Polls have closed in the local elections. All councils in Scotland, Wales and London, and many in the rest of England were up for election. First results are expected soon after midnight
On 5 May all councils in Scotland and Wales are holding elections for all of their councillors. In England, the picture is more complex. Many parts of England are holding no election at all. Others are holding elections for a third of seats as part of a four-yearly cycle in which a third of lower-tier seats are elected each year, with the upper-tier being chosen in the fourth year. In other areas there is a “unitary” council, being elected in its entirety.