Election

England council results

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Summary

Live Reporting

Written by Pamela Tickell and edited by Rachel Kerr

  1. Still no seats for Labour in Newcastle

    Luke Walton
    Political correspondent, BBC North East and Cumbria

    With half the Newcastle seats counted, Labour is still waiting to win its first council seat.

    The city has been Labour-led since 2011 and the party has dominated local politics for four of the last five decades.

    The Labour leader of the local authority Karen Kilgour lost her seat to Reform UK.

    The city's first female leader fell victim to a Reform clean sweep in Blakelaw and Cowgate, an area where all three seats were previously held by Labour.

  2. All wrapped up on North Tyneside - Reform becomes chief opposition

    Only a third of seats were up for election in the Labour-led North Tyneside Council, so there was no chance of a leadership change.

    Nevertheless, Reform surged in the seats that were available.

    Results: Reform UK 10, Labour five, Conservative two, Green two, Independent one.

    Newly-appointed Reform councillor Steven Robinson said: "We are now the chief opposition and next year we’ll take the whole council.”

    Directly elected Mayor of North Tyneside, Karen Clark, said "it could have been worse" but reflected on the "sad loss of hardworking Labour councillors who’ve served their communities for decades".

    The Green Party also made history picking up their first ever North Tyneside seats.

  3. Reform wins control of Sunderland City Council
    Breaking

    Richard Moss
    Political editor, North East & Cumbria

    Reform has taken control of Sunderland City Council after more than 50 years of Labour leadership.

    It has 39 councillors - it needed 38 to take over. They still have more wards they can win too.

  4. Sunderland's Labour leader also loses seat
    Breaking

    Richard Moss
    Political editor, North East & Cumbria

    In Sunderland, the Labour council leader Michael Mordey has lost his seat on the council.

    Michael Mordey is standing on a high street and smiling while looking past the camera. He has short black hair and is wearing glasses.Sunderland Labour Group

  5. Newcastle City Council's Labour leader loses seat
    Breaking

    Newcastle's Labour leader Karen Kilgour has lost her seat, with all three seats up in the Blakelaw and Cowgate ward going to Reform UK.

    Karen Kilgour, who has long blonde hair and is wearing black glasses, a grey linen blazer and brown shirt, smiles at the camera.Newcastle City Council

  6. 'Reform has broken the two-party system', councillor says

    Richard Moss
    Political editor, North East & Cumbria

    Former Conservative Paul Donaghy is one of Reform UK's winners in Sunderland.

    He says Reform has broken the two-party system and believes the city saw the vote as a referendum on Keir Starmer, but he recognises his party now needs to deliver the change the city voted for.

    New Sunderland Reform councillor Chris Eynon says the party is benefiting from winning in Durham last year with more people in the region wanting a Reform council.

    He reckons regeneration will continue but wants it to spread out of the city centre and into outlying estates and the former coalfields.

    A composite image of the men. Paul Donaghy has short, greying hair and facial hair. He is wearing a grey suit and an orange lanyard. Chris Eynon has short brown hair and short facial hair. He is wearing a dark suit jacket. They are both wearing turquoise rosettes for Reform UK.

    Paul Donaghy (left) and Chris Eynon were elected for Reform UK in Sunderland

  7. North Tyneside count continues

    Joshua Aitken
    BBC Look North

    Results are coming in from North Tyneside thick and fast now.

    Dan Robson is the latest Reform UK win here, but upon his victory was nowhere to be seen. Instead we were met with this empty stage.

    I'm told the newly-elected Howdon ward councillor was a "last minute candidate" and is currently on a family holiday. It left the returning officer looking lonely on the stage and he's therefore the first councillor not to deliver a victory speech.

    Meanwhile, there were birthday blues for Labour's Sandra Graham, who lost her seat to the Greens on her 70th birthday.

    In a speech, she thanked her supporters before rushing to the back of the hall where she was embraced by fellow campaigners and consoled by leader of the council Karen Clark.

    At least three Labour cabinet members from North Tyneside council have now lost their seats, but no one party is coming out on top yet here. Reform is a touch ahead but Labour is losing seats to Greens and Conservatives also.

