Theresa May’s Conservative Party recorded significant gains as Labour suffered big losses in local elections and UKIP faced being virtually wiped out.
The results of Thursday’s voting come five weeks before a general election at which pollsters expect the Tories to increase their majority.
John McDonnell, Labour’s shadow chancellor, said it had been a âtough nightâ but told the BBC “it wasnât the wipeout many predicted.”
In Scotland, Labour lost overall control of Glasgow council for the first time in more than 35 years. In Wales, another traditional Labour stronghold, Jeremy Corbyn’s party lost Bridgend and Blaenau Gwent.
UKIP fared even worse. In Lincolnshire in the East Midlands, the Euroskeptic party lost all of its seats after picking up 16 councillors in the 2013 election.
Election expert John Curtice told the BBC that UKIP “has not disappeared entirely. You can still see a recognizable UKIP vote. But its misfortune is that it was defending a very, very good set of results back in 2013 [during local election] and compared with that the party is a pale shadow of itself.”
He added that this “may be the best result for the Conservatives, certainly for 10 years, maybe for 25,” but for Labour, “probably their worst result since they lost power at Westminster in 2010.”
A total of 4,851 seats are up for grabs in 88 councils â all 32 in Scotland, 22 in Wales and 34 county councils and local authorities in England.
Also being contested are new positions of “metro mayors.” The first metro mayoral result to be announced was for the West of England area â which includes the cities of Bristol and Bath â which went to the Conservative candidate Tim Bowles. The Tories also won the Tees Valley mayoral election.
There was better news for Labour in the mayoral elections, with wins in Liverpool and Greater Manchester.
This story has been updated with additional information.