Hamish Marshall
BBC Spotlight

Concern over air pollution is just one of the environmental factors that won the Greens their first seat in Exeter.

Diana Moore says people are worried for their health...

BBC News Channel

So far across the north west of England it has not been a good night for Labour, says local BBC political editor Nina Warhurst.

"They have held on to areas we might expect such as Chorley and Wigan.

"But there have been some significant losses including seats lost to the Greens and the Lib Dems in Wirral.

"However, in Trafford Labour is expected to take full control."

Laura Kuenssberg
BBC political editor

EU nationals can vote in these elections.

Maybe this might be having an impact for the pro EU parties.

BBC News Channel

Graeme Miller, the Labour leader of Sunderland Council, blames losses in his area on Labour MPs supporting a fresh vote on Brexit.

"We've seen a massive voter protest on that issue," he says.

"Hopefully the party will learn from it and will not make that mistake again.

"I lost 10 councillors tonight because the Brexit message has stepped into and over local politics."

Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert

There have been some remarkably good figures for the Greens so far, who on average are running at 12% of the vote in the wards that they are fighting, up 5 points on their performance in last year's local elections.

Meanwhile the Lib Dems are also making a modest advance, with their vote up on average not only by 9 points as compared with 2015 but also by 3 points as compared with last year, performances that are good enough to enable the party to be making net gains in seats.

Finally, although UKIP look as though they may not perform as well as in 2015, it is still scoring more strongly than it did in 2018. It looks as though even though neither the Brexit Party nor Change UK are fighting these elections that the dominance of the Conservative and Labour Parties is showing signs of being eroded.

Initial results suggest the Labour Party may not make the significant gains that had been expected from a relatively poor result in 2015. So far the party is suffering a small net loss of seats while its vote is down on average by 5 points compared with 2015 in a collection of wards where the BBC has been collecting the detailed results.

Conversely, the results for the Conservatives are so far perhaps not as bad as they might have feared - though on average the party's share of the vote is down on average by 4 points as compared with 2015. As a result, the party is now also beginning to suffer small net losses of seats, though looks unlikely to suffer the very heavy losses that were widely anticipated.

However, the key story of the night may prove to be that both the Tories and the Labour Party have been losing ground. So far the Tories are down by 6 points on average as compared with last year's local election results, while the Labour vote is down by as much as 8 points.

BBC News Channel

UKIP's Mike Hookem says his party is "doing very, very well".

"We've had two years of turmoil. We're back on the rise again."

When asked about the threat from Nigel Farage's Brexit Party he asks "where is Nigel?"

"His party has no polices, no structure whatsoever and a leader who dictates everything," he says.

"In local elections that matter to a lot of people - where is Nigel and this party?"

BBC News Channel

BBC South East reporter Leanne Lawless is in Tandridge, in Surrey, which she says has always been a traditional Conservative stronghold.

"Last year that dramatically changed when they lost eight of their seats, leaving a majority of one," she says.

"Tonight they have already lost five of their remaining seats to the Lib Dems and independents.

"Last year, that loss was put down to new building on green belt land. This year Brexit is coming into play.

"Local residents voted 52% voted to leave the EU.

"It is not going to be a good night for the Conservatives at all."

Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert

I think the most remarkable set of statistics so far is from the Greens.

In simple raw figures Green votes are up.

In wards where they have been fighting, votes are well up.

Conversely, Labour and Conservatives are certainly losing ground.

Political editor Laura Kuenssberg tells the BBC News Channel that Swindon is "exactly the kind of area where Labour would have wanted to and should be making progress if they are to appear they are on the march".

She says the Honda decision - which confirmed it will close its Swindon car plant in 2021, with the loss of about 3,500 jobs - will affect thousands of people and many families.

"For the Conservative council not to be punished for that, that's something quite notable," she adds.