Here are a few of the best snaps as the local election counts unfold.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, PA Media

Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent

A small number of Tories are already calling for tax cuts to reverse their fortunes.

David Jones MP said: “Conservative voters want a lower tax regime and control over illegal immigration.”

Sir John Redwood MP tweeted: “If the PM wants to win back lost Conservative voters he should try offering some Conservative policies. Cut taxes, get better value for state spending and go for growth.”

Former MEP David Campbell Bannerman, chairman of the Conservative Democratic Organisation, told BB Radio 4: “We want to get back to more traditional Conservative policies.”

He also said there was disquiet at the way Boris Johnson had been removed from office – hinting a return of the former PM might be an answer.

And the former leader of Medway council has told us No 10 needed to "get their act together" on various issues - highlighting access to GPs and "unpopular" housing targets.

We keep saying this, but it's important: we're still at an early stage in the counting.

Many Conservatives are waiting to see what happens in the next few hours before drawing their conclusions.

But if the party does lost 1,000 seats - expect more to offer their thoughts on what went wrong.

Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent

I've spent the past hour speaking to Tory MPs and others about the results so far.

We've had a number of Conservatives talking on the BBC this morning too.

Some are clearly worried about the results and are calling them a wake-up call.

I've spoken to senior Tories who say the result is looking worse than they expected.

One MP said about party losses: "If it gets anywhere above 700 – it will be a big problem”.

Another senior MP said there would be pressure on Rishi Sunak to rethink his pitch to traditional Conservatives.

Several Tories have told me they think apathy was a big problem - Conservative voters just staying at home yesterday.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says his party is on course for a majority at the next general election, after gaining control of three councils overnight.

Starmer is visiting one of those - Medway in Kent - this morning, where the Conservatives lost control of the council for the first time in more than 20 years.

He tells activists in the area: "You didn’t just get it over the line, you blew the doors off."

Starmer says Labour is seeing "fantastic results across the country", also highlighting wins in Plymouth and Stoke-on-Trent.

“We’ve changed our party, we’ve won the trust and confidence of voters," he adds.

Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert

Image source, .

The results in those local elections which counted overnight were encouraging for Labour and troubling for the Conservatives. There was also some good cheer for the Liberal Democrats and the Greens.

But with three-quarters of the councils counting results later on Friday, it will be some time before a full picture emerges.

After the early results were counted overnight, Labour had made a net gain of 119 seats and had taken control of three key targets. These were Plymouth - with a particularly high swing, Stoke - a former Labour but pro-Brexit stronghold lost to the Conservatives in 2019, and Medway.

In contrast, the Conservatives had suffered a net loss of 228 councillors and lost five councils to no overall control.

• Read more here

Analysts question Labour optimismpublished at 09:26 British Summer Time 5 May 2023

09:26 BST 5 May 2023

Chris Mason
Political editor

Some analysts are sceptical Labour have such solid grounds for optimism - given the colossal mountain they face to get Sir Keir Starmer into Downing Street.

Make no mistake: the Tories do take comfort from the scale of a bounce-back Labour would have to make to win a general election. It provides a comfort blanket on an otherwise cold night for them.

The Liberal Democrats reckon they've had a "ground-breaking" night, to quote their leader Ed Davey.

"The worst is yet to come for the Conservatives," a party source adds, pointing out counting is about to get going in Surrey, Hertfordshire and Sussex where Lib Dems are feeling chipper.

And Labour, for their part, have been claiming for weeks the better results for them would be later today, rather than overnight. And they are still saying that this morning.

Tories hope Sunak isn't to blame for lossespublished at 09:22 British Summer Time 5 May 2023

09:22 BST 5 May 2023

Chris Mason
Political editor

The Tories are pinning the blame on three things: a bleak economic picture, the political chaos of their own making over the last year, and a very long stint in national government.

They hope that Rishi Sunak isn't the issue here, assuming they would have performed calamitously worse with either Boris Johnson or Liz Truss.

Labour reckon these results show they are "on track to win the next general election".

