Local elections results overnight revealed a mixed picture after Labour failed to make significant progress - so far - in Greater Manchester and suffered some shock losses.
Results were declared in six of Greater Manchester's 10 councils early on Friday morning - with votes due to be counted in Manchester, Bury, Trafford and Rochdale later in the day. Labour, so far, are down three seats across the city region, with the Lib Dems up five and the Tories two - figures seemingly at odds with the national picture after claims the Conservatives were finding it harder to hold their vote in the south than the north.
The biggest shock overnight came in Oldham as Labour's council leader, Arooj Shah, lost her seat in a bruising night for the party. Ms Shah, the first female Muslim council leader in the north, lost Chadderton South to Conservative Robert Barnes by 96 votes - she's the second council leader in as many years to be ousted at the polls in Oldham after Sean Fielding lost his seat in Failsworth West last year.
Follow live updates throughout the day in our live blog here
Speaking after the result, she said she was 'dehumanised' by a deliberate 'smear campaign' and slammed what she called a 'really personal campaign' against her on the part of the Tories. Labour lost five seats in Oldham on the night, but remain comfortably in power in the town hall.
Elsewhere, Stockport swung further to the Lib Dems but remains in no overall control. The Lib Dems took Bramhall North, and Bramhall South and Woodford, from the Tories, who lost their deputy leader John McGahan in the process. The Lib Dems now have 28 seats, an increase of those two, with Labour on 25, the Conservatives on five, after losing three seats, the Greens on two and three independents.
Who runs the council over the next 12 months will depend on what deals can be done behind the scenes over the next few days. But it could be difficult for the Tories - now down to five councillors - Greens and independents to stand in the Lib Dems way again, after they further increased their numerical advantage.
Lib Dem group leader Coun Mark Hunter described it as a ‘very good night for the Liberal Democrats and a very bad night for the Conservatives’ - not forgetting to note that the result ‘increases the gap between us and Labour as the largest party’. And he believes his group has a yet stronger claim for running the council over the coming municipal year. Labour remained static on 25 councillors.
Bolton Council - the only borough in Greater Manchester controlled by the Tories - remains in no overall control. The Conservatives gained a seat, while Labour increased their tally by two.
It was a frustrating night for Labour in Bolton as they failed to live up to high expectations. The borough has been in no overall control since 2019, but has been run by the Conservatives through an agreement with smaller parties.
A third of the council's 60 seats were up for grabs this time around, and Labour were hopeful of benefiting on the back of Partygate and the cost of living crisis. Yet the night failed to live up to its billing as Labour gained just two seats and missed out on several key targets. By the end of the night, their total number of councillors stood at 19, while the Conservatives increased their tally by one - to 23.
It means the Tories remain the largest party and the town is still in no overall control. The new political make-up is Conservative 23, Labour 19, Independent six, Liberal Democrat five, Farnworth & Kearsley First three, Horwich and Blackrod First, two and a single One Kearsley member.
Labour lost three seats in Salford - with Ordsall surprisingly falling to the Lib Dems and the Quays ward also going yellow. The Tories took Worsley and Westwood Park from Labour.
Labour are still firmly in control of Salford council, but the three losses takes their total number of seats to 49 with the Tories on eight and Lib Dems on two. Speaking after the results, Salford mayor Paul Dennett said he was 'disappointed'.
He said: "We take no vote for granted. What this has told me is we need to get back to the residents to properly understand what matters to them and actually deliver for those people and deliver for those communities in the Quays and in Ordsall."
The Labour mayor described the Lib Dem campaign as 'disingenuous' and warned the ruling group would 'hold their feet to the fire' on the pledges made.
Labour held onto Walkden South with a majority of 607 votes after winning by a margin of six last year, while beating Britain First by 705 in Walkden North.
Wigan and Tameside Councils were comfortably held by Labour but in Wigan, Tory leader Michael Winstanley lost his seat to Labour's Dave Wood in the Orrell ward by 34 votes. Mr Winstanley said he was 'bitterly disappointed' to lose by such a small margin - and pointed to the national picture in explanation.
"I'm obviously bitterly disappointed to lose by 34 votes, but that's politics and you've just got to take it on the chin," he said. Labour now have 61 seats in Wigan Council, a gain of three.
Tameside's town hall remains 'very much' red, but the Conservatives have hailed a 'wonderful' night with two gains made. Ashton-Under-Lyne MP Angela Rayner cheered Labour on throughout the count in Ashton but appeared shaken by Oldham's Labour leadership loss.
Leave your thoughts on the elections so far in our comments below
Tameside saw a low turnout of 28 per cent and despite two gains for the Tories, Labour still dominates the council with 49 councillors, compared to seven Conservatives and a lone Green. Tory candidates were confident on making gains in Hyde and Stalybridge but as ballots were counted Labour remained hopeful about holding nearly all seats.
Soon after the count was completed however Labour all but conceded defeat in Hyde Godley - the subject of a controversial planning application to build 2,150 homes on green belt land in Hyde, named the Godley Green garden village. Voters hit back and the Conservatives took the ward from Labour.
