Election

England council results

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Summary

What are your views on the election results in Swindon and Cheltenham? Let us know

Live Reporting

Edited by Chris Kelly and Zosia Eyres with reporters at counts in Swindon and Cheltenham

  1. Your Voice: 'Horrified at Reform growing'

    Sammy Jenkins
    Live page reporter

    Finn from Swindon has been in touch with us with their thoughts....

    Horrified at Reform growing so much here. It’s a mistake to promote more division - they have failed to find savings everywhere else, why would it be different here?

    Finn in Swindon

    Do you agree or disagree? Keen to hear your thoughts via our contact form on this page (on the left hand side for desktop and at the top for mobile users)

    Your Voice banner

  2. 'We want to do the best for Swindon'

    Bea Swallow
    BBC News, West of England

    A group of Conservative candidates celebrating their win, posing for a picture wearing blue rosettes.

    Vinay Manro, chair of the Conservatives in Swindon, says it has been a "fantastic day" for the party.

    "We had a target of 20, so to reach 23 is brilliant," he adds.

    “We’ve bucked the trend and proven that Reform, when they campaign on national issues, don’t always win seats.

    “We focused on local. Swindon Conservatives are here - we’re listening to residents and we want to do the best for Swindon," he says.

  3. Last ward announced in Swindon
    Breaking

    Sophie Parker
    BBC News, Wiltshire

    The last two seats to be announced in this local election in Swindon have made the Conservatives the largest party on the council.

    Jake Chandler and Kate Tomlinson have won for the Tories in St Andrews East.

    However, even with 23 seats, the party is not in control. A party would have needed at least 29 councillors in Swindon for that.

  4. Where we are so far in Swindon

    Sophie Parker
    BBC News, Wiltshire

    Conservative councillor Matthew Vallender has just won in South Marston - with a near 60% voter turnout.

    Meanwhile, in Gorse Hill, Labour's Princia Jenovi Fernandes will be representing residents.

    The Blunsdon ward has been won by Conservative Nick Gardiner.

    The overall count currently stands at:

    • Conservative - 21
    • Labour - 19
    • Reform - 14
    • Liberal Democrats - 1

    Just two seats left to go in St Andrew East...

  5. Couple win together

    Sophie Parker
    Live page reporter

    Conservative couple Barbara Parry and Kevin Parry have won the two seats for Covingham and Nythe.

    We make the current count: Con 19, Lab 18, Reform 14, Lib 1. We have five seats left to declare in four wards.

  6. Two more seats for Reform

    Sophie Parker
    Live page reporter

    Penhill and Pinehurst will be represented by Mark Bogard and Martyn Pearce with Reform UK.

    While the voter turnout in Swindon overall was higher than expected, this ward was only just above 30%.

  7. A note on turnout

    Marie Lennon
    Political reporter, Swindon

    Yes, turnout has been higher than expected in Swindon, but a word on how that varies across town.

    In Old Town and Lawn one of the most affluent areas in the borough, around half of all eligible people voted. In Penhill and Pinehurst, where there is more social deprivation, it was 30.85%.

  8. Results coming in fast

    Sophie Parker
    Live page reporter

    Three wards have come in fast.

    Reform gains more seats in Haydon Wick - both James Head and Anthony Hedges win for Reform and the third councillor to represent the area will be Stanka Wilson for Labour.

    For Lower Stratton, Andrew Cripps for Reform, Marco Di Pinto with the Conservatives and Roger Smith, also with the Conservatives, have all been elected.

    In Broadgreen, Adorabelle Amaral-Shaikh for Labour and Annabelle Pegado with the Conservatives will be representing the ward.

  9. No overall control
    Breaking

    We're now getting to the stage where maths comes into play. Reform UK, Labour and the Conservatives all have the main share of the seats declared so far.

    But with 11 seats left to declare - and Labour with the highest share at 17 - no party is going to hit the 29 seats they would need to win an overall majority.

  10. Labour leader - 'We'd work with other parties - but not Reform'

    Swindon's Labour leader Jim Robbins says his party is up for working with others "in the interests of Swindon", should the result be a hung council.

    "It feels at the moment that Reform, because of the views of some of their candidates, aren't a party we'd want to work with," he adds.

    Cllr Jim Robbins - 'What if it's a hung council'?

  11. Your Voice: 'Need to act fast'

    Sammy Jenkins
    Live page reporter

    Alex in Swindon has been in touch with us and says whoever runs Swindon Borough Council after this election will have to act fast.

