Ballot: turnout up

Britain's local elections brought mixed results for the three main political parties.

The Conservatives took the biggest share of the national vote with 34 per cent, Labour took 33 per cent, the Lib Dems won 27 per cent and other parties took five per cent.

All three parties now have city mayors though Hartlepool's vote for a man in a monkey mascot suit did little to enhance the credibility of one of the government's election pledges.

Labour survived largely unscathed as the biggest force in council politics but the result was hardly a resounding endorsement of the government's work since the general election last year.

It won back Sheffield from the Liberal Democrats. Labour's sole gain in London was Bexley.

Stephen Byers' battle with Ken Livingstone over the Tube had a big effect on Labour's voters in the capital who stayed at home. The vote dropped 14 per cent leading to the loss of Lambeth - which has been dogged by problems, Harrow and Enfield - scene of Michael Portillo's shock defeat in 1997 - which returned to the Conservatives.

Away from London, Labour lost control of Hull and Stoke-on-Trent.

Labour's mayoral candidates won in Newham, London and Doncaster.

The Conservatives described their result - gains but no big breakthrough - as "workman-like".

The party cannot point to the poll being the start of the Tory revival in what was leader Iain Duncan Smith's first big test since taking over from William Hague.

There were Conservative gains in Adur, Swale, Peterborough and Wokingham. But they lost Cheltenham, Worthing and Eastbourne to the Liberal Democrats.

The first elected mayor for North Tyneside is a Conservative, which will cause a red face for transport secretary Stephen Byers who is the MP.

The Liberal Democrats gained an additional two council overall in this year's local elections, with six councils being gained and control being lost in four. It was a night of consolidation rather than making the big leap to become the party of "real opposition".

The party won Norwich - a Labour stronghold for almost 70 years, Milton Keynes and Kingston-Upon-Thames.

They held nine councils including the high profile former Labour strongholds of Islington and Liverpool.

The key loss for the party was Richmond which was a gain to the Conservatives.

The Lib Dems also notched up the mayoral victory in Watford with 71.8 per cent of the vote.

The row over Kidderminster hospital, which unseated the Labour minister for Wyre Forest at the general election, brought more embarrassment to the government. Campaigners trying to save their village hospital won more seats from Labour to gain control of Elmbridge Council.