1.39pm – That’s it, thanks for your company. Keep it here for the reaction and results in full later today. A day to remember for the Tories, a weekend to forget for Labour.
1.32pm – So there we have it, Labour’s nightmare continues as the party loses four seats and Worcester City Council moves out of No Overall Control into the Conservatives hands.
The results on the day are: Conservatives 5 (+2), Labour 3 (-4), Liberal Democrat 1 (+1) and Green Party 3 (+1)
Overall the Guildhall now looks like this: Conservatives 18 (+2), Labour 11 (-4), Green Party 4 (+1) and Liberal Democrats 2 (+1) – A Conservative Majority of 1
1.30pm – Comprehensive result sees Coun Louis Stephen returned to the Guildhall. Like his colleague in St Stephen, the Green Party chief sees his vote increase by more than 200 votes on an impressive day for the party
1.28pm – RESULT – Battenhall – Carpenter (Lib Dem) 43, Mountain (Lab), 145 Rodford (Con) 652, Stephen (Green) 1,285
1.27pm – And now the end is near….we have our final result….
1.23pm – RESULT – St Stephen – Cottingham (Lib Dem) 56, Giles (Lab) 182, Laurenson (Green) 1,086, Ness (Con) 433
An absolutely conclusive victory for the Green Party’s Coun Neil Laurenson who adds more than 200 votes to his 2017 tally as the Greens hold on to another seat.
1.22pm – Labour lose more than 200 votes in Warndon to hand the Tories the seat. Cleary finished second in the 2017 poll for UKIP
1.17pm – RESULT – Warndon – Cleary (Con) 369, Dukes (Green) 76, Murray (Lib Dem) 50, Stalker (Lab) 357
Former UKIP members Coun Owen Cleary takes Warndon for the Conservatives by just 12 votes to secure the party a working majority at the Guildhall. Conservatives now have 18 of the 35 councillors, Labour lose their fourth seat of the day
BREAKING: Conservatives win a majority at the Guildhall after the party wins in Warndon.
1.08pm – Three results down, three left. Two Green defences and a Labour defence in Warndon. Just one victory for the Conservatives will give the party a majority of one at the Guildhall for the next 12 months
1.05pm – County council leader Coun Simon Geraghty retains his St Clement seat for the Conservatives. Greens move up from fourth to second
RESULT – ST Clement – Geraghty (Con) 933, Jackson (Lib Dem) 55, Pingree (Green) 423, Walters (Lab) 283
1.03pm – Massive for Labour in Worcester, their leader is returned to the Guildhall. Tories enjoyed a small increase but nowhere near enough to challenge. Meanwhile in Gorse Hill it appears the 300+ votes UKIP achieved in 2017 went back to the Tories to unseat Roger Berry
1.01pm – RESULT – Rainbow Hill – Akhtar (Con) 317, Brohan (Green) 144, Carpenter (Lib Dem) 52 Fowler (Trade Unionist & Socialist) 24, Gregson (Lab) 551
BREAKING: Labour group leader and deputy leader of the council Coun Adrian Gregson retains his Rainbow Hill seat
12.56pm – Gorse Hill is now fully blue as the Conservatives take the second city council seat in addition to the county seat won yesterday. Long-serving Roger Berry is defeated as Coun James Stanley wins the seat for the Tories
RESULT – Gorse Hill – Avery (Green) 79, Berry (Lab) 408, Morgan (Lib Dem) 40, Stanley (Con) 560
12.46pm – While we wait why not take a look at my take on yesterday’s events https://worcesterobserver.co.uk/news/comment-tory-blue-wall-threatens-to-wash-labour-away/
Love to hear your views – e-mail [email protected]
12.17pm – Attention now turns to the final six seats, three being defended by Labour including in Gorse Hill, where the Tories enjoyed success in the county poll yesterday. Eyes will also be on Rainbow Hill as Labour group leader Coun Adrian Gregson defends his seat. Just one defence for the Tories in St Clement and two for the Green Party
Stay with us, more drama ahead!
12.01pm – The first six results are in and the current state of the parties at midday is: Conservatives 2 (=), Labour 2 (-2), Liberal Democrat 1 (+1) and Green Party 1 (+1)
Overall the Guildhall currently looks like this: Conservatives 16 (=), Labour 13 (-2), Green Party 4 (+1) and Liberal Democrats 2 (+1)
11.57am – Another staggering result on a morning of them! At the last election Tracey Biggs held the seat for Labour by 729 votes in one of the biggest victories on the night. Now Labour have lost it by more than 300 votes.
