Reform UK hails "historic change" for British politics
It comes as the Prime Minister has vowed to stay on
A cheerful Nigel Farage has said today's election results in England mark a "historic change in British politics".
His party, Reform UK, have made significant gains in council seats so far today but there are still many results to come.
Despite counting still ongoing, Mr Farage has declared his party is on course for victory at the next general election.
Reform has so far gained over 500 councillors, compared to losses for Labour of over 300 and more than 200 for the Conservatives.
The Lib Dems are also making gains taking control of Portsmouth and Stockport councils.
And it's been a good day for the Green's so far with Zoe Garbett being elected as Mayor of Hackney.
But beyond the headline numbers, it matters where losses and gains are made, with both Labour and the Conservatives now vulnerable in traditional heartlands that previously shored up an entrenched two-party dominance.
Labour was defending 17 seats in Tameside in Greater Manchester, which forms part of former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner’s constituency of Ashton-under-Lyne.
The party has lost 16 of those seats to Reform and lost control of the council.
Labour has also lost control of Hartlepool, Redditch and Tamworth as support for Reform surged.
Nigel Farage’s party has also gained control of Newcastle-under-Lyme from the Conservatives, with potential gains in Tory-dominated shire counties when results are declared later on Friday.
The geographical spread of Reform’s successes, which also includes gains in Dudley, Southampton and Plymouth, is viewed as significant evidence of how the party may perform at a general election.
Elsewhere counting is underway in Wales and Scotland for the Parliamentary elections with the first results starting to come in, final results in those nations aren't expected until much later though.