Labour once again won a majority at this year's local elections in South Tyneside, but lost three seats to the Green Party.
The results were finalised at the Temple Park Centre in South Shields just before 1am on Friday morning, with the final result declared from Cleadon Park after a recount. Ballot boxes started to arrive shortly after the 10pm voting deadline, with the first result to come in Whiteleas ward, where Labour's Ernest Gibson held onto his seat.
Gains by the Green Party in Biddick and All Saints, Cleadon and East Boldon, and West Park mean that it is now the main opposition, with exactly one sixth of the council's seats (nine). Two of the three gains were in wards where Labour councillors had stood down, Councillor Joan Atkinson in Cleadon and East Boldon, and Joe Amar in Biddick and All Saints, who announced he would be standing down before his sad death earlier this month.
The gains mean that Green has full control of two wards - Beacon and Bents and West Park - while they hold two of the three seats in Cleadon and East Boldon, with the other belonging to the council's only conservative councillor. That was the only movement on the night party wise, with independent councillors holding onto Bede, Primrose and Westoe wards, Labour holds on 11 wards, and a Green Party hold in Beacon and Bents.
In terms of personnel, Labour welcomed new councillors Fay Cunningham and Shane Smith in Boldon Colliery and Hebburn South respectively, replacing Sandra Duncan and Wilf Flynn, both of whom stood down.
Despite losing three seats, Labour still has 38 of the 54 seats on the council which it has been in power of since 1979. Across South Tyneside, the total turnout was 31.2%, with 35,590 people casting their vote.
Using our special results tool below, check all the South Tyneside Council results from election night.
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