Labour wins knife-edge West Midlands battle as Andy Street ousted - follow live

Labour is 'determined' to win back trust of voters angry about Gaza

Keir Starmer struck a conciliatory tone as he told voters who had turned away from Labour over its stance on Gaza that he was determined to win their trust again in the future.

Speaking in Birmingham, the Labour leader said: "I say directly to those who may have voted Labour in the past, but felt on this occasion they couldn't, that across the West Midlands we are a proud and diverse community. I have heard you. I have listened. And I am determined to meet your concerns and to gain your respect and trust again in the future."

Keir Starmer celebrates victory with new West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker (PA)

Keir Starmer says West Midlands victory is 'beyond our expectations'

Labour leader Keir Starmer has declared that his party's victory in the West Midlands shows it is ready to govern.

"This phenomenal result was beyond our expectations," he said. "People across the country have had enough of Conservative chaos and decline and voted for change with Labour. Our fantastic new mayor Richard Parker stands ready to deliver a fresh start for the West Midlands.

"My changed Labour party is back in the service of working people, and stands ready to govern. Labour will turn the page after fourteen years of Tory decline and usher in a decade of national renewal. That change starts today."

Labour wins West Midlands mayoralty by just 1,508 votes

The official results show that Labour's Richard Parker got 225,590 votes to Andy Street's 224,082.

In his victory speech, the newly-elected Mayor of the West Midlands told Rishi Sunak that people across the country are "calling for a general election".

Mr Street, who had been the mayor since the post was created in 2017, said he hoped he'd done the job with "dignity and integrity".

500 deaths is criminal and you can't blame it on strikers - Voice of the Mirror

"It has been a great pleasure, a great privilege," he added. "But tonight I just want to say thank you and good night."

Labour calls the West Midlands battle for Richard Parker

Labour has declared victory in the West Midlands after a knife-edge battle.

Richard Parker has successfully ousted Conservative Andy Street, who has been the mayor since 2017.

Labour's deputy campaign chief Ellie Reeves tweeted that it was an "incredible result and significant victory". "Right across the country people have voted for change and the message is clear. It’s time for a General Election and a Labour government to get our country’s future back," she added.

Count Binface celebrates beating Britain First

London mayoral hopeful Count Binface said "down with fascism, up with Ceefax" after discovering he had beaten Britain First's candidate Nick Scanlon.

He told reporters at City Hall: "It looks like I have defeated Britain First in an election. Come on, you have to cheer about that...down with fascism, up with Ceefax, what can I say?"

Count Binface speaks to reporters (Getty Images)

Sadiq Khan apologises to his daughters for protests at their house

Sadiq Khan says London result paves way for Labour general election victory

Sadiq Khan has said that London has rejected hate after he won an historic third term as mayor.

In his victory speech, the Labour politician said: "Thank you from the bottom of my heart, thank you London. It is the honour of my life to serve the city that I love. I am beyond humbled right now."

He added: "It's been a difficult few months. We faced a campaign of non-stop negativity. But I couldn't be more proud that we answered fearmongering with facts, hate with hope, and attempts to divide with efforts to unite. We ran a campaign that was in keeping with the spirit and values of this great city, a city that regards our diversity not as a weakness, but an almighty strength. And one that rejects right-wing populism and looks forward not back."

His Tory rival Susan Hall shook her head as he made his remarks.

Mr Khan added that Labour is "ready to govern again under Keir Starmer". He went on: "It's time for Rishi Sunak to give the public a choice. A general election. We just paved the path to a new direction for our country."

Sadiq Khan gives victory speech alongside his Tory rival Susan Hall (Getty Images)

West Midlands result delayed as full recount ordered of all ballots cast in Coventry

It looks like we may not be getting a result in the West Midlands mayoral battle for a while.

A full recount has been ordered for all ballots cast in Coventry. Electoral officials at the Birmingham count estimate that it could take around two hours to complete.

A partial recount has been ordered in the West Midlands

A partial "bundle" recount has been ordered in Birmingham for the election of the West Midlands mayor.

As piles of ballot papers were moved onto desks nearer the stage at the International Convention Centre, an official announcement said a bundle check would take place.

The announcer told party activists to ensure counting agents were available to supervise and observe the checks.

Just a few thousand votes could decide West Midlands mayoral race

The battle for the West Midlands mayoralty looks to be incredibly close.

