80 of 136 councilsCounting under way
The latest results and updates from the local elections across North-West England
Labour loses control of Blackburn with Darwen Council after losing ground to Reform UK
Labour also loses its majority on Hyndburn Council, which is now under no overall control
Labour loses its majority in Tameside but still has the most councillors
Reform UK takes 16 of the 19 seats up for election in Halton
Preston Council no longer controlled by Labour after Reform UK gains
Results still to come in Sefton, St Helens, Trafford and West Lancashire
Follow live coverage of the local elections across the UK and find results in your area here
Gina Millson
Lancashire political reporter
There is one more seat to go in West Lancs, and it’s looking like a straight contest between Reform and the Conservatives.
Members of Labour who are still here are looking dejected in the corner of the room.
Labour has easily retained control of Bury Council and now has 30 of the 51 seats.
It was an encouraging night for Reform UK, though, with the party winning five seats to now have six councillors.
The Tories slip into third place after losing four of their seven representatives.
Jonny Humphries
North West
The Labour Party has lost control of Preston City Council, which is now under no overall control.
Labour lost six of the 10 seats it was contesting, and now has 22 councillors.
The Lib Dems have 14, a gain of two.
Reform UK, which did not hold any seats prior to the polls opening, picked up five seats, while the Conservatives lost half of the six seats they held before the vote, losing all three that were up for grabs this year.
Turnout increased from 26% in 2024 to 34%.
David Baines
Labour faces are glum here in St Helens, even though we're some way from the results being declared.
St Helens North MP David Baines, who used to lead the council, says PM Sir Keir Starmer is not the right person to lead Labour into the next general election.
He says he’s not a fan of “knee jerk politics” but adds “when you’re the leader, the buck stops with you.
“There’s no doubt his popularity has plummeted and we’ve heard it on the doorstep”.
Adam, from Blackburn, says he voted Reform because he believes "everything has got worse" under recent Labour and Conservative administrations.
Quote MessageI voted Reform, as working class, I could not vote Labour or Conservative. After 14 years between them, everything has got worse, from public services to justice, to the NHS.
Quote MessageEverything feels worse than it was 14 years ago, and we are now being ignored at the top. It's too late now for Starmer to start saying we need to listen now. He should have listened immediately when he got into power. It was obvious to everyone but him and his cabal in their bubble. He chose to ignore us, that's why people are voting Reform. I did think he was changing, but then he U-turns on every decision, so clearly he can't follow through with a tough line.
Quote MessageI don't trust Farage as far as I can throw him, but he's the only party that's resonating. People are very angry and annoyed with the wasting of public money, the amount we pay, and the cheek of politicians to come asking for more.
Quote MessageIf Restore was an option, I would have voted for Rupert Lowe.
Adam, 38, Blackburn
You can send us your submissions via the BBC's Your Voice form or on email to nwt@bbc.co.uk.
Claire Hamilton
Merseyside political reporter
We’ve had the first declaration in St Helens and the newly elected Reform UK councillor for the Peasley Cross and Fingerpost ward is Sharon Roughley.
She says: “I feel really happy and pleased I get to represent a ward I love and I hope we can make it a better ward."
Not really! We're in a bit of a lull at the moment though, with our seven remaining councils yet to declare their results. We're expecting them any time though, so please don't go anywhere!
Time for a well-earned brew and a biccie at counting venues like this one though - many thanks to our colleague Ollie Samuels who has been at the Pendle Council count all day.
Where did everybody go?
Knowsley’s Labour MP Anneliese Midgley, speaking to the BBC's Tom Walker at her local council's count, said: “These results that we have seen across the North of England are beyond our worst expectations and it is truly devastating.
"We have lost some really good councillors today - hard workers who are rooted in our communities - and it’s not their fault.”
She added that "unless we see significant change very quickly it is clear that he (Sir Keir Starmer) cannot lead us into another election.”
Politics clearly runs in the Hitchmough family. Both David and Alex have been elected to Knowsley Council - the former as an independent, the latter for Reform UK.
Congratulations to both of them.
