Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has just arrived at the BBC to speak to Laura Kuenssberg about this week's brutal results for the Conservative Party.

If there was going to be a leadership challenge against the prime minister, Braverman would be one of the key figures people expected to make a move.

However, despite writing in the Telegraph, external that she thinks the party is on course for a "wipe out" under Rishi Sunak, she has decided now is not the time to replace the leader.

We'll be hearing more from her in a few minutes.

As always, you’ll be able to watch Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg live at 09:00 BST without leaving this page - just hit the large Play button at the top.

If you’re on your phone and can’t see the button, simply refresh your feed and it should appear. The programme will also be available on BBC One and iPlayer.

So stay right here as we bring you live updates, clips, reaction and analysis.

As always, Laura will be joined in the studio this morning by a panel who will be giving their hottest takes on what’s been said - in addition to their insights on this week’s local elections.

This week on the show we’ve got:

• The former Labour home secretary Jacqui Smith
• Pippa Crerar, The Guardian newspaper’s political editor
• and Conservative former minister Paul Scully

Image source, EPA

We’re going to be hearing from a Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo shortly in the programme, in her first interview since the UK's Safety of Rwanda Bill was passed last month.

That bill, which was introduced last November after the Supreme Court ruled the scheme to be unlawful, now clears the way for the government to send some asylum seekers on a one-way ticket to Rwanda.

The Rwanda scheme would see any asylum seeker entering the UK "illegally" after 1 January 2022 - from a safe country, such as France - being potentially sent to the landlocked east-central African country.

They would have their asylum claims processed there, not in the UK. If successful, they could be granted refugee status and allowed to stay in Rwanda.

After missing his earlier spring deadline, Rishi Sunak has since promised that the first flight will be taking off as early as 1 July.

There have not yet been any deportations under Sunak's flagship Rwanda scheme. It was revealed last week that most of the asylum seekers initially earmarked for deportation to Rwanda cannot be immediately located.

Image source, PA Media

In less than an hour, we're going to be turning our attention to Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, in what's shaping up to be a lively programme after an already rather eventful week in politics.

First up on the programme will be Rishi Sunak’s former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who writes in the Telegraph this morning about how she feels the Tory party is facing a "wipe out" if it doesn't change tack immediately.

Out to bat for the government will be Mark Harper. The transport secretary will no doubt face questions about the his party’s showing in this week’s local elections, particularly since he was one of the first senior Conservatives to concede before votes were even tallied that this election period was going to be "difficult" for his party.

For Labour will be hearing from Pat McFadden, who will likely still be celebrating his party’s wins in key councils and the Blackpool South by-election - as well as last night’s unexpected win in the West Midlands mayoral election.

Finally Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo will sit down with Laura in a rare interview, her first with British media since the government’s Rwanda Safety bill was passed last month.

It's going to be an hour full of fresh analysis, so stay with us as we bring you all the latest.

Chris Mason
Political editor, in Birmingham

Image source, PA Media

This is a region of around three million people - and the gap between the Conservatives and Labour? 1,508 votes.

Andy Street's defeat in the West Midlands mayoral contest, by the thinnest of margins, exposes the widest of psychological wounds - in a blizzard of Conservative setbacks; another loss - rather than the alternative, a morale propping up win.

And yet, for Rishi Sunak - as things stand - reassurance from at least one quarter: his own MPs don't appear to want to turf him out.

But, right now at least, the electorate appears to have other ideas - and he doesn't have long to change people's minds.

Little wonder the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was here within a beat of the result demanding an election immediately.

Read Chris Mason's full article here.

Image source, Getty Images

Labour marches on - The party gained more than 180 council seats to take control of eight councils, including Milton Keynes and Nuneaton, where there are traditional bellwether seats for general elections.

Tories in the doldrums - The party has lost over 470 councillors, just under half of the seats it was defending. The PM is clinging to Tees Valley, where incumbent Tory Ben Houchen won a third term as regional mayor, as evidence the Tories are still in with a chance at the general election.

