Labour has won key councils and regional mayors in England, with the Conservatives losing 10 councils and more than 400 councillors
It also picked up the new regional mayor for York and North Yorkshire - which covers Rishi Sunak's constituency
Ben Houchen's win in the Tees Valley mayoral race was a bright spot on what has been a bad set of results for the Tories
Rishi Sunak said losses were "disappointing" but mayoral contests like Tees Valley were a "key battleground"
Labour made gains, winning councils in Redditch, Thurrock, Hartlepool, and Rushmoor in Hampshire - but lost Oldham to no overall control
Labour also won the Blackpool South by-election, taking the seat from the Tories, with a 26% swing
Sir Keir Starmer said the result "sends a message" to Rishi Sunak, and called on the prime minister to "make way"
We have a result from Hull - despite an earlier delay due to an alarm evacuation.
The Liberal Democrats have retained control of Hull City Council gaining 33 seats compared to Labour's 24 seats.
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Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert
With the council results so far, we are witnessing an average swing from Conservative to Labour since these seats were last fought in 2021 of 8% and a more modest one of 2% since last year - translating into a high rate of Conservative losses.
We may find that by the end of tomorrow that the party has performed even less well than last year, and that its losses may exceed 500 seats.
It is so far proving to be a modest night for the Liberal Democrats. Their vote is down 3% on last year and there has been little sign of them doing well in wards where they began second to Conservatives. However, many of the places the party has been targeting will be counting votes later in the day.
The night has been notable for the Greens and for Reform UK. The Greens are currently averaging 11% in wards they are fighting - at least equal to their best-ever performance in local elections in 2019.
Reform is averaging 14% in wards where it stood, and in those places the Conservatives have suffered heavily, with their vote falling by as much as 19% on 2021.
Thomas Mackintosh
Live reporter
Counting continues and declarations keep on coming in. So, let's have a quick recap of the early key moments so far this morning:
Image source, .Ellis Palmer
Political reporter, BBC Lancashire
Reform UK's leader Richard Tice is at the Blackpool South count
Reform UK leader Richard Tice says his party may have beaten the Conservatives into second place in the Blackpool South by-election, which Labour is expected to win.
He says they are now "the real opposition to Labour in the Red Wall".
With counting continuing, several tables have been called to adjudication by candidates and agents, but it could still be a while before we have a result.
Labour's candidate Chris Webb is very much the favourite, and arrived at the count to whoops and cheers from his supporters.
Labour will keep hold of Wigan Council in Greater Manchester, as the first seats are declared.
Their majority was not under threat tonight, with only a third of seats up for election.
Image source, .Labour says the result in Rushmoor is "truly historic".
The party gained seven seats to take control of the council in Hampshire from the Conservatives.
"Rushmoor - the home of the British Army - has never had a majority Labour council before, and has been run by the Tories for the last 24 years," a spokesperson says.
“This result demonstrates just how much the Labour Party has changed and people in Rushmoor know that only Labour can deliver the change they want to see."
Image source, .Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer says she's "delighted" after her party gained their first ever councillors in Newcastle.
She says there was a "notable movement of Muslim voters from Labour to Green". Some voters have been disappointed by Labour's position on the conflict in Gaza, believing the party was too slow to call for a ceasefire.
She also hails two "stunning gains" in South Tyneside - one from Labour and one from the Conservatives.
"These results show us reaching new areas of the country – and we are achieving that because our message of hope is being heard by new groups of voters," she says.
"In these elections we have argued for practical solutions to the cost of living crisis, the climate crisis and the cuts to public services, that are clearly resonating with voters."
The latest result in is Hart Council in Hampshire, which remains under no overall control.
The Lib Dems are now the largest party after they gained a seat and the Tories lost two.
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The new Labour leader of Hartlepool Council Brenda Harrison says it's now "highly likely" her party will win back the area's parliamentary seat at the next general election, after taking control of the council.
"People feel that they want change and people feel the Labour Party has changed enough for them to put their trust in it," she tells the BBC.
Labour needed only two more seats to get a majority on the council, but gained eight, with the Conservatives losing six.
