Alice Cunningham
BBC News, Suffolk

It has been quite the day here as Reform UK has taken control of Suffolk County Council and picked up its first seat at Ipswich Borough Council, although Labour remains in charge there.

Reform UK's performance has mirrored the national picture.

There have also been big wins for the Green Party as well as some for the Liberal Democrats in Suffolk, but it has been a bad day for Labour and the Conservatives, both of which have lost seats.

Many of the leaders of the local parties have won, including Labour's leader of Ipswich Borough Council, Neil MacDonald.

That is it for our updates on this live page, but you can keep following the local elections from across the country here.

David Plowman has been elected as Ipswich Borough Council’s first Green member, taking Alexandra ward from Labour by just 41 votes in the borough council election.

He tells our Local Democracy reporter, Joao Santos, it feels "amazing" to win and will now seek "action where there is inaction".

"We want a sustainable Ipswich; we want affordable housing; we want a town that is community-based," he says.

"It’s now a chance for the Green Party to show the people of Ipswich what it can do."

The votes for the Alexandra ward were:

• David Plowman (Green): 1,047
• John Cook (Labour): 1,006
• Jeffrey Ciobanu (Reform): 589

• John Downe (Con): 250

• Giles Turner (Lib Dem): 150

Alice Cunningham
BBC News, Suffolk

After 16 councillors have been elected to Ipswich Borough Council with a third of seats up for grabs, this is how it looks in terms of it political party make up:

• Labour: 29 seats
• Reform UK: 10
• Conservatives: 5
• Liberal Democrats: 3
• Green: 1

Labour still has control of the council, with Neil MacDonald remaining in place as leader.

Image source, Andrew Sinclair/BBC

Neil MacDonald, leader of Ipswich Borough Council, says he is happy to have been re-elected, but is "disappointed" for colleagues who have lost their seats - eight to Reform UK and one to the Greens.

"I feel we did have a good campaign," he tells our Local Democracy reporter Joao Santos.

"I met a lot of people on the doorstep who were very pleased to see us, very pleased to vote Labour. We just didn't get everyone over the line.

"I still think we have a good manifesto talking about the northern bypass, improving the town centre, green spaces in town.

"I think we have a lot to offer Ipswich and I look forward to carrying on in that vein in the next year."

Vikki Irwin
at the count in Debenham

Image source, Vikki Irwin/BBC

Hettie Glenton is another young candidate who was standing in the Hartismere division in the Suffolk County Council elections, for the Liberal Democrats.

She only turned 18 just last month.

Reform UK won the seat with 1,674 votes compared to the 215 Glenton received.

"I've always been politically motivated ever since I went to my new sixth form. I grew up around the Liberal Democrats because of my dad and I had the opportunity [to stand] as soon as I turned 18," she tells me.

"I thought it would be a really interesting thing to do."

Alice Cunningham
BBC News, Suffolk

We have just heard that all the results at Ipswich Borough Council have now been declared.

The Conservatives lost two seats and did not win any new ones.

Here are how the 16 seats up for grabs went:

• Reform UK: 10 Seats
• Labour: 4
• Green: 1
• Lib Dem: 1

Labour remains in control of the council, despite losing nine seats.

Vikki Irwin
at the count in Debenham

Image source, Vikki Irwin/BBC

Matthew Hicks, who was Conservative leader of the Suffolk County Council ahead of these elections, retained his Thredling seat (centred on Debenham) in the face of Reform UK winning control of the council.

He says he is "delighted" to have done so, but adds he is "sad for many of my colleagues" who have lost theirs.

"I do feel sorry for them, because I know a lot of them wanted to come back, keep going and represent the community.

"I have to say I've knocked on lots of doors and actually people are very understanding of Kemi [Badenoch, Conservative national party leader]. Her name came up a lot and people were very engaged with her which is a positive.

"I think the biggest thing during the campaign was there were a lot of national politics coming in rather than local politics... too often we came back to national politics and that's always hard in local elections.

"People use this as an opportunity to focus on national issues rather than local issues."

Suffolk County Council has released more figures about its elections.

The average turnout is not yet known, but a spokesperson says early indicators show that in some divisions it was much higher than the national average, with some seeing more than 55% of people voting.

The total number of votes recorded for each party across the county council elections has been:

• Reform UK: 88,347
• Green Party: 62,752
• Conservative: 58,716
• Labour: 27,778
• Liberal Democrat: 23,960
• Independents and others: 5,526

Vikki Irwin
at the count in Debenham

Image source, Louise Parker/BBC

Andrew Stringer, the group leader for the Greens in Suffolk, has been re-elected for the Upper Gipping division (Stowupland/Haughley/Mendlesham) at Suffolk County Council.

He says he is feeling "amazing".

"We couldn't have dared hope that we would hold every seat we had here in this part of Suffolk and gain seats," he says.

"It shows that connecting with the electorate, making promises and keeping those promises, then reporting back.

"Actually, people do wake up to that and react."

Reform UK has taken a third seat on Ipswich Borough Council, previously won by Labour in 2022.

