West Midlands Tories left to lick wounds after local elections

In many areas, particularly Wolverhampton, the Tories were beaten into third place, even in seats they were defending.

And in Dudley, UKIP gained seven councillors while in Walsall the party took three seats, preventing Labour from what had widely been anticipated as its chance to take control with a majority.

Now, with UKIP having become the main opposition on Cannock Chase Council, Tories are assessing the damage from the last electoral test before David Cameron goes to the country in 2015 in the hopes of getting a Conservative government without the need for Liberal Democrat support.

After a night and day of high drama:

• The retiring Wolverhampton Tory leader called for an EU referendum as UKIP pushed the Tories into third in the city

• UKIP became the second biggest party in Cannock after Jodie Jones quit the Conservatives to become an Independent

• Tory and Labour chiefs in Walsall were discussing how to move forward after no party got overall control

• The Tories are now a one-seat party in Sandwell, with UKIP also taking one seat

• UKIP took five seats in Wyre Forest - with still no controlling party

• Dudley Council is to press on with regeneration after holding control of the council

In Wolverhampton, Labour held 12 seats and took three from the Conservatives. The Tories held on to a further four but were run very close in Penn an Merry Hill, the latter to just 19 votes, by Labour.

UKIP came second in 17 wards and managed to keep its seat in Spring Vale. The seat was originally Liberal Democrat but Councillor Malcolm Gwinnett switched support to UKIP before the election.

FULL ELECTION RESULTS:

• Dudley results

• Sandwell results

• Walsall results

• Wolverhampton results

• Cannock Chase results

• Wyre Forest results

Paul Uppal, MP for Wolverhampton South West, said despite the losses it was not a bad result for the Tories.

"We knew it was going to be difficult but what we have to do now is get our message out over the next year about the improvements in the economy."

Neville Patten, Wolverhampton's Conservative leader, retired yesterday but had to watch as his Bushbury North seat fell to Labour.

He said: "UKIP affected all the wards this time."

"I hope they don't do very well in the general election because if our party tried to do a pact with them then that would be the death knell for the Tory party, so I fear the worst if that happens."

In the Merry Hill ward there was a tense re-count as Labour ran very close to unseating the former mayor of Wolverhampton Christine Mills, a councillor for 27 years

Daniel Warren became the youngest councillor ever on Wolverhampton City Council, after he won the vacant Bushbury North seat for Labour at the age of just 21.

He said: "We know the votes for Labour in that area were a lot lower than normal, and that's due to UKIP."

Labour also picked up both Wednesfield North and South, with Mary Bateman taking the North seat for the party on her birthday, and Greg Brackenridge taking the South. Senior Tories in Cannock today spoke of their shock after a councillor and former party association chairman who is engaged to a Conservative MP quit and became an independent.

Cannock Chase councillor Jodie Jones's decision to leave the party has pushed the Conservatives into third place – behind UKIP, who are now the main opposition on the authority. Miss Jones – who is Tory MP Aidan Burley's fiancee – will now continue as an independent councillor.

The reasons for her decision are not yet known and she was not available for comment.

She became the district's youngest ever councillor at 23 when she was elected to represent Rawnsley in 2011. After Thursday's election the Tories and UKIP had six councillors each. But now the Tories only have five, while the Lib Dems have three and there are two independents.

Cannock's Conservative leader Councillor Paul Snape said: "I am disappointed that Jodie has not spoken to me or my deputy about her decision.

"UKIP now holds one more seat but we can still talk to the other party that has three seats and possibly form a coalition."

Labour council leader George Adamson said: "

If she wanted to stand as an independent she should have done on Thursday."

In Walsall, the main political groups were due to hold group meetings seeing as no one has overall control, to decide their next course of action in relation to the leadership of the authority.

In a tightly fought contest, Labour now hold exactly half of the seats in the council. The Tories lost the last Black Country council they held following the elections, and council leader Mike Bird didn't rule out a deal with UKIP, although that would still not give them control. Deputy Labour group leader Sean Coughlan said: "Clearly, we would have preferred to have an overall majority, but will now look to form an administration which will work."

UKIP gained seats in both Wyre Forest and Sandwell councils.

The party took five seats in Wyre Forest in wards previously controlled by the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Party and Independent Community and Health Concern in yesterday's elections.

Eight Tory-held seats were contested at the election with the party defending five of them. No party remains in overall control of the council following the poll and the Conservative group remains the largest with 15 seats. It makes Labour the second largest party on the authority with nine seats despite achieving only an 18 per cent share of the votes.

UKIP's Michael Wrench, who won the Oldington and Foley Park seat, said: "We are delighted with what the party has achieved here in the Wyre Forest district.

"This branch was started with just two people and it has grown from there. People are tired of listening to party's who say there will be changes and then nothing happens."

Conservative leader Councillor Marcus Hart said it had been 'no surprise' UKIP had made in-roads in the district.

"I said we would be looking at a mixed picture in the area and that is what has happened," he said. "Going into the election we were the largest party, and still are by some margin, and we had eight seats being contested which meant we had the most to lose.

"We have defended five of those seats which we are very pleased with."

Although there has been no overall control since 2012, the council has been run by a Tory administration as it is the largest party. This is expected to continue.

In Sandwell, UKIP's Phillip Garrett was the only surprise result of the election to take Princes End from Labour.

Conservatives were beaten into third and fourth place in nearly every ward as they took a battering in the Labour heartland.

The group is coming to terms with being a one-councillor party in the borough after a tough election night. Labour's Tony Meehan and Sue Phillips scored victories in Wednesbury North and Charlemont and Grave Vale wards – with the Tories pushed into third.

Labour control 70 out of 72 seats on the authority.

UKIP also made significant gains in Dudley, winning seven seats on the night but Labour move forward with overall control of the council.

Labour council leader, Councillor David Sparks, narrowly won his Quarry Bank seat by 104 votes. Culture boss and cabinet member Tracy Wood lost her seat on the council to UKIP's Dean Perks.