Party sources suggest there could be just a few thousand votes between Tory Andy Street and his Labour challenger Richard Parker.

Lib Dems pick up more council seats than the Conservatives

The Liberal Democrats are celebrating as it looks like they have won more council seats than the Conservatives in Thursday's local elections.

The latest tallies, as the final results still trickle in, show they have won 521 of the available council seats compared to the Tories on 509.

According to the the Liberal Democrats, this has only ever happened once before in 1996.

The party's leader Sir Ed Davey said: "Up and down the country Conservative MPs will be looking over their shoulder terrified of the Liberal Democrats who have won more seats than them in this election. This was the final test before the General Election and it's clear Conservative MPs are on notice."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey (PA)

Tracy Brabin re-elected as Mayor of West Yorkshire

It's more good news for Labour as Tracy Brabin has been re-elected as the Mayor of West Yorkshire.

The former Coronation Street actor turned politician got 275,430 votes compared to her Tory rival who picked up 82,757.

She said: "I am delighted to have been re-elected as Mayor of West Yorkshire. People have renewed their faith in me and I'll continue to deliver for every community in our region.

"We will build on our work of the last three years to create a brighter West Yorkshire that works for all."

Tracy Brabin has been re-elected as Mayor of West Yorkshire (Getty Images)

Andy Burnham re-elected as Mayor of Greater Manchester as he smashes Tories

Andy Burnham has been re-elected as Mayor of Greater Manchester.

He got over 420,000 votes compared to his Tory challenger who picked up 68,000. The result is disappointing for the Conservatives who picked up 10.4% of votes compared to 19.6% in 2021.

The Labour politician, who has been nicknamed King of the North, has held the role since 2017.

Mr Burnham said he was hoping he could do even more for the region if Keir Starmer is elected as PM. "Greater Manchester's moment is now and I'm absolutely not going to waste it," he said.

Speaking at the election count, he said the country "desperately needs a new government". He told supporters: "It is has been hard to keep Greater Manchester moving forward when the country has been going backwards. We have managed it and our economy is growing faster than the UK.

"Yet we still need change and that is why it is so good to see the country voting for it at these elections. Britain desperately needs a new government and a fresh start and from here we will work hard to bring that change about."

First result shows West Midlands battle on a knife-edge

Traditional Tory stronghold Solihull is the first of seven council areas to declare its results for the West Midlands Mayor election, with Andy Street polling well ahead of Labour's Richard Parker. Mr Parker received 11,728 votes, well behind Mr Street on 35,289.

However, there is a 5.4% swing from the Conservatives to Labour. If that was repeated across the region it would be enough to oust Mr Street.

Solihull has the smallest number of registered voters of the seven boroughs in the region, with 162,529 of an electorate of more than two million.

(Getty Images)

Labour sources calling London for Sadiq Khan

The Labour Party believes Sadiq Khan has won an historic third term as Mayor of London.

After he took a commanding lead following early results, the party is confident that he will be victorious.

Early results indicate there has been a swing from the Conservatives to Labour. After four of 14 constituencies declared their results, Mr Khan had 350,453 votes to Tory challenger Susan Hall's 165,301.

Labour holds on to South Yorkshire mayoralty

And another result. Labour's Oliver Coppard has retained his job as South Yorkshire Mayor with 138,611 votes, with Conservative Nick Allen second with 44,945.

In his victory speech, Mr Coppard has said he will "join millions of people across the north in calling out this Government for their failure to level up our country".

Labour's Steve Rotheram re-elected as Mayor of the Liverpool City Region

Steve Rotheram has urged Rishi Sunak to call a general election after he was re-elected as Liverpool City Region Mayor.

In his victory speech, the Labour politician said: "The Prime Minister is squatting in Downing Street and I say, come out and face the voters, Mr Sunak, call a general election, we're ready when you are."

He secured a massive 68% of the vote, ahead of the Tories on 10%. He has held the role since 2017.

Speaking after he was re-elected, Mr Rotheram said: "To those who were unable to have their voices heard because of the Government's regressive ID laws, I understand your disappointment, I met many people on the doorstep who couldn't vote and I think its wrong to deny a single person their democratic right to vote.

"But today the people in our area have not only spoken, they've hollered at the top of their voices, with two simple and clear messages: To the Government, enough is enough, and locally, Labour is delivering in power."

