Local elections 2024: What do the results mean?

The election on 2 May covered 107 councils across England and Wales

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak has been hit with several defeats for his Conservative Party, in a big test of opinion among voters before a general election.

It comes after adults voted across England and Wales in elections that decide who runs local areas.

The Labour Party has gained seats across England in local elections and won Blackpool South in a by-election to select a new Member of Parliament.

Experts are watching this year's local election results closely for clues about the possible results of a UK-wide vote in a general election that's expected later this year.

How did the parties do in the local elections?

The prime minister admitted results had been "disappointing", with the party he leads, the Conservatives having lost around half the seats they were trying to keep.

One of the biggest losses for the Conservatives was in Blackpool South where people were also voting for a new MP in a by-election.

They lost the seat to Labour, in a result that showed a big change in opinion, compared to how many people had previously voted in that area.

The Labour Party leader, Sir Kier Starmer called it "the most important result today".

"That wasn't just a little message, that wasn't just a murmur, that was a shout from Blackpool - we want change," he said.

Labour have lost control of some local councils, like Oldham in Greater Manchester, but they've also made some significant gains, including Rushmoor council in Hampshire, a council the party has never held before.

Other parties like Liberal Democrats and the Green Party are also doing well, increasing the amount of seats they hold on local councils.

In the Tees Valley, Conservative candidate Ben Houchen has been re-elected as the region's mayor.

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak said the result showed that voters "are going to stick with us [the Conservative Party]", when it comes to a general election.

Despite the prime minister saying the result is good news, election expert, Professor John Curtice told the BBC that mayoral contests are the "least reliable guide" to what might happen in a general election.

Professor Curtice says that's because mayoral candidates can have "big personalities", and people are more likely to vote based on the person rather than the party that they represent.

What is a local election?

In local elections, people choose who they want to run their villages, towns or cities.

There are different types of local authorities - often known as councils - but they are in charge of lots of things in our local areas, including things like schools, traffic and bin collections.

Local elections are different to a general election.

A general election is when people vote for the government to run the whole country. The last one was in 2019 and there's due to be one later this year.