Local elections 2023: Labour hold Sunderland, Newcastle, South Tyneside and Gateshead

Labour were delighted to hold Sunderland

Labour have held Sunderland, Newcastle, South and North Tyneside and Gateshead councils in the local elections.

Traditionally the first to declare, Sunderland was beaten by just minutes by Halton in Cheshire.

In Newcastle, the Liberal Democrats and Independents made gains while the Conservatives continued their three-decade winless run.

In South Tyneside the Greens took three seats from Labour to become the main opposition.

Party leader David Francis said he was "relieved but also really excited" about the group's growth.

David Francis said he was pleased with his party's progress over the past five years

"Lots of people tell us that we are the only party that they hear from through the year - sometimes they only hear from the others when there's an election," Mr Francis said.

"We've gone from zero to nine [councillors] in the space of five years which is amazing to see."

Despite the defeats, Labour remains in control of the council, holding 38 of its 54 seats.

Council leader Tracey Dixon insisted it had been a "good night", as her party held 11 wards, but said she was "slightly disappointed".

The council was running some "fantastic environmental projects" and, now the Greens were the main opposition, she was "looking forward to seeing what policies they will bring forward," she said.

South Tyneside labour leader Tracey Dixon admitted to being "disappointed"

In Gateshead, Labour kept control of the council but lost two seats to the Liberal Democrats, in Birtley and Saltwell.

These are both wards where the council had proposed closing down leisure centres.

The plans had met fierce opposition with thousands of people responding to a public consultation.

Richard Moss, the BBC's North East and Cumbria political editor, pointed out that, although the decision on the centres has been postponed, voters were "sending a message".

The Liberal Democrats took Saltwell and Birtley from the ruling Labour Party

In Sunderland, Labour gained seats from UKIP councillors elected in 2019 and increased majorities in others.

The Conservatives only narrowly held on to a few key strongholds, one of which went to a recount.

Having gained a seat from the Greens, the Liberal Democrats are now the main opposition.

National issues

Sunderland City Council leader Graeme Miller said the "positive night" for Labour meant people were "beginning to have trust in us again".

He said national issues had had an impact on the local results and turnout figures.

"It's cost of living, it's food, it's mortgage and rents, it's putting fuel in the car," he said.

The city council's Conservative leader Antony Mullen said the party had seen "huge drops in our support" because many of its traditional supporters did not vote.

"Clearly the story of the night is not that Conservative voters have turned Labour, it's that they haven't turned out at all," he said.

"The drop in turnout across the city is Conservatives who have decided that they have no enthusiasm to vote for us but, equally, they have no enthusiasm to go elsewhere either."

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• Sunderland election result

• Newcastle election result

• South Tyneside election result

• Gateshead election result

There were also gains for the Liberal Democrats in Newcastle, where they took both North Jesmond and West Fenham.

In the outer west of the city Newcastle Independents made gains from Labour in the Lemington and Denton and Westerhope wards.

Overall, Labour lost four seats but won one back from the Newcastle Independents in Callerton and Throckley and maintained a strong majority.

City council leader Nick Kemp, who faces a leadership challenge next week, called the night a "mixed bag".

Meanwhile, the Conservatives are without an election win in Newcastle since 1992 - a run that Gosforth hopeful Doc Anand could not end.

Newcastle's votes were counted in traditional sports hall style

Speaking at the South Tyneside count, South Shields Labour MP Emma Lewell-Buck said the results regionally showed "people are clearly fed up to the back teeth of the Tories now".

Voters were "coming out in their droves and want to send them a message," she said.