Local election results LIVE — Council and mayoral winners begin to emerge as PM seeks glimmer of hope

The key battlegrounds

Below you can get an idea of some of the key areas being contested in this week's local elections.

Labour loses Oldham

Labour has lost Oldham to no overall control this morning.

With 14 of the 20 seats declared the results are in.

Five Labour seats have now been lost to independents in this week's local elections.

Reform UK sees success in Sunderland

The Reform party has seen success in Sunderland overnight, beating the Conservatives in 16 out of the 25 seats contested in the area.

“We are now becoming the real opposition to Labour in Red Wall areas and this will grow,” Richard Tice, the party's leader, said.

Labour gains Rushmoor

Rushmoor council will for the first time in its history be controlled by a Labour majority,

A spokesperson for the party said: “Rushmoor — the home of the British Army — has never had a majority Labour council before, and has been run by the Tories for the last 24 years."

Labour wins Blackpool South by-election

Labour has won the Blackpool South by-election following the resignation of Conservative MP Scott Benton.

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said: “This seismic win in Blackpool South is the most important result today. This is the one contest where voters had the chance to send a message to Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives directly, and that message is an overwhelming vote for change.

“The swing towards the Labour Party in Blackpool South is truly historic and shows that we are firmly back in the service of working people.

“Our new Labour MP Chris Webb has shown that after years of neglect with the Tories, there is a better alternative. The message to Rishi Sunak is clear. It’s time for change, it’s time for a general election.”