Harrison says it has been "a difficult time" for the party in Hartlepool over the past few years. In 2021 the Conservatives made major gains on the council, as well as winning the parliamentary seat from Labour in a by-election.
She says Brexit "had a big effect" in an area that voted strongly to leave the EU, but "the swing that happened in Hartlepool over the Brexit period has really gone".
Another result to bring you this time from Devon.
Labour remains in control of Plymouth City Council.
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Image source, .The Conservatives have lost control of North East Lincolnshire.
Labour has won five seats and the Liberal Democrats and independents one each, with four results still to be declared.
Paul Burnell
Reporter, BBC News Online
The real jeopardy in the Blackpool South by-election is who will come second.
Will the Tories fend off Reform’s Mark Butcher in a seat where 60% of voters voted leave in the Brexit referendum.
Butcher said tonight he has got support from people disenchanted with Labour and Tories.
The party think they have done well in postal votes.
He is well known locally for his work in a soup kitchen and help for homeless people.
For Tory David Jones who is chair of neighbouring Fylde Conservative Association life has resembled a roller coaster from the famous Pleasure Beach which is also in the seat.
Scott Benton's resignation as the Tory MP for Blackpool south was not his only headache.
His hopes of succeeding four other Tories who held the seat in past seat were not helped by the reputational damage caused by events in a neighbouring constituency where Fylde MP Mark Menzies also quit in disgrace following questions over his late night call for cash when he was in a "room with some bad men."
Helen Catt
Political correspondent, reporting from Blackpool
Image source, PA MediaThings have really come alive here at Blackpool South now counting has finally started.
Lots of anxious pacing and watching on as the piles of paper mount up.
One party activist told me he has done 3,500 steps in the last 40 minutes just going round and round the hall.
From an initial glance, Labour looks to be miles ahead.
Enough seats have been declared to ensure that no party can win a majority in Peterborough.
The Tories were previously the largest party but have lost five of the eight wards to be declared so far.
Image source, .Labour have held the council of Sefton in Merseyside.
It needed just two seats tonight to confirm its majority, and has won all four to be declared so far.
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Image source, PA MediaOn the BBC's special election programme Transport Secretary Mark Harper is asked about his take on the results so far - including Labour's gain of Hartlepool Council.
Harper says he is "not going to comment on results" at this stage.
"We obviously fight hard for every seat," he adds. "We have had some results, not very many, but it is early days.
"We're not going to get a picture until Saturday night."
We can now confirm Labour has taken 25 seats at Thurock Council in Essex.
This means Thurrock, a unitary authority, has been gained by Labour.
Image source, .
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
Earlier in the night Labour predicted they would win Hartlepool – that’s now formally been declared for them.
Labour are now similarly bullish about winning Thurrock, in Essex.
Two facts about the area might be important. One is that it voted strongly to leave the EU back in 2016 – indeed the fourth-highest Brexit support of any local authority.
Labour making strides here suggests that the Brexit divide is becoming much less effective at explaining British politics, unlike in the aftermath of the referendum where in many cases Brexiteers moved towards the Conservatives.
Thurrock is also one of the councils which has been in dire financial straits.
A Labour spokesperson said: “This is exactly the kind of place we need to be winning to gain a majority in a general election. The people of Thurrock have sent the Conservatives a message that they want change.”
Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert
So far, there is a relatively limited set of results.
Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the night so far have been the Greens and Reform. Reform have so far won an average of 15% in the wards they have been fighting, while the Greens are winning an average of 11% in the wards they are fighting, up 2% on last year and 1% on their performance in 2019 - their best hitherto.
We are witnessing a swing from Conservative to Labour since 2021 on average of 8% so far and a more modest swing of 1% since last year's elections.
These figures are being translated into Conservative losses currently running at 15 councillors, but Labour are so far only running at net gains of one. The biggest gains of seats are being made by the Greens (4) and the independents (especially South Tyneside).
Labour, however, do appear to be losing ground in heavily Muslim wards.
Equally, where Reform have done well, the Conservatives are suffering the most.