Early England election results make it clear: we are in an era of five-party politics

While Labour losses and Reform gains are obvious, the nature of how people actually voted is much more nuanced

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The English local election results require careful interpretation. Not all places get them at the same time: a relatively small proportion complete their counts overnight, so the headlines early on Friday morning may not reflect outcomes later in the day.

Overnight the story was one of Labour losses and Reform UK gains, a narrative that has persisted as more results have been declared. By mid-afternoon it was clear Labour was losing more than half of the seats it was defending in England, with some projections suggesting as many as 1,500 losses for the party.