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| Local elections: Counting taking place across England | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Counting is taking place in council elections in England and in the South Shields parliamentary by-election. | |
| The contests in 27 English county councils and seven unitary authorities, as well as in Anglesey in Wales, are a crucial mid-term test for the Lib Dem and Conservative coalition partners. | |
| Labour is under pressure to win back hundreds of seats lost in 2009. | |
| The party is also defending South Shields in a Westminster contest caused by David Miliband's resignation. | The party is also defending South Shields in a Westminster contest caused by David Miliband's resignation. |
| Labour are favourites to retain the seat - set to be declared in the early hours of Friday - having held it since 1935. | |
| But the BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said the UK Independence Party (UKIP) were expected to come ahead of the Conservatives in second place. | |
| The BBC understands UKIP could get as much as 30% of the vote, which would be a record performance for the party in a parliamentary contest. | |
| Mr Miliband, who quit as an MP to work for a US-based charity, won the seat in 2010 with a 11,109 majority. | |
| Six councils - Lincolnshire, Dorset, Somerset, Essex, Gloucestershire and Hampshire - are also due to report their results overnight with the majority of counts taking place on Friday. | Six councils - Lincolnshire, Dorset, Somerset, Essex, Gloucestershire and Hampshire - are also due to report their results overnight with the majority of counts taking place on Friday. |
| UKIP surge | UKIP surge |
| Nearly 10,000 candidates were battling for seats in councils across England - they are "top-tier" authorities in charge of schools, roads, refuse collection, fire and rescue and other local services. | Nearly 10,000 candidates were battling for seats in councils across England - they are "top-tier" authorities in charge of schools, roads, refuse collection, fire and rescue and other local services. |
| Labour is expected to claw back ground in the Midlands and north of England lost in 2009 when it had the worst night at the polls in its history. | Labour is expected to claw back ground in the Midlands and north of England lost in 2009 when it had the worst night at the polls in its history. |
| But party strategists are playing down expectations of major gains, stressing the elections were mainly taking place in Tory heartlands across the south of England. | But party strategists are playing down expectations of major gains, stressing the elections were mainly taking place in Tory heartlands across the south of England. |
| The campaign was dominated by a war of words between the Conservatives and UKIP, which senior Tories fear will take a significant chunk of their votes. | The campaign was dominated by a war of words between the Conservatives and UKIP, which senior Tories fear will take a significant chunk of their votes. |
| UKIP is riding high in the opinion polls after its second place in last month's Eastleigh by-election and is fielding more than 1,700 candidates - three times the number that stood in 2009, when the party won just seven seats. | UKIP is riding high in the opinion polls after its second place in last month's Eastleigh by-election and is fielding more than 1,700 candidates - three times the number that stood in 2009, when the party won just seven seats. |
| Opinion is divided over how many seats they could win this time but UKIP leader Nigel Farage has said he wants to establish a "bridgehead" on local councils across England. | Opinion is divided over how many seats they could win this time but UKIP leader Nigel Farage has said he wants to establish a "bridgehead" on local councils across England. |
| 'Difficult choices' | 'Difficult choices' |
| Prime Minister David Cameron has held back from attacking UKIP by name but acknowledged voters liked to punish governing parties between general elections. | Prime Minister David Cameron has held back from attacking UKIP by name but acknowledged voters liked to punish governing parties between general elections. |
| "Of course it's mid-term, the government has had to make difficult decisions, we're responsible for making a series of difficult cuts and difficult choices," the Tory leader told BBC News on Wednesday. | "Of course it's mid-term, the government has had to make difficult decisions, we're responsible for making a series of difficult cuts and difficult choices," the Tory leader told BBC News on Wednesday. |
| "I think people understand that but often it's not welcome and often it can lead to people feeling frustrated." | "I think people understand that but often it's not welcome and often it can lead to people feeling frustrated." |
| Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has not ruled out coming fourth to UKIP in the projected national share of the vote. | Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has not ruled out coming fourth to UKIP in the projected national share of the vote. |
| "UKIP beat us in 2009; a year later we won 24% of the vote in the general election and UKIP were nowhere," the deputy prime minister told Channel 4 News. | "UKIP beat us in 2009; a year later we won 24% of the vote in the general election and UKIP were nowhere," the deputy prime minister told Channel 4 News. |
| Mayoral contests | Mayoral contests |
| Local council elections were also being held in Anglesey in Wales, which is currently classified as No Overall Control but is dominated by independents. | Local council elections were also being held in Anglesey in Wales, which is currently classified as No Overall Control but is dominated by independents. |
| No other elections took place in Wales. | No other elections took place in Wales. |
| The Conservatives and Labour were contesting most local election seats, with 2,263 and 2,168 candidates respectively. The Lib Dems had 1,763 candidates. UKIP fielded 1,745 candidates and the Greens had 893. | |
| Other parties standing included the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, which fought 120 seats, the BNP, with 99 candidates and the English Democrats, with 38 candidates. There were about 900 independent candidates. | Other parties standing included the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, which fought 120 seats, the BNP, with 99 candidates and the English Democrats, with 38 candidates. There were about 900 independent candidates. |
| Votes were also held in mayoral elections in Doncaster, where incumbent Peter Davies, who resigned from the English Democrats, is fighting for re-election as an independent, and North Tyneside. | Votes were also held in mayoral elections in Doncaster, where incumbent Peter Davies, who resigned from the English Democrats, is fighting for re-election as an independent, and North Tyneside. |
| No elections took place in London, Scotland or Northern Ireland. | No elections took place in London, Scotland or Northern Ireland. |