Image source, Sefton borough council

Labour easily retains Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral councils, as well as Halton in Cheshire.

Image source, Reuters

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says Labour is heading for its best result in the capital since 1971.

Writing on Twitter, external, he said: "We've gained dozens of councillors in every corner of our city - in both inner and outer London - and we've won seats in parts of London unimaginable until now.

"We've won seats like the West End in Westminster and Barkingside in Redbridge - where we've never had a Labour Councillor before.

"This is another key stepping stone for London Labour in the continual progress we've been making since 2014 in local, mayoral and general elections - and paves the way for more progress in the future."

Mr Khan thanked campaigners, adding: "We should never apologise for being ambitious and fighting for every vote - and taking the fight to the Tories in every corner of our city."

Laura Kuenssberg
BBC political editor

Elections are about asking voters what they want and what they think.

This time round, what the public has said back to politicians, is we don't want big changes yet.

Only just over half of the results from around England have come through so far, and I can't say that enough.

But as things stand it looks like the Labour Party have made some gains in London, but small steps, rather than the dramatic strides some had expected.

Read Laura's full blog here.

Jenny Kumah
BBC South West politics reporter

The Labour Party in Devon is celebrating this morning after triumphing in the local elections.

The party took control of Plymouth City Council from the Conservatives and in Exeter, Labour held on to their majority.

Jenny Kumah has been reflecting on what the key issues of the election campaign were...

Conservative gains in Lincoln are the "first step back on the road" to regaining control of city hall, according to the party.

The leader of Barnet's Labour group has released a statement, promising the organisation will become a "beacon" to the rest of the party on how to tackle anti-Semitism.

Addressing the group's "Jewish brothers and sisters", Barry Rawlings said those who didn't vote Labour because they felt the party wasn't addressing the issue were right.

He said: "I pledge that Barnet Labour will be a beacon to the rest of the Labour Party in tackling and defeating this anti-Semitism virus that has infected our party.

"For me dealing with anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of hate is not an electoral issue, win or lose, it’s a moral responsibility that defines who we are as a party.

"We either fix this or our values of equality, social justice and human rights die."

The Green Party are celebrating this morning, saying they have established themselves as the fourth-largest party in England following the elections.

The party has gained 11 seats, winning 22 overall as the results stand.

Co-leader Caroline Lucas said: “The Green Party has taken a significant step forward with just a fraction of the resources of the bigger parties.

"We are now established as one of the four major English parties - and an electoral force right across the nation.

“From Richmond and the Midlands to Greater Manchester we’ve had some great results and we’ve still got more to come.”

Fellow co-leader Jonathan Bartley added: “Watch this space, there’s more Green wins to come.”

But politics professor Sir John Curtice has characterised the Greens as "trying to withstand a receding tide", with an average drop of 2 points to 7% in those wards where the party put up candidates.

Image source, PA

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth, defending his party's performance, said: "Labour made progress across the country in important areas.

"If these local election results were extrapolated into a general election, the Tories would be losing seats," he says adding: "This is a huge failure for Theresa May."

Mr Ashworth said he "suspects" the anti-Semitism row led to Labour's failure to take Barnet Council.

"We need to work hard to regain the trust of those voters who have turned away from us," he says.

Emma Thomas
Reporter, BBC Midlands Today

Local election results so far show the Conservatives have made a net gain of 27 seats across the West Midlands region, with Labour losing control of Nuneaton and Bedworth Council.

Voters went to the polls in 16 areas in the region with the Tory gains mostly coming at UKIP's expense.

But it wasn't enough to increase the number of councils under their control.

Labour made a net loss of seven seats across the region.

Dudley, Walsall, and Worcester also now have no party in overall control.

Nuneaton MP and Conservative vice-chair Marcus Jones says: "The Conservatives should have lost hundreds of seats."

"Instead Conservatives are taking councils like Basildon and Barnet where Labour has been fatally damaged by anti-Semitism row."

Labour lost control of Nuneaton and Bedworth in Warwickshire, after the Conservatives took eight of their seats.

... Despite what he admitted was a poor showing for his party.

Image source, Getty Images

Adam Langleben, one of the Labour councillors who lost their seat in Barnet last night, said allegations of anti-Semitism was the key reason for the party's losses in London.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “I spent countless hours knocking on countless doors speaking to Jewish voters who are Labour voters or were Labour voters – people who genuinely believe in the same values as the Labour Party, who agreed with our local manifesto for Barnet.

"But they could not vote for a Labour Party that they see as hostile or dangerous to the Jewish community.

"And the Labour Party is seen by far too many people in the Jewish community as being racist right now.”

BBC News Channel

The BBC’s assistant political editor, Norman Smith, says broadly speaking the Conservatives are losing out in Remain areas and Labour are losing out in Brexit areas.

Brexit is still the "huge cloud" that hangs over all our politics including local elections, he tells us.

He stresses the Conservatives have come through the night largely unscathed, despite a significant loss in Trafford.

For Labour, he adds, there will be questions over whether the high water mark of Corbynism has been reached.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

The outgoing Conservative leader of Plymouth City Council says his team "accepts the will of the people" after Labour gained four seats from them in the local elections.

Ian Bowyer was speaking after the vote was announced which means Labour's Tudor Evans is the new leader of Plymouth City Council.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Image source, UKIP

The general secretary of UKIP has compared his party to the Black Death - but in a good way.

Paul Oakley admitted to BBC Radio 4's Today programme that his party were "never going to do brilliantly", at the local elections, adding: "We knew that and we accepted that some time ago."

UKIP has so far lost 92 seats of the 94 it was defending.

But he said it was "not all over" for the Eurosceptic party.

"Think of the Black Death in the Middles Ages," said Mr Oakley.

"It comes along, it causes disruption and then it goes dormant - that is what we are going to do."

BBC London's political correspondent Karl Mercer recaps what happened in London overnight.