Anti-immigration party Ukip is gaining council seats across England, making the arrival Four Party race in the forthcoming general elections.
The anti-EU party’s surge derail the performance of Conservatives in their stronghold Essex and Labour in Rotherham. But the performance of Ukip in London is not up to the mark, Asian Lite’s Shafi Rahman reports.
The Lib Dems’ vote share has been hit hardest but most results in 161 English councils are still to come. Euro election results are due on Sunday.
At 06:30 BST, UKIP had gained 86 seats, the Lib Dems had lost 78, Labour had gained 83 and the Conservatives had lost 96. Several Tory councils in the south have gone to no overall control following UKIP gains. Most councils will not declare their results until later on Friday, BBC reported
The surge in support for UKIP has sent shockwaves through the main parties at Westminster, with just a year to go before the next general election.
Labour is doing better in the capital. They seized control back of Hammersmith & Fulham which had become a Tory pin-up council to match Westminster and Wandsworth.
The success of UKIP in Essex also cost Labour control of Thurrock council. In the Labour heartland of Rotherham, UKIP took 10 of the 21 seats being contested.
The Green Party, which is hoping to double its tally of MEPs to four, is performing moderately well with an average 9% share of the vote in wards where it is standing. But this is significantly down on the party’s 13% showing in 2009.
Mayoral elections took place in four London boroughs and Watford.
In Northern Ireland, voters were electing 462 representatives to 11 so-called “super districts” following a reorganisation that took place in 2012, reducing the number of councils from 26 previously.