Elections 2021: Conservatives take control of Nuneaton and Bedworth council

The Conservatives have taken full control of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, winning a majority for the first time since the 2008 election.

The party took 10 seats from Labour and one from an independent to put them in overall charge at the authority.

Two recounts were needed for the seat of the Labour leader Julie Jackson, who eventually lost it by just four votes.

Conservative MP for Nuneaton Marcus Jones said his party had had a "phenomenal night".

Deputy leader of the council Ian Lloyd lost his Camp Hill seat

Labour, which had controlled the Warwickshire council for the majority of its history, said it intended to regroup and fight again.

The Conservatives now have 24 seats and a 14-seat majority in the 34-seat authority.

Labour retain seven seats, there are two independents and one Green Party councillor.

Mr Jones said: "I'm absolutely ecstatic, it has been a brilliant night with fantastic results.

"I'm really, really positive about the future and what we can deliver for the people of the borough."

• Latest West Midlands elections results and reaction

Conservative leader Kris Wilson said the party would hit the ground running and deliver for people

Tory councillor Kris Wilson, who becomes the new council leader, said it was "humbling" to see so many people voting in support of the "Conservative message".

"They've [voters] said enough is enough of the controlling Labour group and they want a change and they want improvements in our towns."

Labour lost control of the council in 2018 by one seat, throwing it into no overall control.

Other Labour victims at the count overnight included the party's deputy leader Ian Lloyd and mayor June Tandy.

Labour leader Julie Jackson said the party had not done enough to convince the public, but the party would recoup.

"We'll be back out there, listening hard to the good people of Nuneaton and hopefully offering them something that resonates more soundly with them for future elections."

Analysis by Hannah Griffiths, BBC CWR

On a sunny morning in Nuneaton it's a very bright mood for the Conservatives and a very sombre one for Labour.

There's a renewed sense of purpose for the Tories, as they have gone from being the opposition to having a strong majority, with Labour losing 10 seats overnight.

Labour has run this council for about 48 of the last 50 years and some of the wards here, I've been told, have never been represented by Conservative councillors before.

By just four votes, Julie Jackson has gone from being the Labour leader of this council to losing her seat altogether - politics can be brutal.

Conservative Ryan Simpson, 21, said it would be an honour and a privilege to represent Sherbourne ward in Coventry

In Coventry, the Conservatives made an overall gain of one seat.

Labour took the Earlsdon ward from the Tories - with a 50% voter turnout in the area - but lost the Cheylesmore and Sherbourne seats.

Labour is now left with 39 councillors on the authority to the Conservatives' 15.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives increased their majority on Warwickshire County Council by six seats.

Council leader Izzy Seccombe, who retained her seat in Stour and The Vale, said: "We have taken absolutely to heart the responsibility of looking after our residents and making Warwickshire the very best place it can be for them to live and to work and bring up their families and that is my promise that we will do that again."

On Saturday, Tory successes continued, as the party gained one new seat, strengthening its majority control on Rugby District Council.