Election results start to come in

With almost half of councils declared, the results are coming in for local elections across England.

Reform have made significant gains in terms of numbers of councillors, at the expense of Labour and the Conservatives.

Seats were up for grabs across 136 local authorities.

At the time of writing, Reform have won 639 councillors (up 637) and the Liberal Democrats 420 (up 33). The Conservatives have 362 councillors (a loss of 280) and Labour have 352 councillors (a loss of 457). The Greens follow in fifth place with 136 councillors, up 81.

However, despite the surge in councillors, Reform only hold four councils. Labour still hold the most at 16, despite a loss of 13. The Liberal Democrats gained one council to bring their total to ten, with the Conservatives losing three to be left with six. The Green Party have won no councils.

Reform have taken Essex and Suffolk County Councils from the Conservatives. They also won Havering, their first ever London borough.

The Lib Dems won control of Stockport and Portsmouth, where they were already the biggest party, taking seats from Labour.

The Green Party has won its first ever Mayoral election, with Zoë Garbett taking the role from Labour. The post has been Labour since it was created in 2002.

In Scotland, the first results for the Scottish Parliament election have started to come. 73 constituency seats and eight regions are being elected. 

With 29 of 129 seats declared so far, the SNP are far ahead on 25, with the Conservatives second on two and Labour and the Lib Dems both with one. Most of those seats are ones the party already held, but they have made gains in Shetland (Lib Dem for 27 years) and Eastwood (defeating Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw). SNP leader John Swinney has said it is clear that his party will be the largest and the Scottish Conservatives are not expecting to retain their place in second.

Meanwhile in Wales, Labour is expected to lose control of the Senedd, with first minister Eluned Morgan also expected to lose her seat. 

96 members will be elected to the Senedd for the first time. The result is expected to be a battle between Reform and Plaid Cymru.

So far, with 30 seats declared, Plaid Cymru are ahead on 13 and with Reform in second on 11. Labour have 3 and the Conservatives have 2. The Greens have won their first seat in Caerdydd Penarth.

Turnout for the Senedd election is expected to be over 50 per cent for the first time.

More results across England, Scotland and Wales are expected to come in throughout the rest of today.