    The small black stage has two microphones and a podium on the front. There is a large North Tyneside Council banner behind with various pictures of the area including the white domes of Spanish City.

    There was an empty stage as the winning Reform candidate was announced

    Karen Clark is sitting and looking off the the right with a dejected look on her face. She has mid-length brown hair and is wearing a red jacket and red rosette. There are people sat on either side of her.

    North Tyneside elected mayor, Labour's Karen Clark, was subdued

  8. Early Green success in Newcastle

    Luke Walton
    Political correspondent, BBC North East and Cumbria

    We've seen the Greens get off to a fast start here in Newcastle.

    The first five wards were: Green 11, Reform UK three, Liberal Democrats one.

    Many of these wards were always promising targets for the Greens, so this doesn't mean the party is heading for a majority

    However, the party has already more than doubled its local representation and activists are delighted.

    Labour has seen significant losses and though it's early days, with the vast majority of wards still to declare, its domination of this council looks to be coming to an end.

    Two men wearing green rosettes are smiling at each other. The taller man, on the left, has short brown hair and is wearing a checked shirt and blue jacket. The man on the right is bald and is wearing glasses. He is wearing a white body warmer.

  9. Reform vs Lib Dems prediction in Sunderland

    Richard Moss
    Political editor, North East & Cumbria

    Sunderland Liberal Democrat group leader Paul Edgeworth tells me he expects his party to be the main opposition to Reform in the new council chamber.

    Edgeworth says the Liberal Democrat vote has held up because of their record of representing local people. He says the task now will be to hold an inexperienced Reform UK leadership to account.

    In the meantime, there have been more Reform wins in Sunderland - 12 of the 15 councillors declared so far. A big win looks likely.

    Paul Edgeworth is smiling with his mouth open and looking right at the camera. He has short brown hair and round glasses. He is wearing a blue football shirt with a yellow rosette around his neck.

    Sunderland Liberal Democrat group leader Paul Edgeworth retained his seat

    A group of people stand in front of the stage in the sports hall. At least four of them are wearing turquoise rosettes for Reform.

    Reform UK have won 12 of the 15 seats so far

  10. A look back at animals at polling stations

    A short interlude to take a look back at some of the animal which joined their owners at polling stations on Thursday.

    A black greyhound with a red collar, a pink jacket and an orange lead alongside a polling station sign which is resting against brown railings

    Penny carries out her civic responsibilities in Sunderland

    A close up of a small white dog looking directly at the camera and wearing a black and red harness with the name Cookie in white letters and a red lead is attached

    Cookie showing an interest in the goings on at a polling station in Sunderland

    A light brown dachshund standing tied by a red lead to black railings on which there is a polling station sign attached with black letters on a white background. There are some black doors open to the polling station which is a red brick building

    Nina the dachshund waits patiently outside a polling station in North Tyneside

    A black staffy sits alongside a polling station sign which is propped against a brown wood building. The dog has a black and metal colour and there is a brown leather lead attached

    Luna the staffy sitting like a good girl outside a polling station in South Shields

    A grey cat with an orange collar. The cat is inside a carrying case with its paws resting on a bar. It is on the ground in front of blue metal railings on which there is a polling station signJORDAN MCHUGH

    Ferris the British Short Hair who was out voting for the first time in Washington Village

    A white greyhound stands on grey flagstones in front of bushes which are in front of black railings with a polling station sign on. The dog has a black collar and a red and blue striped lead

    Wilf looks very pleased to have voted in Gateshead

  11. BBC Radio Newcastle's election programme starts

    BBC Radio Newcastle is covering the North East election results with a special programme which has just started.

    You can follow council results as they are declared and analysis from BBC reporters at the counts.

    You can listen live here.

  12. Labour 'feeling resigned' in Gateshead

    Mark Denten
    BBC Look North

    Although only about half the wards have been counted so far, there is a definite mood of resignation from Labour here in Gateshead.

    The party has three seats compared to 46 previously.

    The big beneficiary has been Reform UK which so far has 15 councillors. They started the day with none.

    The counting staff are taking a well-earned break at the moment but will back soon counting the remaining wards.

    Reform need another 19 councillors to take control here.

