Local elections: The highs and lows of results night

Labour in Sandwell took all 24 seats that were up for grabs, holding 23 and taking one from the Tories. Now there are 69 Labour representatives in the borough, two Independent Labour, and one UKIP.

The last Conservative was Anne Hughes who lost her seat representing Charlemont with Grove Vale.

West Bromwich East Labour MP Tom Watson took a selfie with councillors to celebrate having all 21 seats in his constituency filled by his party colleagues for the first time ever.

Hung Parliaments and hung councils are never the most ideal way to get things done.

But neither should we be over enamoured by authorities where one party is utterly and completely unshakeable.

Sandwell Council's Labour group saw off the last Conservative in the borough.

Anne Hughes has watched as her colleagues have either lost their seats or retired and had their seats taken by Labour. Now it's happened to her as well.

It leaves a single UKIP councillor elected last year as the only check and balance on 71 other Labour members.

What is the point of them all now? Surely they do not have enough to do between them.

Before anyone accuses me of some sort of anti-Labour sour grapes, let me point out I feel that South Staffordshire with its unshakeable Tories is as much a rotten district as Sandwell is a rotten borough (in a political sense only).

In South Staffs 14 out of the 49 seats did not even get put to the public vote.

They were automatically handed to the Tories because no-one even ran against them.

A tiny band of independents, Labour councillors and a new, lonely UKIPper are no match for the true blue brigade.

That said I'm not entirely sure I like the arrangement in Walsall either.

Labour only just about managed to take power last summer, with exactly half the 60 seats but no majority.

Now after the Conservatives scored a victory here and there (helped, possibly, by the fact that the electorate were choosing their MPs on the same day), we're back into discussions between the parties again. Could Mike Bird be something of a comeback kid? He's pulled off the impossible before.

Alliance

Last year he even negotiated a rainbow alliance with UKIP, the Lib Dems and some independents (a slightly anaemic rainbow in terms of political colours) that kept him in office for a few months when everyone watching had written him off.

At least in Wolverhampton and Dudley there is still a healthy, thriving opposition.

Thorns in sides they may well be, but oppositions of any party help to keep everyone on their toes. Single party councils are not necessarily wrong.

It's just that it's so much more difficult to find out things that might be objectionable without someone sparking the public debate.

Full council meetings otherwise are little more than a back patting exercise combined with a metaphorical rubber stamp.

What's also interesting this time is the lack of anything approaching a UKIP 'earthquake'.

The party has not repeated its coups at the town halls this time. Last year it was aided by the European elections and its campaign for a referendum.

This time it appears people voted for their councillors along the same political lines as the people they wanted to run the country, hence some Conservative gains on Dudley Council, where the Tories held all three of their Parliamentary seats and came second to a Labour MP.

The counts were delayed until Friday afternoon because the Parliamentary vote had to be counted overnight on Thursday.

And Labour also retained its grip on Dudley Council but the Conservatives increased their share of seats.

The Labour group lost four seats bringing their total down to 38.

The Tories gained five seats – including that of deputy council leader Stuart Turner who was ousted by former council leader Anne Millward in Gornal.

One of the two independent seats turned blue with Conservative Jeff Hill taking the seat left vacant by retiring councillor Ken Turner.

But UKIP was unable to add to their seven seats and the Green party also failed to gain any spots leaving them still with one councillor.

The biggest changes happened in Walsall and Cannock, where the Tories bounced back from a poor election last year.

Labour took control of Walsall Council in August last year at a dramatic council meeting where then leader Conservative Mike Bird was defeated.

With 30 of the 60 seats on the council, Labour managed to secure control with the support of Democratic Labour councillor Pete Smith.

But the council now faces an uncertain few weeks again after the Tories won three Labour seats and one from the Liberal Democrats.

Councillor Bird, who retained his Pheasey Park Farm seat, revealed he will be talking to other parties to see if a coalition can be formed.

