Theresa May "taking nothing for granted" after big Tory gains in local polls

Theresa May has said she is “taking nothing for granted” in the June 8 General Election despite an emphatic set of Conservative local election victories which have put her firmly on track to substantially increase her House of Commons majority.

The Prime Minister said she would be fighting every day of the next five weeks to “earn the support of the British people” to strengthen her hand in negotiations with the European Commission over Brexit.

Tories were celebrating historic gains across the country, picking up more than 450 councillors and gaining control of 10 authorities as they made deep inroads into parts of Scotland and Wales which had been no-go areas for a generation.

Ukip's vote collapsed, with the eurosceptic party's supporters apparently defecting in swathes to the Conservatives.

Meanwhile, Labour forfeited more than 250 council seats, lost control of Glasgow after 40 years and suffered reverses in Welsh strongholds. And Jeremy Corbyn's party was pushed into third place in Scotland, where Tories added at least 110 councillors.

In a highly symbolic victory, Conservative Ben Houchen became the first elected mayor of Tees Valley, in Labour's north-eastern heartland, beating Labour's Sue Jeffrey by more than 2,000 votes in the second round of counting.

Speaking during a visit to a factory in Brentford, west London, Mrs May said: “I will not take anything for granted and neither will the team I lead, because there is too much at stake.

“This is not about who wins and who loses in the local elections, it is about continuing to fight for the best Brexit deal for families and businesses across the United Kingdom to lock in the progress we've made and get on with the job of making a success of the years ahead.

“The reality is that today, despite the evident will of the British people, we have bureaucrats in Europe who are questioning our resolve to get the right deal.

“And the reality is that only a General Election vote for the Conservatives in 34 days' time will strengthen my hand to get the best deal for Britain from Brexit.

“So today, I will continue my efforts to earn the support of you, the people.”

Liberal Democrats had a mixed election, failing to break through against the Tories in the south-west England battleground, but making advances in some General Election target seats like Eastleigh and Wells.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell acknowledged that Labour had suffered a “tough” set of results, but insisted it was not “the wipeout that some people expected”.

There was still “all to play for” in the General Election in just five weeks time, he said.

As Ukip shed 107 councillors while holding a solitary seat in Lancashire, leader Paul Nuttall said the party was “a victim of its own success” over Brexit.

Losing seats to Tories was “a price Ukip is prepared to pay” for the prize of leaving the EU, he added.

The results sparked a furious reaction from the party's former donor Arron Banks, who said Ukip was “finished as an electoral force” under its current leadership and needed “a strategic bullet to the back of the head”.

Conservatives won the West of England metro mayor contest and topped the first round of voting in the West Midlands, while Labour claimed the mayoralties in Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Doncaster and North Tyneside.

Norfolk, Monmouthshire, Isle of Wight, Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Lancashire. In Derbyshire, the Tories took 19 seats from Labour as the county passed directly from one party's hands to the other.

Mr McDonnell insisted that Labour's vote “held up” in areas of Wales where Jeremy Corbyn had campaigned, and said there were signs that voters were developing more confidence in the party leader as he had the chance to get his message across.

He repeated Labour's challenge to Mrs May to take part in TV debates, contrasting Labour's “open, engaging” campaign with the “robotic” appearances by the Prime Minister.

Speaking during an early-morning round of interviews, he said: “So far, it's been a tough night, but it hasn't been the wipeout that people expected.”

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said Conservatives were winning support from former Labour voters because of Mr Corbyn's “feeble” leadership.

“Voters who previously voted for all three - Lib Dem, Labour and Ukip - are now seeing that what this country needs is a government with a full, working majority to negotiate a good, successful exit from the European Union and to build a stronger, fairer Britain after that,” he said.

“To do that, you need a proper working majority and that's what Theresa May is asking for from people who previously wouldn't have voted for us, and may well have voted either Ukip or Labour.”

With full results declared by 80 of the 88 councils holding elections in England, Scotland and Wales, the Tories had control of 26 authorities, including 11 gains.

Mrs May's party had 1,720 councillors, a net gain of 499, while Labour had 936, a net loss of 287.

Among the authorities which had declared their final results, Labour had control of seven councils and had lost control of six.

The Lib Dems had 381 councillors, a net loss of 31; the Scottish National Party had 359, up 11; Plaid Cymru was on 192, a net gain of 28 and the Greens were on 31, a net gain of four.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron claimed that strong performances in target areas like St Albans - where he addressed activists - meant his party was on track to more than double its presence of nine MPs at Westminster.

A projection of the overall national vote share put Conservatives on 38% (up 13 points since 2013), Labour 27% (down two), Liberal Democrats 18% (up four) and Ukip 5% (down 18).