We're hearing now from our political editor Beth Rigby on that projection for Labour to be the largest party at the general election but fail to win a majority. 

Beth has been discussing this with Labour sources in recent days, who she says would argue they are not trying to gain vote share in safe seats and are instead targeting battlegrounds. 

"For their tests it's can they pick up seats in marginal constituencies and the battlegrounds they need for a general election majority," she says. 

One source said Labour is on course to win a majority, arguing independents and other small parties won't get 24% of the vote share at a general election. 

They have been saying they are "very happy" with how the vote is distributed around the country. 

The party has also said it should be taken into account how much better they are expected to do in Scotland with a weakened SNP. 

Beth says these elections show the public believes the government is the problem - the question now is whether Labour is the answer. 

"When you look at the number of seats lost by the Conservatives and picked up by Labour, this is not a story of straight switching from the Conservatives to Labour," she says. 

By Professor Michael Thrasher, Sky News elections analyst

After counting more than two million votes cast in the English council elections, a provisional National Share Estimate shows the Conservatives on just 26% of the vote, a 19-point drop compared with the 2019 general election and one of its worst ever performances in any set of local elections.

Labour's vote rises from 33% in 2019 to 35% on the current estimate, after more than half the wards have now declared.

The Liberal Democrats are on 16%, an increase of five percentage points on the 2019 election. This follows a familiar pattern where the party does better in council elections than in parliamentary elections.

Other parties, such as the Greens, Reform, and independents, are projected to be on 22%.

This figure assumes also that votes for the nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales, places where no local elections took place, are unchanged from the previous election. The same condition applies to the 18 seats in Northern Ireland.

A special edition of our flagship weeknight politics show Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge will be live on Sky News from 7pm.

The fast-paced programme dissects the inner workings of Westminster, with interviews, insights, and analysis - bringing you, the audience, into the corridors of power.

Sophy will be joined by Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, Reform leader Richard Tice, Lib Dem Helen Morgan, and elections analyst Michael Thrasher.

And on her panel tonight will be:

• James Starkie, former Home Office adviser;
• Caroline Flint, former Labour MP and minister.

Watch live on Sky News, in the stream at the top of this page, and follow live updates here in the Politics Hub.

Sir Keir Starmer has hailed Labour's victory in York and North Yorkshire as "an amazing moment in history".

Speaking in Northallerton after David Skaith's victory by almost 15,000 votes in Rishi Sunak's backyard, the Labour leader said while the party had seen "really good results" across the board, this was "a very, very special moment".

He said Labour had earned the "trust and respect" of voters "right in the prime minister's constituency".

The vote is a signal that people want "change", Sir Keir said.

"People are fed up with a failed government and they've registered that here.

"They're fed up with the mess and the division and the chaos, the sewage, the hospitals that don't work, the infrastructure, the potholes - you could go on."

Sir Keir vowed to everyone who voted Labour in the mayoral election that the party would not let them down.

"We have heard your message of change and we will deliver for you a better Britain," he said to applause from supporters at Northallerton Town FC.

North Yorkshire is becoming less Conservative, Labour's winning mayoral candidate has said.

The area, which has elected a mayor for the first time, contains Rishi Sunak's constituency of Richmond.

Labour has historically struggled to compete in parliamentary elections there.

David Skaith took 35.1% of the vote for Labour - ahead of Conservative candidate Keane Duncan's 27.3%.

Asked what his victory means in a "very Conservative area", Mr Skaith replied: "I think in traditional terms it has been [very Conservative], but obviously not now."

'I'm willing to work with PM'

He added: "I think the really big thing is actually we've really made it about York in North Yorkshire because that's what this role is about. 

"It's really about the place in the region itself, and we've really got out on the doorstep and spoken to people and they've really, really enjoyed that message that we're fighting for York, North Yorkshire."

Asked about working with the prime minister, Mr Skaith said: "I look forward to working with him. 

"If he's willing to work, then I'm willing to work with him."

Keane Duncan admitted: "It's been tough. It's difficult out there right now."

He added: "We've got to reflect, we've got to rebuild."

With big swings being seen elsewhere, it's no change for another three councils.

The Lib Dems have kept Three Rivers, losing one seat to the Green Party.

In Solihull, the Conservatives have lost a seat but kept control with an overall count of 30.

And Labour holds Calderdale after gaining two seats, while the Tories lost four.

We've a few more results to bring you now - with all of the country's main parties failing to gain control of three councils.

The biggest loss was seen by the Conservatives in Basingstoke and Deane - it's down eight seats there, with Labour gaining one and four going to other parties.

In Sheffield, Labour gained two seats but at 35 to the Lib Dems' 25, there's no overall control there.

And in Norwich, the Green Party gained two seats from Labour.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's stance on the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has been a "factor" in the party's local election results, its national campaign co-ordinator has said.

Sir Keir has admitted it's cost the party votes in some areas - and of course the issue helped George Galloway to win the Rochdale by-election earlier this year.

In February, Sir Keir called for a "ceasefire that lasts" in Gaza.

In November, however, his decision to favour "humanitarian pauses" led to the departure of 10 shadow ministers and parliamentary aides who rebelled to back a full ceasefire.

Labour has lost control of OIdham Council after gains were made by independents.

It was put to Mr McFadden that that result may have been because of Labour's stance on Gaza.

He replied: "I think it is a factor in some parts of the country, and I understand why people feel strongly about this. 

"Thousands of innocent people have been killed. People want it to stop.

"They want to do something about it. And if there's a case in parts of the country where we've lost support on that issue then we will work hard to regain it."

He says Labour's position is Israel has "a right to defend itself", but that the Palestinian people need a "better future".

It will be a "foreign policy priority" for Sir Keir if he becomes PM.

It's been going all Labour's way in the council election results today, and the party has now lost control of Kirklees.

The West Yorkshire authority has been shorn of five Labour councillors and three Tories - with the Lib Dems up two, the Greens up one, and independents up five.

It leaves the council under no overall control.

We won't get the result from the London mayoral contest today, but it's certainly one of the most prominent contests from this week's elections.

Sadiq Khan is hoping to stay in post, but faces a challenge from the Conservative candidate Susan Hall.

It's been an incendiary race, with Ms Hall accused of divisive politics.

Earlier this week, Labour's Wes Streeting said her winning would be a victory for "racists, white supremacists, and Islamophobes".

Challenged on this assessment by Sophy Ridge, Mr Streeting made no apologies for what he described as "grubby" Tory tactics.

"If people don't like Sadiq, fair enough," he said.

"If people oppose his policies, like ULEZ, fair enough.

"This is a democracy, that's what elections are about.

"But this mayor has received a scale of abuse and level of death threats that neither of his predecessors experienced."

Tory silence on racism 'deafening'

Mr Streeting also pointed to comments made about Mr Khan by Conservative-turned-Reform MP Lee Anderson, who claimed earlier this year that the capital had fallen under control of "Islamists".

The Labour frontbencher said such rhetoric had formed part of the Conservatives' campaign for the London mayoralty.

He added: "The silence from the Tory party about the racism in their ranks has been deafening.

"It shouldn't be left to senior Muslims (like former ministers Sajid Javid and Baroness Warsi) to call it out."

Mr Streeting admitted Labour feared a "close" race in London, and blamed changes to the voting system which meant those who voted for other left-centre parties like the Lib Dems and Greens could no longer choose someone like Mr Khan as a second preference.

He said while he understands frustrations with the system, a vote for a smaller party or independent candidate risked seeing Ms Hall end up in City Hall by the end of the weekend.