Steve Rotheram has been re-elected as the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region (Liverpool Echo)

Sadiq Khan gets early boost in first results in race for Mayor of London

Sadiq Khan has received a boost as the first results in the London mayoral election suggest a swing from the Conservatives to Labour.

In Merton and Wandsworth, the Labour politician got 48.3% of the vote compared to his Tory challenger Susan Hall who got 28.6%. There was a 5.1 swing from the Conservatives to Labour.

It was a similar picture in Greenwich and Lewisham. Mr Khan got 46.5% compared to Ms Hall on 26.2%.

Elections expert Professor Sir John Curtice said they were "good results for Sadiq Khan". "A lot of the speculation that emerged late last night... has probably proven to be misplaced," he told BBC News.

Who is Susan Hall? The gaffe-prone Tory candidate for London Mayor who got in Gemma Collins row

The Conservative candidate to be Mayor of London is no stranger to controversy.

Susan Hall has faced criticism over social media posts as well as gaffes she has made during the campaign. The former Harrow Council leader supported Donald Trump and expressed “deep joy” at Liz Truss’ mini-Budget.

Campaigners have raised concerns about her suitability to be mayor after footage emerged of her suggesting the Black community has “problems with crime”. And during the election contest she has appeared to struggle with even the most basic questions.

Here we take a look at her most controversial moments.

(Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)

Keir Starmer gives his verdict on claims Sadiq Khan could lose

Keir Starmer has said he is "confident" that Sadiq Khan will win an historic third term as London Mayor.

The Labour leader was questioned on whether the party had made a mistake by picking him to run again amid suggestions the race could be very tight.

Mr Starmer told Sky News: "Sadiq Khan was absolutely the right candidate. He's got two terms of delivering behind him and I'm confident he's got another term of delivery in front of him."

Keir Starmer with newly elected East Midlands mayor Claire Ward in Mansfield (PA)

Keir Starmer says the Tories no longer deserve to be in power

The Conservatives no longer deserve to be in power, Keir Starmer has said at a rally in Mansfield.

Speaking alongside the new Labour mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward, he said: "I think the message here is very, very clear, and I think across the East Midlands there has been a sending of that message to the Government, which is we are fed up with your division, with your chaos, with your failure. Fourteen years, and I am sorry, I don't care which political party you support, if you leave your country in a worse state then when you found it 14 years later you do not deserve to be in Government for a moment longer."

Mr Starmer said his party will "turn the page on decline" as he set out his stall for the general election. He added: "Let's turn the page on decline and usher in national renewal with Labour."

Explosive row between Tory Ben Houchen and journalist

Ben Houchen was victorious in his battle to remain as Tees Valley Mayor, but he got into a row with a journalist at the count yesterday.

The Tory politician had a bad-tempered exchange with Richard Brooks from Private Eye, who has written extensively about the running of the Teesworks project.

Luckily our colleague Rob Parsons was recording his Northern Agenda podcast nearby and got the confrontation on tape. You can listen to his podcast now.

Elections expert Sir John Curtice gives his 'big takeaway' from locals

Local election results so far demonstrate Rishi Sunak has "very little to show" for his efforts to recover the Conservative brand following Liz Truss's premiership, Sir John Curtice said.

The election expert told the BBC: "There is nothing in these results to suggest contrary to the opinion polls that the Conservatives are actually beginning to narrow the gap on Labour, and that so far at least, Rishi Sunak's project which has tried to recover from the disaster - from the Conservatives' point of view - of the Liz Truss fiscal event, that project has still got very little to show for it. That in a sense is the big takeaway.

"Now the Conservatives, as when all parties do badly in elections, they always want you to focus on the exception rather than the rule, and Tees Valley and probably the West Midlands are the exceptions not the rule."

On Labour losses over its stance on Gaza, Sir John said: "At the moment I think what we would find if we had a general election is that Labour might well fall back in some of these seats, but because the Labour Party is already so strong, they would probably still succeed in winning the parliamentary election. But yep, this is a big message to Labour from these local elections, is that you are indeed now in trouble with some of your Muslim former supporters."

Elections expert Professor Sir John Curtice (Getty Images)

Three reasons why the race to become London mayor could be close

1. No one has ever won a third term. Ken Livingstone was beaten by Boris Johnson when he tried in 2008, while Mr Johnson decided to return to Westminster instead of seeking a third term. Sadiq Khan was first elected in 2016 when he got 44.2% of first preference voters. When he ran for a second time in 2021 - after the election was delayed a year because of the pandemic - his share of first preference votes was lower at 40.0%.