    Do you agree?

    Modern times have conditioned people to expect fast, visible results and instant responsiveness, while local councils operate on slow-moving funding cycles, legal processes and long-term transformation plans. That creates a growing gap between resident expectations and what councils can realistically deliver, making public frustration and political volatility much higher. Whoever runs Swindon Borough Council after this election will need to act fast!

    Alex in Swindon

    Your Voice banner

  12. Three more councillors for Reform

    Sophie Parker
    Live page reporter, Swindon

    Two more wards have been announced here in Swindon - Upper Stratton will be represented by Mark Ratcliffe and Gordon Slade, both from Reform.

    Parks has Sara Godwin for Reform and Jocelina D'Souza for Labour.

    So far: Labour 16, Conservative 14, Reform 9, Lib Dem 1.

    That's 40 of 57 seats declared - nine wards remaining.

  13. 'Not a natural Green stomping ground'

    Tom Butcher is doing a TV interview - he is facing the interviewer wearing a suit jacket and white shirt with a green rosette attached.

    So far, the Green Party has achieved hundreds of votes in each ward in Swindon, but has won no seats.

    Tom Butcher is one of the candidates - he was a Labour councillor who defected and says he is "absolutely comfortable with the defection" and has made "good friends".

    However, he admits Swindon isn't a "natural Green stomping ground".

    He says they are disappointed but "proud of what we've achieved".

    "We started behind the other parties. We've really thrown everything at the campaign.

    "We've really enthused a lot of people into politics," he adds.

  14. Your Voice: 'How do they expect us to keep up?'

    Speaking to reporter Marie Lennon ahead of polling day, council tax was one subject every party reached a consensus on.

    All candidates stressed it was "impossible" not to raise it - but how do you feel?

    Paul has been in touch with us - but do you agree?

    When I bought my first house in Swindon almost 10 years ago at the age of 24, my council tax for a band C house was around £135/month for a 10 monthly cycle. Now it's almost £220/month for the same cycle and the same band. How do they expect residents to be able to keep up and afford these never-ending rate rises, especially when we get nothing extra back in return?

    Paul in Swindon

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  15. Two more Labour wins

    Another result in for Swindon.

    Abdul Amin and Emma Bushell have won two seats for Labour in Walcot.

  16. What happened in the elections in Cheltenham today?

    The local elections have provided a last-minute twist in Cheltenham today, as Reform UK earned its first ever seat on a Gloucestershire council.

    The overall political balance of Cheltenham Borough Council remains largely unchanged, as the Liberal Democrats maintain a firm hold with 17 out of 20 seats.

    But as the final ballots were counted - and recounted to make sure - Reform took control of Hester's Way ward, with a handful of votes separating the candidates.

    The Greens also managed to hold onto two seats. The authority has recorded an overall voter turnout of 47% in the local election.

  17. Your Voice: 'I have no faith'

    Is the political landscape in Swindon so far mirroring how you voted yesterday?

    Keep your comments coming in.

    I voted for a Labour candidate, a Conservative candidate and a Reform candidate. I have no faith that any of them will do anything differently and we will get more of the same regardless of who wins overall control. We need proportional representation sooner rather than later! Will make the big parties less reliant on loyal voters and actually work for the communities they claim to represent.

    Paul in Swindon

    Your Voice banner

  18. Conservatives have Chiseldon and Ridgeway

    Sammy Jenkins
    Live page reporter

    Gary Sumner and Matt Hinton have it. Chiseldon and Ridgeway is blue.

  19. Full steam ahead! Where is the action happening in Swindon?

    Sophie Parker
    BBC News, Wiltshire

    A steam locomotive in a covered museum, with mock platforms down either side. Two people are walking towards the photographer.

    Some pictures might give the impression all the action in Swindon is happening in a big hall - but the count is actually happening in a museum.

    Candidates can be seen popping out to make the odd phone call beside old steam locomotives and urns for tea are making their way down platforms.

    One of Swindon's claims to fame is its railway history - it had an extensive railway works and the count is happening inside museum STEAM.

  20. Reform take Rodbourne Cheney

    Sammy Jenkins
    BBC News, Live page reporter

    Swindon Borough Council has two more Reform UK councillors.

    Lawrence Rudyard Davies and Derek James O'Hanlon have been elected in Rodbourne Cheney.

    The number of Reform councillors in the borough is now up to six.