Labour are celebrating marginal gains in Leeds as the Tories suffer losses country-wide in the local elections.
The Leeds City Council elections 2023 saw the Labour Party maintain control of the council - as well as gaining four seats. Other upsets saw the Greens take a seat in the Wetherby ward after 48 years of only Conservative councillors, and the Social Democratic Party gain another seat in Middleton Park.
Leeds Central MP Hilary Benn told LeedsLive: "I think it's a good day for Labour here in Leeds and nationally. We're making steady progress.
Read more: Leeds City Council elections 2023 results as it happened
"I'm very pleased nationally. I'm not in the least bit surprised [Conservatives have lost councils]," he added. "If you compare where we are now to that terrible night in December 2019 when we had our worst result since the 1930s - Keir Starmer has done a wonderful job."
Counting took place at Leeds First Direct Arena from 10am to around 5pm. There were 33 seats under contention this year - a third of the total 99.
The Conservatives lost three seats - including in Horsforth and Wetherby, the Greens lost one, and the Lib Dems lost one overall. The Green Party were very excited when new councillor Penny Stables took a seat in Wetherby.
Penny called the Green win a "momentous occasion" as she spoke to reporters. "It's been 48 years of only Conservatives in Wetherby and I'm really really proud to have been elected to represent the people of Wetherby.
"I will do my best to continue to work hard and I'm incredibly thankful for all your help. I look forward to working with my other councillors."
Labour now have 61 seats, the Conservatives have 18, the Liberal Democrats have six, the Morley Borough Independents six, the Garforth and Swillington Independents six, the Greens three and the Social Democratic Party two.
This election was notable in that it was the first to require voters to bring photo ID to vote - a move that was criticised as potentially making it more difficult for some people unlikely to have ID. The average turnout in Leeds was 31.17% - though in some wards it was as low as 18%.
That turnout is slightly down from last year, when it was 33.7%.
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