtice adds. "Labour's hold on these South Wales valleys has not been as firm as is often thought for some time."    

  3. 'I did my best'published at 04:00 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    Merthyr Tydfil's outgoing council leader Brendan Toomey reflects on his result. He will no longer be a county councillor.

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  4. Watch: Elections expert on the results so farpublished at 04:00 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

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  5. Tories gain control in Gloucestershirepublished at 03:58 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    The Conservatives secure 31 out of 53 seats to form a working majority in county council election.

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  6. Results so far across England and Walespublished at 03:56 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    Across the nine English and Welsh counties that have fully declared results, the Tories have control of six authorities - including three gains - and 300 seats, a net gain of 70. 

    Labour have won 103 seats, a net loss of 36, the Lib Dems have won 75, a net loss of 14 and UKIP has failed to win any seats, a net loss of 20. 

  7. West of England metro mayor: First round resultspublished at 03:52 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    BBC Points West political reporter tweets ...

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  8. Labour holds on to Newportpublished at 03:47 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    Labour has retained overall control of Newport, winning 27 of the 50 seats, with a few divisions still to declare. 

  9. Conservatives win Isle of Wightpublished at 03:47 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    Conservatives have gained control of the Isle of Wight from no overall control after winning 22 of the 40 seats so far, with some divisions still to declare.

  10. UKIP wipeout is not a 'disaster' - senior party memberpublished at 03:47 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    UKIP former leadership contender Lisa Duffy insists the results so far are not a "disaster" for the party - but acknowledges it is "very disappointing" UKIP has been wiped out in Lincolnshire.

    "I won't use the word 'disaster', I'll use the word 'challenging'," she tells BBC Radio 4. "We knew it was going to be a difficult night." 

  11. Independents take control of Blaenau Gwent from Labourpublished at 03:46 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    More on Blaenau Gwent .... Independents have gained control of the council from Labour after winning 22 of the 42 seats so far, with some divisions still to declare.

  12. Labour loses Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil to independentspublished at 03:36 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

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  13. UKIP councillor says loss of seats 'a temporary glitch'published at 03:31 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    Nick Smith, chairman of UKIP in Lincolnshire, says "we're not going away" despite his party losing all 13 seats on the council.

    Mr Smith, who is standing for UKIP in Lincoln in the 8 June general election, concedes: "This is a temporary glitch for us."

    Asked if people feel there is no point voting UKIP since the country voted for Brexit, he tells BBC Radio 4: "Probably, maybe."

    He claims voters are currently "buying into" the Conservative argument that if they are given "a magic mandate", they will deliver a magic Brexit - and predicts those same voters will return to UKIP when that doesn't happen.

  14. Tessa Munt: Lib Dems in 'full bounce back'published at 03:24 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    Tessa MuntImage source, Somerset Liberal Democrats

    A former Liberal Democrat MP who lost her parliamentary seat in 2015 has won a seat on Somerset County Council.

    Tessa Munt, who was the MP for Wells and has just ousted Conservative council leader John Osmon, says she thinks the Lib Dems are "in full-on bounce back".

    She tells BBC Radio 4 she thinks there's a good chance 100% of the population will be unhappy with the Brexit negotiations, regardless of whether they supported Leave or Remain.

    Ms Munt adds that there's a very good case for having the Lib Dems "forming some form of opposition" to ask the right questions.

  15. Doncaster's Labour mayor holds her postpublished at 03:14 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    Labour's Ros Jones has won the Doncaster mayoral election on the first count.

  16. Declarations so far: Substantial swing from Labour to Conservativespublished at 03:10 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    Political scientist Professor John Curtice says declarations so far from the English county councils are very much in line with the expectations generated by recent opinion polls.

    In summary:

    • There is a very substantial swing from Labour to the Conservatives, which is currently averaging some seven points. If this continues this will point towards a strong double-digit Conservative lead over Labour across the country as a whole
    • The UKIP vote is collapsing heavily and so far is down on average by 16 points in wards they fought this time and last time
    • The Lib Dem performance is very patchy but at the moment the party is averaging an increase of three points. However, this is sometimes proving inadequate to enable the party to defend seats successfully against the rising Conservative tide. So hopes that this election might secure a significant restoration of the Lib Dems' former local government base look as though they will not be realised
    • These voting patterns are clearly reflected in the pattern of gains and losses so far with Labour losing about two in five of the seats it's trying to defend - while the Conservatives have already made 89 net gains and gained control of Warwickshire, Lincolnshire and Gloucestershire
    • The Lib Dems have lost a net 10 seats in England - while UKIP has lost every one of the 34 seats the party is trying to defend.  
  17. Former UKIP leadership candidate: Challenging night for partypublished at 03:05 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    A senior UKIP politician has admitted that it will be a tough night for the party. 

    Lisa Duffy stood, unsuccessfully, for the UKIP leadership and is a councillor on Huntingdonshire district council. She's convinced the party will bounce back.  

    Lisa Duffy
    Quote Message

    We know tonight's going to be extremely challenging for us as a political party. We're going through a new phase. We got Brexit - or we certainly won the referendum, we're well on our way to Brexit now. With the general election being called so quickly, it's going to be a difficult night but it's one that we will grow from."

  18. Labour loses four out of six seats in Blaenau Gwentpublished at 03:01 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    Political scientist Professor John Curtice says so far Labour has lost four out of the six seats it was trying to defend in Blaenau Gwent - in each case to independents.

    In Merthyr Tydfil, Labour has lost one out of the eight seats it was trying to defend.

    "It looks as though Labour's losses in Blaenau Gwent may be more serious than in Merthyr, while we should bear in mind that in neither case have the Conservatives so far made any advance," Prof Curtice says.    

  19. Conservatives retain control of Somersetpublished at 02:51 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    Conservatives have retained control of Somerset after winning 28 of 55 seats so far, with some divisions still to declare. 

  20. Wrexham and Flintshire remain under no overall controlpublished at 02:44 British Summer Time 5 May 2017

    Wrexham and Flintshire councils have remained under no overall control.