Red dawn for mayors - Labour won a trio of newly-created regional mayor roles, continuing its recent successes in this area in recent years. Labour's Sadiq Khan won a third term as London mayor and Richard Parker defeated Andy Street in the West Midlands by the narrow margin of just 1,508 votes.

Gaza stance affecting Labour vote - Labour has suffered some heavy losses in wards with a large number of Muslim voters, in a sign its stance on the war in Gaza is affecting its vote in those areas.

Greens and Lib Dems make gains - It was a good night for smaller parties, with the Lib Dems and Greens winning council seats in areas they will be targeting at the general election.

Mixed bag for Reform UK - Nigel Farage and Richard Tice's party won 16.9% of the vote in Blackpool South, coming third, only 117 votes behind the Tory candidate. However, the party has only won two council seats so far, both in Havant, near Portsmouth.

Read more here

Hannah Miller
Political correspondent

To some extent, these results tell us what we already knew: The Conservatives are way behind Labour in the coming battle for who gets into No 10.

Despite the psychological damage of the West Midlands result last night, there is no appetite among Conservative MPs to get rid of Rishi Sunak - but it is very difficult to see what the government does next that is suddenly going to make a difference.

The Tories use this language about needing to be seen to deliver. That's what their one and only successful mayoral candidate, Ben Houchen in Tees Valley, was saying after his win.

Some will say the Tories have had 14 years to deliver, and it is very difficult to see what will change their minds now.

Labour are hugely emboldened by this weekend - and while these are local elections, they do to some extent show many more voters are comfortable voting for the party.

Sir Keir Starmer will be looking ahead at the next general election feeling a lot more confident than the prime minister.

The Sunday Telegraph suggests that mayoral election results have dealt a double blow to Rishi Sunak's hopes of reviving Conservative fortunes, calling Saturday a "dire day" for the Conservatives, external.

The paper says Sunak will attempt to get back on the front foot in the coming week, with a series of announcements "on getting people back to work, clamping down on antisemitic hate speech and pressing ahead with deporting migrants".

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer tells the Observer that Rishi Sunak must call a general election without delay, external after the local and mayoral election results.

The Labour leader says the UK needs to be released from the "purgatory" of Mr Sunak's "zombie government", and that the results showed that people turned out to vote for change.

"We're doomed" , externalis what the Sunday Express has the Tories saying, in its headline.

It says the loss of the West Midlands mayor has deepened Conservative woes, plunging the party into "panic".

You can have a look at the front pages by clicking here.

Image source, Reuters

Rishi Sunak has admitted that Conservative Party losses - including Andy Street losing the West Midlands mayoralty - were "disappointing".

But the PM says that has "redoubled" his resolve to "make progress on our plan".

"So we will continue working as hard as ever to take the fight to Labour and deliver a brighter future for our country," he said.

"It is as clear that Labour just don't have a plan. They have no plan to defend our nation, no plan to stop the boats and no plan to grow the economy. They are a soft touch and would take us back to square one."

The PM added that "sticking to the plan" will secure borders and grow the economy.

Image source, PA Media

As well as Labour's nail-bitingly close victory in the West Midlands, the party won mayoral races in Greater Manchester, Salford, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the Liverpool City Region.

In London, Labour's Sadiq Khan was elected for an unprecedented third time as mayor

Those results came after a difficult set of local elections for the Conservatives, in which the party lost more than 470 councillors.

The prime minister now faces the task of rallying his battered party ahead of a general election - due within months.

However, despite the poor performance, talk of a possible move by discontented Conservative MPs to oust Mr Sunak as party leader appears to have dissipated.

While Labour has plenty to smile about this weekend, it will have concerns about an apparent backlash in some Muslim areas over its stance on Gaza.

Hello and welcome, as we re-start our live coverage of the fallout from the local elections.

Yesterday, Labour added to its winning streak with a surprise victory in the West Midlands mayoral contest.