While the trend may not continue its another defeat to get Labour worried about its vote in its traditional strongholds in the city
11.55am – Labour’s defeat in the county council elections in Nunnery is replicated at city council level as Coun Jim Carver wins the seat for the Tories
RESULT – Nunnery – Carver (Con) 1,129, Cookson (Lab) 807, Fletcher (Lib Dem) 56, Mason (British Resistance) 28, Mitra (Green) 214
BREAKING: FORMER MEP Jim Carver returns to politics as the Conservatives GAIN Nunnery from Labour
11.50am – Stunning numbers from Claines for the Liberal Democrats compared to four years ago. Conservatives have added more than 200 votes since last time seat was contested, Lib Dems have amassed more than 500!
11.47am – BIG blow for the Tories as the Liberal Democrats continue their Claines comeback with victory and their second seat at the Guildhall. Coun Karen Lawrance gains the seat from the Conservatives
RESULT – Claines – Dent (Green) 245, Hickling (Reform UK) 48, Lawrance (Lib Dem) 1,269 Linsey (Lab) 278 Lynch (Con) 1,199
11.43am – Two victories for Labour but four years ago Labour won St John by 568 votes and Cathedral by 581. This time 178 and 40 votes respectively. Given the picture across the county and country the Conservatives will be disappointed not to take Cathedral
11.40am – Huge result for Labour in Cathedral as Coun Lynn Denham retains the seat by 40 votes
RESULT – Cathedral – Bower (Reform UK) 102, Cooper (Green) 374, Denham (Lab) 1,251, Ditta (Con) 1,211 Fenton (Lib Dem) 130, Harrison (Trade Unionist & Socialist) 34
11.35am – RESULT – St John – Amos (Con) 622, Davies (Trade Unionist & Socialist) 46, Mather (Lib Dem) 115, Norfolk (Lab) 800, Stephen (Green) 201
Coun Robyn Norfolk retains the St John seat for Labour by just 178 votes in the face of a strong Conservative challenge.
11.33am – Labour’s election from hell gets worse. Joy Squires, former parliamentary candidate, former group deputy leader on Worcester City Council and chair of the Environment Committee at the Guildhall is defeated. The Green Party’s election machine in the city again yields a huge result
11.30am – Staggering news from Arboretum as Joy Squires, one of the leading Labour voices in the city, is defeated by the Green Party’s newest councillor Coun Karen Lewing
RESULT – Arboretum – Lewing (Green) 928, Potze (Con) 347, Squires (Lab) 696, Taylor (Lib Dem) 69
BREAKING: Labour’s former Parliamentary candidate Joy Squires LOSES her Arboretum seat to the Green Party
11.23am – We have our first result in and the Conservatives have retained Bedwardine. Coun Alan Amos has been returned to the Guildhall: Amos (Con) 1417, Bufton (Green) 234, Ondreasz (Lib Dem) 194, Smith (Lab) 672, Taylor (Women’s Equality) 81
11.12am – Some key questions we need answering today: Will the blue wave through Worcestershire continue and where in the city will it strike? Can the Conservatives retain Claines? Can the Green Party retain both their seats?
11.05am – A reminder you can follow the Observer on social media at www.facebook.com/WorcesterObserver, on Twitter at @WorcesterObs and on Instagram @worcesterobserver
Feel free to keep me company with an e-mail to [email protected] with any questions about the elections and I’ll do my best to answer
10.50am – Labour endured an horrific day yesterday with their county seats slashed from nine to just three. Catch up on yesterday’s events here https://worcesterobserver.co.uk/news/tories-triumphant-as-labour-left-in-wilderness/
Key seats to watch this morning are the always borderline seat of Cathedral and after the Tories success in the county poll yesterday we’ll be keeping an eye on Nunnery – will the Liberal Democrat success continue in Claines
10.45am – Labour is defending seven of the 12 seats today, the Conservatives three and the Green Party two. 18 seats are needed for a majority at the Guildhall.
10.43am – Elections are being held in 12 of the city’s 15 wards. The current state of the parties is:
Conservative: 16
Labour: 15
Greens: 3
Liberal Democrats: 1
10.35am – Morning all and welcome back as counting for the Worcester City Council elections delayed from last year because of the pandemic begins.
Counting has got underway in Cathedral, Arboretum, Claines, St. John, Nunnery and Bedwardine with results expected by midday. Counting will then get underway in St. Stephen, Battenhall, St. Clement, Warndon, Rainbow Hill and Gorse Hill with results early this afternoon
COUNTING has begun for Worcester City Council seats this morning. Stay with us throughout the day for regular updates and the results as they come in.
