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| Vote 2014: Conservatives lose councils to UKIP's rise | Vote 2014: Conservatives lose councils to UKIP's rise |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| It has been a tough election night for the Conservatives, as they took the brunt of UKIP's gains and lost seven councils early on. | It has been a tough election night for the Conservatives, as they took the brunt of UKIP's gains and lost seven councils early on. |
| In seats declared in the first six hours after polls closed, the party's share of the vote was down 6%. | In seats declared in the first six hours after polls closed, the party's share of the vote was down 6%. |
| Tory councillors were defending about half of the first 850 or so seats declared and lost 90, gaining just 12. | Tory councillors were defending about half of the first 850 or so seats declared and lost 90, gaining just 12. |
| However, UKIP's rise stopped Labour taking some Tory-held target councils, such as Tamworth and Swindon. | However, UKIP's rise stopped Labour taking some Tory-held target councils, such as Tamworth and Swindon. |
| As the polls closed, Prime Minister David Cameron appeared to anticipate some losses, telling party campaigners in an email: "Whatever the results, I feel immensely proud of the campaign we fought together." | As the polls closed, Prime Minister David Cameron appeared to anticipate some losses, telling party campaigners in an email: "Whatever the results, I feel immensely proud of the campaign we fought together." |
| UKIP's success in the early results led some backbenchers, including Eurosceptics such as Douglas Carswell, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Peter Bone, to call for an electoral pact with Nigel Farage's party at the 2015 general election. | UKIP's success in the early results led some backbenchers, including Eurosceptics such as Douglas Carswell, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Peter Bone, to call for an electoral pact with Nigel Farage's party at the 2015 general election. |
| Mr Rees-Mogg told the BBC he feared the two parties could split the centre-right vote: "In a first-past-the-post system, if they don't get those votes into one pot, then both those sides end up losing." | Mr Rees-Mogg told the BBC he feared the two parties could split the centre-right vote: "In a first-past-the-post system, if they don't get those votes into one pot, then both those sides end up losing." |
| However, Tory chairman Grant Shapps said there was "no question" of it happening. Conservative supporters will now be bracing themselves for the results of the European elections, which will be revealed on Sunday after voters cast their ballots on Thursday. The Tories currently have twice as many MEPs as any other British party, with 26. |