After hours of delay and a full recount in Coventry, Labour's Richard Parker was announced as the winner, beating incumbent Conservative candidate Andy Street by a mere 1,500 votes.

Today we'll continue to look at the reaction from those elections, with Laura Kuenssberg taking up the baton from 9:00. She'll be interviewing Labour's national campaign coordinator Pat McFadden and Transport Secretary Mark Harper on her Sunday show.

So stick with us while we bring you all the latest reaction and analysis.

Chris Mason
Political editor, reporting from Birmingham

What a moment. What jeopardy. Never let anyone tell you your vote doesn't count.

This is a region of millions and millions. With a gap between the Conservatives and Labour vanishingly small.

Here in Birmingham's International Convention Centre, the tension palpable. The power, so often held by politicians, held by the people.

The result was originally anticipated at 2:30pm. But that time came and went. So too did 3:30pm.

Then news of what are known as "bundle checks" - where bundles of counted votes are checked again. And then news of a full recount in Coventry.

Conservative and Labour sources reckoned there were around just 2,000 votes in it - across the entire region.

Just after 8pm, Labour claimed victory - but we awaited the official result in Sandwell.

And then it came. A Labour victory.

We shouldn't be surprised. The size of the swing to Labour in these elections elsewhere and their consistent national opinion poll ratings means they ought to be winning a race like this.

It actually tells us something we already knew about Andy Street's capacity to outperform his party that it was so close. He is a proud Conservative, but wears his affiliation lightly, and he came mighty close.

But Tories also talked up the prospect of him winning and so his failure to do so deepens the wounds of this week for Rishi Sunak.

Keir Starmer wears a broader smile tonight.

We're pausing our page soon, but will be back tomorrow morning for all the reaction - including on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, starting at 09:00 BST.

Our final post, coming next, is from our political editor Chris Mason in Birmingham. Thanks for reading.

Image source, PA Media

With the West Midlands mayoral contest declared, two days of election results are over - with just a handful of results to be announced on Sunday.

Here are five key takeaways:

• Red dawn for mayors: Labour won a trio of newly-created regional mayor roles, while Sadiq Khan won a third term as London mayor and Richard Parker took the West Midlands from Andy Street

• 'Seismic' swing: In the only by-election, Labour took Blackpool South from the Conservatives in a result Keir Starmer called "seismic"
• Labour sweeps councils: Labour gained more than 180 council seats and eight councils, including traditional bellwether seats Milton Keynes and Nuneaton
• Tories in the doldrums: The Conservatives lost more than 470 councillors and 10 councils overall
• One consolation: Ben Houchen's win in the Tees Valley mayoral race was a bright spot on an otherwise a dismal set of results for Rishi Sunak's party

Moving away from the West Midlands briefly - the London Assembly results have been confirmed.

Overall, Labour won 38.4% of the vote, with the Conservatives on 26.2%.

The result means the political make-up of the assembly is:

• Labour 11
• Conservatives 8
• Greens 3
• Lib Dems 2, and
• Reform UK 1

There is one member for each of the 14 constituencies and 11 additional members, based on a proportion of the overall result.

In a parting shot, Starmer says Britain has "had enough of 14 years of decline, chaos and division" and that voters want "to usher in national renewal with Labour".

He says the country wants change, and he calls for a general election "as soon as possible".

Standing alongside Richard Parker, Keir Starmer says the Tories thought they "could use [Andy] Street as a crutch" for Rishi Sunak's weak leadership, but were wrong.

Starmer says Labour instead "humbly asked" the West Midlands to "put their confidence in a changed party and they did".

He goes on to thank all who voted for Labour, and in a direct address to those who may have voted for the party previously, but felt on this occasion they couldn't: "I've heard you and I've listened."

"I hope to gain your respect and trust again in the future," Starmer adds.

We just told you that Keir Starmer was going to the West Midlands to celebrate - he is now with the new West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker.

We'll have the key quotes soon.

Image source, PA Media