2. The voting system has changed. For the first time the election will be decided by First Past The Post in the same way as parliamentary elections. Previously voters got to cast a first and second preference vote. This meant that supporters of parties such as the Greens and Lib Dems could back their own candidate in the first round and then give their vote to Mr Khan in a second round. This time that will not be the case with people getting just one choice.

3. Turnout is higher in outer London. Figures show that a larger proportion of people voted in outer London boroughs, which traditionally have been more likely to back the Conservatives. There are fears that many people in these areas are angry about Mr Khan’s decision to expand Ulez, which charges drivers of the most polluting vehicles. Turnout was 48.4% in Bexley and Bromley, compared to just 31.1% in the City and East London.

Read the full story.

Boris Johnson admits trying to use strange item as voter ID

Boris Johnson has admitted that he was turned away at a polling station on Thursday after attempting to vote without a valid ID. The Prime Minister said he attempted to use the address label from a magazine that he got in the post as a form of identification.

In his column in the Daily Mail, he wrote: "I want to pay a particular tribute to the three villagers who on Thursday rightly turned me away when I appeared in the polling station with nothing to prove my identity except the sleeve of my copy of Prospect magazine, on which my name and address had been printed. I showed it to them and they looked very dubious... within minutes I was back with my driving licence and voted Tory."

The Mirror revealed on Thursday evening that Mr Johnson had only had some post with his name and address on it.

The requirement to provide photo ID was introduced by Mr Johnson during his time in Downing Street as part of the Elections Act 2022.

Read the full story.

Results still to come on Saturday

Votes will be counted in mayoral races including London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester on Saturday.

Sadiq Khan is hoping to become the first person ever to win a third term as the mayor of the capital, although he faces a challenge partly because the voting system has changed so is now First Past The Post.

Tory Andy Street faces a close fight in the West Midlands, while Andy Burnham is expected to win comfortably in Greater Manchester.

Mayors will also be announced in the Liverpool City region, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Salford. The results of 10 police and crime commissioner elections are due later on Saturday, along with the final remaining local council declarations.

Andy Burnham is seeking re-election as Mayor of Greater Manchester (ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Green Party sweeps up in Bristol putting Thangam Debbonaire at risk

It is not looking good for Labour's Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire.

The Green Party has won all 14 council seats in the wards that make up the Bristol Central constituency where she’s standing at the general election.

Ms Debbonaire won her current seat Bristol West, which has slightly different boundaries, with a majority of 28,219 votes in 2019.

Yvette Cooper admits Gaza has impacted Labour

Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has admitted that the conflict in Gaza has dented the party.

She told Times Radio: "There are some areas where this is an issue, we clearly recognise that."

"Obviously there have been some areas where we know that there have been some independent candidates campaigning very strongly on the issue of Gaza, which people do feel very strongly about.

"Look, it is an issue in some areas and that does recognise, I think, the fact that tens of thousands of people have been killed. It's just devastating what's happening. It's why we do need an immediate ceasefire "

Which councils have changed hands so far?

It's also worth having a look at which councils have changed hands today. Latest figures show Labour have overall control of eight more than they did yesterday, while the Tories have lost eight.

With 83 of 107 councils declared, these are the ones that have seen a change in leadership.

Adur - Labour gain from Tories

Basildon - No overall control, was Tory

Brentwood - No overall control, was Tory

Cannock Chase - Labour gain from Tories

Hartlepool - Labour gain from no overall control

Hyndburn - Labour gain from no overall control

Milton Keynes - Labour gain from no overall control

North East Lincolnshire - No overall control, was Tory

Nuneaton and Bedworth - Labour gain from Tory

Oldham - No overall control, was Labour

Redditch - Labour gain from Tories

Rushmoor - Labour gain from Tories

Tamworth - Labour gain from no overall control

Thurrock - Labour gain from no overall control

How many council seats have the Tories lost so far?

As 6pm approaches, let's have a look at the number of council seats the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems have lost and gained.

It's been a rough 48 hours for the Conservatives, who have so far shed a massive 337 councillors. It's a better picture for Labour, who have won an additional 141, while the Lib Dems have 56 more than they started with.

The Greens have another 41, while there are now 82 more independents.