The Tories now have 25 seats compared to Labour's 27 – and an attempted power grab from the Conservatives is now almost certain.

Councillor Bird said a meeting would be held to choose the Conservative leader on Monday, before negotiations begin with other parties.

And he insisted the Tories would want to take control of the borough again as they do not believe in the sweeping cuts that have been imposed by the Labour administration.

He said: "The damage they have done to Walsall in the short term they have been in charge is immeasurable."

In Cannock Chase, the Conservatives became the official opposition again after UKIP made inroads last year.

The Tories took four seats from Labour, and one each from UKIP and the Lib Dems. The party now has 12 councillors compared to Labour's 22 and UKIP's five.

The Tories also gained Norton Canes and Hednesford Green Heath from Labour in a result that reflected the Parliamentary seat as well. They also won Etching Hill and the Heath from the Liberal Democrats.

The Lib Dems were reduced to a single councillor in the district.

The Conservatives were pushed into third last year after UKIP won a number of seats and Conservative councillor Jodie Burley resigned the whip following a falling out with other Tories. Mrs Burley, wife of former MP Aidan Burley, did not stand for re-election.

The Tories' endeavours were possibly aided by the timing of the General Election, so people were choosing their councillors at the same time as their MP.

For Parliament, the Conservatives in Cannock Chase pulled off a surprise win, increasing their majority and sending Amanda Milling to the Commons as the district's new MP.

Tory leader Paul Snape said it had been a 'wonderful' day with Miss Milling's success.

In Wolverhampton, Labour won 16 seats, gaining one from the Conservatives and one from the Lib Dems, while the Conservatives held four.

Rapping councillor Zahid Shah lost his seat by a landslide. Mr Shah had raised eyebrows during his campaign for recording a video of himself rapping and posting it on YouTube.

He had originally campaigned for the Liberal Democrats before winning a seat as a Labour councillor in 2011.

Then, after a disagreement with Labour, he crossed the floor and joined the Tories only to be dropped by voters.

Elsewhere the Tories failed to make gains but held the seats they were defending in Tettenhall Regis, Penn, Merry Hill and Tettenhall Wightwick.

It was a far better result for them than in 2012 when they lost previously safe seats such as Penn and last year when Labour and UKIP pushed them into third place in Bushbury North, a seat they have previously held.

In Spring Vale, Liberal Democrat Tom Stokes tried to succeed retiring mayor Mike Heap.

But his party was pushed into second place by Labour's Rupinderjit Kaur.

The ward was previously Liberal Democrat for years but former Lib Dem Malcolm Gwinnett crossed the floor to UKIP last year and won under his new party colours.

Yesterday, his colleague Hazel Thomas came in third place behind Mr Stokes with the Conservatives in last.

In Dudley, former council leader Anne Millward won back the Gornal seat she had lost in 2011.

In recent years Labour has tightened its grip on the borough but the Conservatives said these results showed there was hope for the future.

In other parts of Staffordshire the Conservatives maintained their strong positions, taking the majority of the seats that were being contested in Lichfield.

And in Stafford the Tories retained many of their key seats despite Labour seeing an increase in its share of the vote in some areas.

Dudley Council

Labour has retained its grip on Dudley Council but saw its majority fall as the Conservatives increased their share of the seats.

The Labour group now has 38 seats on the council – four fewer than before the elections – with deputy leader and finance boss Stuart Turner the most high profile casualty.

He lost his spot to former councillor leader Anne Millward who was ousted from the Gornal seat by Mr Turner by just two votes in 2011.

It was one of five seats won by the Tories bringing their total up to 25- which party leader Councillor Patrick Harley said they would continue build on in the future.

UKIP was unable to add to its seven seats and the Green party also failed to win anything, meaning it remains with one councillor.

One of the only two independent seats on the council turned blue with Conservative Jeff Hill taking the seat left vacant by retiring councillor Ken Turner.

There had been 24 seats up for grabs across the borough.

