THAT’s it from our live blog. All the reaction, results and more on our website from 6am
3am – Well that was an hour of drama.
The state of the parties at this hour is
Labour 13 (+1) Green Party 10 (+4) Conservative 8 (-7) and Liberal Democrat’s 4 (+2)
A nightmare night for the Conservatives who have lost every seat they held. They have just eight seats on the new Worcester City Council and are now the third party behind Labour and the Greens
BREAKING: Liberal Democrat’s win their third seat in Claines and fourth on Worcester City Council defeating the Conservatives
BREAKING: Labour wins Cathedral from the Conservatives as Atif Sadiq takes the seat. A clean sweep for the party
ST JOHNS: The Voice of St John’s Coun Richard Udall has been re-elected for Labour, 32 years after his first election
BREAKING: Green Party takes another clean sweep with the second seat in Arboretum from Labour’s Jenny Barnes.
Coun Hannah Cooper is the newly elected councillor
BREAKING: Green Party wins the second St St Peter’s Parish seat. Coun Elena Round wins the Conservative seat held by former Mayor of Worcester Steve Mackay who stood down at this election
ST STEPHEN: Green Party leader on the City Council Coun Majory Bisset retains her seat and increases her majority
SHOCK: The Tory stronghold of Bedwardine has been defeated. Coun Sue Smith has won the seat which was last held by former Tory leader Marc Bayliss
NUNNERY is held by Labour. Coun Simon Cronin is returned to the council. The result means Allah Ditta – who moved to the seat – will no longer be on the council
Worcester Conservative Party is no longer the largest party at the Guildhall. Now down to 12 seats, the same total as Labour
BREAKING: Greens win another seat as Lucy Hodgson loses Warndon Parish South to Coun Andrew Cross.
He lost by 34 votes in 2019, he wins by nearly 800 four years on
Sensation at the Guildhall, two results declared and two defeats for Worcester Conservatives.
A new leader of the Council will now be needed, but which from which party?
BREAKING: Tories lose second seat in as many minutes as Liberal Democrat Coun Sarah Murray wins in Warndon Parish North
BREAKING: CONSERVATIVE LEADER OF WORCESTER CITY COUNCIL CHRIS MITCHELL LOSES HIS SEAT
Green Party Coun Tor Pingree wins!
1.48am – Returning officer Shane Flynn will soon take to the mic here to announce the results
1.41am – Labour are increasingly down on retaining their Arboretum seat BUT…..there rumours of a big surprise. Not where you would think either….
1.37am – The counting hall has been livened up by the most magnificent sneeze which has sharpened us all up. Bravo!
1.22am – Read into this what you will but always interesting to see who is sitting at which table when counting starts as candidates and agents have the right to.
Little interest in St Stephen but lots of party representatives at Cathedral and three party leaders are currently at the St Clement table….
1.07am – COUNTING HAS BEGUN!
“Can all the counting staff return to their tables please, we’ll aim to start counting at 1 o’clock……it is 1 o’clock. We’ll start at five past!
In their defence, it’s getting late!
12.55am – Turnout for Worcester City Council’s elections is 35.46 per cent with 21,626 votes cast
Increase in people voting in Arboretum, Nunnery, St Clement, St Peter’s Parish and Warndon Parish South compared to 2019.
Turnout has fallen in Cathedral, Claines and St Stephen…
12.46pm – All votes have been verified and can now be counted. Also turnout figures are on the way.
Current mood in the hall…
Conservative – glum, Labour mixed, happy Greens
I shall seek out a Lib Dem or two!
11.54pm – Two Conservatives sources have told us it’s been ‘tough’ and not hopeful of their chances.
“The mood out there (in Worcester) is not good for us.”
11.48pm – Here’s the scene in the main counting area. Votes are currently being verified. Early predictions of results by 2am
11.37pm – The Liberal Democrat’s will seek a Claines clean sweep.
KEY SEAT: Warndon Parish South is a re-run of the 2019 contest which saw Coun Lucy Hodgson win by just 34 votes from Andrew Cross.
11.23pm – Races to watch? Eyes will be on Arboretum where the Greens will look to complete a clean sweep
Cathedral is always a keen race to watch, you feel any good night for Labour would have to start with a win there
11.13pm – All the ballot boxes have arrived without incident and verification of the votes will begin in the next hour.
A reminder of the state of the parties as we start tonight: Conservative 15, Labour 12, Green Party 6 and the Liberal Democrat’s on 2
GOOD Evening and welcome to our live coverage of the count in the 2023 local elections in Worcester