David (left) and Alex Hitchmough have both been elected to Knowsley Council
Tom Walker
Knowsley
The story here in Knowsley is a combination of disappointment and relief.
Neither Reform UK nor the Greens quite achieved the breakthroughs they had been hoping for, and although Labour lost seven seats, it could have been a lot worse for them.
Council Leader Graham Morgan and the MP for Knowsley, Anneliese Midgley, are putting at least some of the blame at the Prime Minister‘s door.
Kai Taylor for the Greens was reasonably happy.
Independent councillors also enjoyed a degree of success in the Kirkby area, attributing their wins to local issues, in particular the smell which is being emitted from an illegal waste site.
Kaleigh Watterson
Politics reporter
Our first declaration here in Sefton came in Waterloo.
The Greens have won all three seats in this ward, backing up their confident mood earlier today when I spoke with their candidates.
Prior to today, the Greens only had one councillor on Sefton Council and now they've taken two seats off Labour... so it's already a good day for them.
Greens celebrate after winning three seats in Waterloo
Meanwhile, Bootle East has also just declared its results, with Labour retaining all three seats.
A quick reminder that Sefton is one of only two councils in the North West to have "all-out" elections in which all seats are up for grabs.
The other 19 councils in our region are only having one third of their seats being contested this year.
Jonny Humphries
BBC News, North West
Labour retains control of Manchester City Council.
The Greens are the big winners in the city, though, gaining 17 new seats to now have 21 of the 96 seats.
Labour lost 24 seats, but remain in control with a total of 63, while Reform UK picked up its first seven seats in the city.
The Lib Dems held one seat to maintain their overall total of four councillors. There is still one independent councillor.
We're still awaiting announcements from the following councils:
Our reporters will be sending in updates throughout the afternoon.
Sean, from Manchester, voted Green because he no longer believes Labour is the party of the working class.
Quote MessageIt’s a sad day for young people whose youth services are about to be cut by Reform, the SEN children in schools whose funding is now in the hands of those who don’t believe in the seriousness of our conditions.
Quote MessageI voted Green changing from Labour as there’s no party on the side of the working class any more. Reform’s scaremongering tactics won yet again. Young people yet again will be left to deal with the challenges of society without any local representation. Dark times ahead.
Quote MessageIt’s just sad that people can’t see through Reform and follow the money.
Sean, 24, Manchester
You can send us your submissions via the BBC's Your Voice form or on email to nwt@bbc.co.uk.
Ollie Samuels
BBC Lancashire
All done and dusted here in Pendle, where no party has overall control. The big winners are Reform and the Independent group, both winning four seats each.
The Lib Dems and the Conservatives both held on to a single seat.
In Hyndburn Reform have gained eight seats as Labour lose five and the Conservatives lose four.
Previously Labour-led, the authority is now under no overall control.
Sarah Spina-Matthews
BBC News, Manchester
There are only three more seats left to be declared in Manchester.
The Greens have now picked up 15 seats, while Reform UK is sitting at six seats.
Meanwhile, Labour's numbers have continued to drop having lost 21 seats - but the party still retains a comfortable majority.
Image source, BBC/Euan DoakOllie Samuels
BBC Lancashire
Image source, BBC/Ollie SamuelsThe crowd is beginning to thin in Pendle, with 8 of the 10 wards declared.
So far, it is four seats each for Reform and the Independent Group, some of whom left Labour en masse in 2024.
The major scalp of the night has been Council Leader David Whipp, Lib Dem, losing his seat to Reform by just 7 votes.
Sarah Spina-Matthews
BBC News, Manchester
Labour has suffered a massive blow in Blackburn with Darwen, losing the majority it has held for years.
It lost 11 seats, with Reform UK picking up nine.
Independents also gained six seats, while the Conservatives lost four seats.
Sarah Spina-Matthews
BBC News, Manchester
In Burnley, Reform UK has picked up a whopping 11 of the 15 seats up for grabs.
Independent candidates and a single Lib Dem picked up the other four available seats, with Labour losing seven councillors.
It leaves Burnley Council still under no overall control, but with Reform now the largest party.