Council leader Pete Lowe admitted there had been 'a mixed bag' of results for Labour and said he believed the Dudley group has been 'adversely affected by the General Election picture'.

"I'm pleased we remain in overall control of the council but we have lost some very good councillors."

Councillor Harley, leader of the Conservative party on Dudley Council, said he was pleased with the gains made. "They have been fantastic results nationally and we have had some good results in Dudley," he said.

Meanwhile Conservative Tina Westwood was able to secure her father David Caunt's Sedgley seat after he stood down before the election. Among the Labour councillors celebrating was cabinet member for health Rachel Harris who kept hold of her Brierley Hill spot.

Labour has strengthened its iron grip on Sandwell Council winning all 24 seats up for grabs across the borough.

The Conservatives have now been completely wiped out with the only remaining Tory, Anne Hughes, ousted by Labour's Elizabeth Giles.

Now there are 69 Labour representatives in the borough, two Independent Labour, and one UKIP.

Cannock Chase

The Conservatives ousted four Labour councillors in the local elections to overtake UKIP as the official opposition in Cannock Chase.

In a set of results reflecting the Tories' surge to victory nationally, the party gained six seats.

But Labour kept control of the district council with 22 councillors overall, compared to the Tories' 12 and UKIP's five.

The Conservatives took four from Labour and one from UKIP.

The Liberal Democrats were also reduced to just one councillor after being beaten by the Conservatives in Etching Hill and The Heath.

It came as the Conservatives retained the seat in the House of Commons previously held by Aidan Burley, who did not stand for re-election after being embroiled in controversy when he attended a stag party where his friend wore a Nazi uniform.

Cannock's Conservative party leader Paul Snape, who held on to his seat in Cannock South, said: "It has been a wonderful day for the party.

"I am quite proud of everyone who has worked on this campaign. Labour is a strong party in Cannock with good leadership by George Adamson and I hope we now have enough momentum to win more seats next time. We are very hopeful for the future."

The Conservatives were pushed into third last year after UKIP won a number of seats and Conservative councillor Jodie Burley resigned the whip following a falling out with other Tories.

Of the 15 seats up for election, the Conservatives won nine – three more than Labour – while the other parties won none.

Labour lost seats to the Tories in Heath Hayes East and Wimblebury, Hednesford Green Heath, Hednesford South and Norton Canes.

But Labour council leader George Adamson blamed the 'General Election effect' and said he expected his party to fight back next year.

The Tories kept control of Stafford Borough Council and gained a seat from Labour in Rowley, while also maintaining a strong position in Lichfield. In South Staffordshire all 49 seats were available. However 14 were automatically given to the Tories because no-one else stood against them. Labour has one seat, UKIP has one and there are four independents.

Sandwell Council

Labour has strengthened its iron grip on Sandwell Council, winning all 24 seats up for grabs at the local elections.

The Conservatives have now been completely wiped out with the only remaining Tory, Anne Hughes, ousted by Labour's Elizabeth Giles.

Now there are 69 Labour representatives in the borough, two Independent Labour, and one UKIP.

Council leader Darren Cooper today thanked voters for their support and said the results showed the party had the approval of residents in Sandwell.

"It's quite clear that the people of Sandwell are very good to the Labour party and continue to have confidence and faith in us.

"I wouldn't say we were expecting these results, we never take people for granted. We've had to make some tough decisions because of a drastic cut in funding of £120 million but people seem to understand why we are making the decisions we are.

"Now we will continue to plan around and monitor the fallout from the new Government."

West Bromwich East Labour MP Tom Watson took a selfie with councillors to celebrate having all 21 seats in his constituency filled by his party colleagues for the first time ever. Labour held on to 23 seats and gained one seat.

Mrs Hughes, who was first elected in 2004, missed out on retaining her Charlemont with Grove Vale seat by 290 votes.

She said she was disappointed to have lost her seat but would consider standing again for the council next time around.

"I am sad that I have lost my seat but that's the thing with local politics, there is never any guarantee that you will keep a seat.