"We are confident Labour will have an equivalent vote share lead of at least eight points which would represent our best result since 1997," a source said. "If Labour had an 8% lead in a general election we would win a majority government, taking into account anticipated recovery in Scotland."

They now reckon they could win up to 20 seats in Scotland - an improvement of 19 on their current grand total of one.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey says the results for his party so far have been "ground-breaking".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the results showed that "tactical voting" could work in the next general election.

Image source, .

Here's some more data on that result earlier in South Gloucestershire - which was one of the Tory council losses we've been reporting this morning.

We've got another result for you now. The Conservatives have lost East Hertfordshire. The authority will now be hung, with no party majority.

Image source, .

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it was "disappointing" to lose councillors but that it was "still early" as far as results go.

The Conservatives have had several losses so far with the Lib Dems making major gains.

Polling expert Prof Sir John Curtice says the Conservatives could end up losing 1,000 seats by the end of today, adding that the clear message of the night is that the Tories have done badly.

He says while Labour has hit some of its targets, it's having to share the spoils with other opposition parties.

"The rub in the ointment is if you look at Labour's share of the vote and compare what happened 12 months ago, it's basically no change," he tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He says Labour would not just want to demonstrate that it's not just the Conservatives going backwards, but "it's us going forwards - and that's the bit they may not be able to prove".

He questions Sir Ed Davey's claim that the Lib Dems have made major gains, and says their vote is up one point from 2019 and 2022, but they've "probably got a record performance and they'll gain seats".

Former Tory MP Lord Barwell says the local election results so far reflect "the damage Johnson and Truss did to the Conservative brand".

Speaking to Nick Robinson, the presenter of BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Barwell says: "I think the problem is not actually the current government. It was always going to be hugely difficult for Rishi Sunak given the terrible situation."

Image source, .

Here's some more on that result from Lincolnshire we brought you a little bit earlier.

It's another Conservative loss in South Gloucestershire - which will have a hung council with no party majority.

Image source, .

"Disappointing" is a word that's been used not just by the PM (see our last post), but also by Greg Hands, the chairman of the Conservative Party.

But - speaking to BBC Breakfast - Hands is quick to argue that the results so far haven't seen a breakthrough for Labour, and insists he hasn't found "any enthusiasm" for Sir Keir Starmer on the doorsteps.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says the Conservative Party is making progress in “key election battlegrounds” like Peterborough, Sandwell and Bassetlaw - despite losing control of several councils in early results.

He says it's "always disappointing to lose hardworking Conservative councillors" but stresses that it's still early days, with only a quarter of results in.

Sunak adds: "I’m not detecting any massive groundswell of movement towards the Labour Party or excitement for their agenda."

Labour have been quick to suggest that the local election results point to their party being on track to take charge of the Westminster government.

Shabana Mahmood, Labour's national campaign coordinator, tells BBC Breakfast that part of Labour's success was its focus on the "number one issue facing voters - the cost of living crisis."

More on those comments from Sir Ed Davey to BBC Radio 4's Today programme - as mentioned by our political correspondent below.

The Liberal Democrat leader says he has a smile as broad as that of the Cheshire Cat - after the Liberal Democrats had "ground-breaking" results.

The Lib Dems have won Windsor and Maidenhead from the Conservatives - Davey says the picture would get "worse" for the Tories in their heartlands.

He tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme that his party will make big gains across "the Blue Wall" including places like Dorset and Devon.

Asked if this demonstrates that tactical voting works, he says he doesn't know yet but it shows "how angry people are with the Conservatives".

He says: "I met lifelong Conservative who would never vote Labour but were switching to Liberal Democrats, and who were cross with Conservatives on the health service and cost of living."

Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent

The Lib Dems are delighted with their result so far.

Their leader has just told the BBC the results has been “ground-breaking”.

The party has just won Windsor and Maidenhead – gaining 13 seats. It expects more gains in Conservative heartlands later.

A Lib Dem spokesman tells us: “Conservative MPs across the Blue Wall will be looking over their shoulder at the Lib Dems this morning”

Image source, .