  13. South Tyneside so far...

    Helen Richardson
    Political correspondent, BBC Radio Newcastle

    After four ward announcements, it’s looking like a battle between the Green Party and Reform UK in South Tyneside.

    So far, Reform has won eight seats and the Greens have won four.

    The leader of the Green group on South Tyneside, Rachael Taylor (pictured), has retained her seat. She says she's worried about sharing a chamber full of inexperienced politicians.

    Very interesting to see how high turnout has been in some of the wards declaring so far. In Beacon and Bents it was 50.5%.

    Rachael Taylor is smiling at the camera. She has long brown hair and is wearing a green patterned shirt.

  14. Turnout up in North Tyneside

    Joshua Aitken
    BBC North East and Cumbria

    We've had figures in for the turnout here in North Tyneside and it's 42.24%.

    This is surprisingly high. Earlier we were told counting was taking longer than usual but when the number was revealed even some of the officials around us were exchanging shocked reactions.

    It seems that the primary rivalry for the day will be between Reform UK and Labour but there is some excitement among Green candidates in some wards.

    The same can't be said for the Lib Dems, Liberal Democrat candidate Alexander Martin (pictured) joked "there's no votes in my box! I looked and it was files, files, files... no files in mine!" But despite this he says he's pleased with the national picture for the party.

    Alexander Martin is shrugging with a tight smile on his face. He is wearing a yellow shirt and rosette. Behind him, people are standing around the sports hall which has a stage in the middle.

  15. Lib Dems win first seats in Sunderland, Reform just behind

    Richard Moss
    Political editor, North East & Cumbria

    The Liberal Democrats have got their first councillors in Sunderland, winning all three seats in the Grindon and Thorney Close ward.

    Reform UK’s candidates were just behind with Labour’s three candidates a long way back.

    Dozens of people stand around the sports hall looking up at the small black stage which has been set up. The walls behind are draped in blue curtains and there are red Sunderland city banners up as well. Plus a projector screen showing some candidates' names.

  16. First Green councillor on North Tyneside

    Andy Watson
    BBC North East and Cumbria

    Tears of joy from Martin Osborne who becomes the first Green Party councillor on North Tyneside Council.

    Osborne won a fiercely-contested race in North Shields as the Greens picked up 1,156 votes, with Labour trailing on 934, while Reform picked up 938.

    The win was the first time Labour has lost the ward since 1990.

    Osborne said: “I feel amazing, it’s a tough day for Labour but hopefully this is the beginning of a Green breakthrough.”

    Martin Osborne is smiling brightly with both thumbs raised. He is wearing a green rosette and dark three-quarter zip fleece. People are sitting on tables dotted around the sports hall behind him.

  17. Reform takes first seats in Newcastle

    Luke Walton
    Political correspondent, BBC North East and Cumbria

    The second ward has been announced in Newcastle and Reform UK has won its first councillors, taking all three seats in Denton and Westerhope.

    The ward previously had two independents and one Labour councillor.

    The outer west neighbourhood was heavily targeted by Reform which is optimistic it will be the first of many gains here today.

  18. Reform making gains in Gateshead

    Mark Denten
    BBC North East and Cumbria

    Reform UK has now taken 12 seats on Gateshead Council.

    The party did not have any seats here before the elections but they are now running neck and neck with the Lib Dems who also have 12.

    Labour which had 46 seats on the council before the election has three at the moment.

    The Greens have gained their first seat on the council in the High Fell Ward

    There are 66 wards in total to be declared today.

  19. First result in South Tyneside sees Reform gains

    Helen Richardson
    Political correspondent, BBC Radio Newcastle

    Reform UK takes all three seats in the Bede ward on South Tyneside Council, with Independents second, Greens third, Labour fourth and Conservatives fifth.

    Reform have gained almost double the number of votes of other candidates

  20. Sunderland turnout 'considerably higher'

    Richard Moss
    Political editor, North East & Cumbria

    The first result in Sunderland is close.

    There was a 40.5% turnout, which is considerably up on the last time elections were held here in 2024 where it was just over 30%.

    Perhaps a result of an all-out election but also maybe a reflection of a more intense political contest as people realise control of the city is at stake.