David Hurlbut secured a seat in Whitehouse ward with a majority of 300.

Here are the full results:

• David Hurlbut (Reform): 880
• Julie Shooter (Green): 580
• Colin Wright (Labour): 485
• Mark Phillips (Con): 189
• Trevor Powell (Lib Dem): 85

Image source, Joao Santos/Local Democracy Reporting Service

Reform UK has taken major strides in Ipswich, winning eight of the 12 available Suffolk County Council seats.

Stuart Allen, who was elected to the Gipping division south-east Ipswich with a majority of 254 majority, says he will focus on the issues that really mattered to his residents, though he did not specify which.

"It was close, so I’m really happy to have been given the opportunity by the residents to represent them at the council," he tells our Local Democracy reporter, Joao Santos.

"The people of Ipswich obviously want a different party to sort their issues out, and we want Ipswich and Suffolk to be the best they can be."

Allen was the only Reform candidate to speak to the press today, with other candidates all instructed not to engage.

The full results for Gipping were:

• Stuart Allen (Reform): 1,104 votes
• David Ellesmere (Labour): 850
• Dalian Haynes (Green): 494
• Bbosa Kiyingi (Conservative): 346
• Daniel Davey (Lib Dem): 172

Labour has retained its Westgate seat on Ipswich Borough Council after Colin Kreidewolf secured a majority of 286.

Here are the full results:

• Colin Kreidewolf (Labour): 805 votes
• John Mann (Green): 519
• James Hollins (Reform UK): 508
• Stephen Kirby (Con): 253
• Martin Hore (Lib Dem): 137

Reform UK has now had its first couple of wins on Ipswich Borough Council.

Stuart Allen has taken the Sprites seat - won by Labour last time round in 2022.

Here were the full results for Sprites:

• Stuart Allen (Reform): 894
• Colin Smart (Labour): 424
• Michael Scanes (Con): 359
• Martin Hynes (Green): 191
• Robin Whitmore (Lib Dem): 96

Priory Heath has also gone to Reform, another previously won by Labour four years ago:

• Timothy Buttle (Reform): 876
• Owen Bartholomew (Labour): 761
• Paul Daley (Green): 442
• Albert Demaj (Con): 315
• Nigel Fox (Lib Dem): 148

Image source, Joao Santos/Local Democracy Reporting Service

Amid big losses of councillors across the UK, success for the Labour leader of Ipswich Borough Council will offer some relief for the local party.

Labour could not have lost control of the council, as only a third of seats were up for election.

Here were the full results for the St John's ward:

• Neil MacDonald (Labour): 983 votes
• Joshua Owens (Reform UK): 866
• Leon Paternoster (Green): 728
• Oliver Lee-Pearson (Con): 348
• Kelly Turner (Lib Dem): 182

The leader of Ipswich Borough Council, Neil MacDonald, has retained his seat.

Image source, Ipswich Borough Council

Neil MacDonald, Ipswich Borough Council’s leader, will hear the result for his St John's ward seat read out soon.

Earlier, a councillor told our Local Democracy reporter Joao Santos he could be in trouble – let’s wait and see.

Ben Parker
at the count in Lowestoft

Image source, Ben Parker/BBC

Vicky Harper, 34, was the Green Party candidate in Kesgrave and lost out to the Conservatives in the Suffolk County Council elections.

Despite this, she still took 1,120 votes, compared to Debbie McCallum's 1,308, and says she only joined the Greens back in February, wanting to stand after her experiences as a mum to children with special educational needs and disabilities.

 "I just was feeling so disheartened with everything that was going on in the world," she says.

"I think we're bombarded every single day with how divided we are, how much hate there is in the world, and I know that's not the case."

She adds: " My biggest motivation is my daughters.

"They are both autistic. Special educational needs has been a huge part of my life for the past five years.

"I have seen first hand what it is to advocate and work and never, ever give up for my children, and that was the biggest motivation for me wanting to do this for Kesgrave."

Image source, Louise Parker/BBC

Kerrie Turner of Reform UK celebrates her win in the Cornard & Sudbury East division for the Suffolk County Council elections.

She took home 1,316 of the votes.

Image source, Louise Parker/BBC

Matt Precey
at the count in Bury St Edmunds

Image source, Matt Precey/BBC

The counting is over and the hall is being cleared in Bury St Edmunds - one of the four county council counts.

There has been euphoria among the Reform UK contingent here. The Conservatives meanwhile are putting a brave face on things.

Matt Precey
at the count in Bury St Edmunds

Image source, Matt Precey/BBC

Just out of his teens, Dylan Roques from the Greens has won the Abbeygate & Minden ward in the Suffolk County Council election.

The seat, in Bury St Edmunds, was won by the Conservatives in 2021.

Roques, 20, rang his mother immediately after the result to tell her he had won.

"It's amazing to see the result," he says.

"It felt like it was such a divisive campaign, one of the most divisive campaigns I've been involved in.

"I'd like to take a moment to really thank the residents who have put their trust in me."