"Even with all of the hard work by everyone supporting me, Labour have still managed to get it.

"I will have to see what happens. If the party decides to select me then I will probably run with it," she added.

Among those celebrating was deputy council leader Steve Eling who kept hold of his Abbey seat.

Labour also retained control of Dudley Council but saw its majority reduced with the lost of four seats, including that of deputy councillor leader Stuart Turner.

Wolverhampton City Council

Labour now holds the most seats it has ever had on Wolverhampton City Council.

The party took a seat off the Tories and one from the Liberal Democrats in what appeared to be a better day in the local polls after defeat in the General Election.

Neighbouring South Staffordshire Council remained firmly in the grasp of the Conservatives, although UKIP won its first seat on the authority.

But in Wolverhampton, Labour was celebrating after getting to 48 out of 60 seats.

It won in 16 out of 20 wards while the Conservatives held on to four of their seats.

Labour took back St Peter's ward from Conservative Zahid Shah.

Mr Shah was originally elected as a Labour councillor but had crossed the floor to join the Tories.

And the party also took a seat in Spring Vale being vacated by the retiring mayor of Wolverhampton, Mike Heap. The ward had long been a stronghold for the Liberal Democrats but UKIP took a seat from them last year and now Labour has another.

It means the council is now made up of 48 Labour, 10 Conservatives, one UKIP and one Liberal Democrat.

Labour leader Councillor Roger Lawrence said: "That's the biggest number we have ever had. There's a recognition that the impact of government cuts on Wolverhampton has been unfair and they are creating a difficult time for the city.

"I don't envy our new councillors coming into the authority at a time like this. It isn't the same council I first went into."

The authority has to cut £134 million over five years, with the loss of 2,000 jobs in total, because of reductions in government grants.

The Conservatives held on to seats in Tettenhall Wightwick, Tettenhall Regis, Merry Hill and Penn. The Tories have improved on 2012 when they lost seats in Penn and Merry Hill to Labour. A third of seats, 20 out of 60, were up for election.

In South Staffordshire all 49 seats were available. However 14 were automatically given to the Tories because no-one else stood against them. Labour has one seat, UKIP has one and there are four independents.

Counting for the local elections took place yesterday afternoon after ballot papers were locked away for the night so the Parliamentary results could be counted.

Walsall Council

The Conservatives set up a fresh power struggle in Walsall after ousting four Labour councillors in the local elections.

Labour had narrowly taken control of Walsall Council in August last year at a dramatic meeting where the Tories lost a no-confidence vote.

But now their grip on the authority has been wiped out, with the Conservatives holding just two fewer seats.

Before yesterday's results were announced, Labour had 30 of the council's 60 seats, with the Tories on 21.

At last year's full council meeting Labour managed to narrowly take control by securing the support of Democratic Labour councillor Pete Smith.

But today Tory leader Mike Bird revealed he would be seeking negotiations with the council's minority parties in a bid to reach a majority.

Summer

If the Conservatives can strike a deal with the two independent, two Liberal Democrat and three UKIP councillors along with Councillor Smith, they could control the authority again.

The Tories were previously in power in a coalition with the Lib Dems from 2012 to 2014, before Labour took over last summer.

Since then the Labour administration has made £29 million of cuts with around 200 job losses – and blamed their predecessors for failing to take action to balance the books.

But Councillor Bird, who held his Pheasey Park Farm seat, said the Labour party is 'ruining' Walsall and insisted the Tories would be determined to wrestle back control.

He said: "The Conservatives will have a mandate to negotiate with other non-Labour councillors to form al alliance to remove the Labour leader and his group.

"The damage they have done to Walsall in the short time they have been in charge is immeasurable and I think what we have seen here is a backlash against that."

The Conservatives first need to formally choose a leader on Monday, but Councillor Bird is expected to take the role again.

Gains were made by the Tories in Brownhills, Bloxwich West, Short Heath and Willenhall North.