Cameron crumbles, Farage surges: the elections in numbers

Overall the Conservatives have lost 335 seats bringing the total number of Tory councillors in the 34 councils where elections were held to 1,116. Labour saw the greatest advance – gaining 291 seats, bringing their total to 538 seats.

But the most impressive results, in percentage terms at least, were made by Ukip – increasing its seats on the local councils from eight to 147, a 17-fold surge. The Liberal Democrats suffered worst in percentage terms, losing just over 25 per cent of seats (see graph, below).

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Of particular concern for David Cameron, perhaps, will be the loss of seats to Ukip in the Conservative heartlands. Across the eight local councils involved in the elections from the south east, Ukip gained a total of 55 seats. The Conservatives lost 74 (see graphic, below).

At the start of the election, the Conservatives had control of 28 out of the 34 councils, but this has plummeted to just 10. The majority of the councils that have changed are now under no overall control, though Labour has taken control of two extra councils – Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

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