As it happened: AV elections and referendum

2200 It's been a dramatic 24 hours, with the SNP winning a stunning victory in Scotland, Labour advancing in Wales and the Lib Dems suffering damaging losses in English council polls. To cap a bad day for Nick Clegg, the public has rejected his party's dream of voting system change. We have still more results to come from Northern Ireland and there will be plenty of political reaction over the weekend. But we are wrapping up our live coverage of the 2011 elections. Join us for Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.

2153 Labour's John Ashworth comfortably won Leicester South with a 57% share of the vote. The Lib Dems came in second, their vote falling 4%, while the Conservatives came third, their vote dropping by 6%.

2150 Labour have won the Leicester South by-election.

2137 Here's some breaking news from Leicester. Sir Peter Soulsby has been elected as the city's first mayor. He used to be Labour MP for Leicester South but stood down in March to fight the contest for the new position. No word yet on his successor in Parliament - that result has yet to be declared.

2136 Simon Reid in Slough, writes: "Dismayed at the condescending attitude of some Yes supporters. However the essence of democracy is the election of the most supported, not the least unsupported, and so I feel it was doomed to failure. PR would be a different matter, with a genuine alternative. Can't help but feel that if you are feeling disenfranchised by the FPTP method, get more involved in local politics, and actively support your local candidate. If they still don't win, tough really."

2135 Most of the attention so far in Northern Ireland has been on how long it has taken to count the results. They started the process at 0900 BST but the results have taken a long time to trickle through, delayed partly by the need to verify ballots for the AV referendum. As we stand, the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein have five seats each while the SDLP and the UUP have two each.

2130New Statesman journalist George Eaton tweets: "Those who said "No to AV, Yes to PR" couldn't look more foolish tonight. Electoral reform dead for a generation."

2125 We have provisional figures for the final turnout in the AV referendum. According to the Electoral Commission, 42% of registered voters took part - which would be the second lowest figure for a referendum in British history. Participation was highest in Northern Ireland, where 55.8% of people cast ballots. Turnout was lowest in London - at 35%.

2115Alan Mills tweets: "Should have kept my #yestoav ballot paper as a rare collectors item."

2112 It is scant consolation but Yes voters have prevailed in Oxford. There's a certain irony here as their varsity rivals Cambridge were among only a handful of other areas to support change.

2105 Reacting to the referendum result, David Cameron says the question of voting change has been "settled" after a "clear and resounding" outcome. The coalition must now provide "strong, decisive" government in the national interest, the prime minister adds.

2057 Labour MP for Exeter Ben Bradshaw tweets: "Done countless AV meetings in recent months two words sum up reason for scale of defeat: Nick Clegg. Toxic. Specially with Labour voters."

2054Katie Ghose, from the Yes campaign, thanked a range of people for working tirelessly for months, including young people who energised the campaign. She said those committed to electoral reform were above all democrats, and offered her congratulations to the No campaign. She said over 5 million people voted for change which was "a tribute to our campaign."

2050 No campaign director Matthew Elliott gets a massive cheer as he address supporters at the official count in London. He says the result is "emphatic" and will "settle the debate" on voting change for the "next generation".

2048Five of the 12 regions have declared results for the AV referendum, but there is not yet a complete certified result, the Electoral Commission says. But seeing as it will be several hours before that is available, the Yes and No campaigns are to make speeches at the venue.

2041Elections expert Prof John Curtice says the No campaign has apparently won the referendum by securing the support of older people, Conservatives and those who have not enjoyed a university education.

2040 Here are some observations on Friday's events from two seasoned political commentators. The Guardian's Nick Watt says there are two clear winners from the results - Alex Salmond and David Cameron. Matthew Parris, from the Times, says the Lib Dems are "absolutely stuck" in the coalition as they do not want a general election. Nick Clegg has to plough on, he adds, but he cannot expect major concessions from his coalition partners.

2036Bashir Shah in Blackburn writes: "We were promised PR - we got sold down the river by Clegg and the Lib Dems with AV - a costly, unworkable system that would have caused more confusion and even less participation. The UK has answered in the only way it knew how and the only way it could - NO to AV and NO to the Lib Dems!"

2035Bryan Tookey tweets: "shame about the AV result. At least the good people of my London Borough voted Yes . Well done Camdenites"

2034Here's a quick recap of what has happened in the English council elections: The Liberal Democrats suffered a mauling, losing almost 700 seats and control of nine authorities. Labour gained an extra 800 councillors, taking over power in 26 more town halls, and against the odds, the Conservatives made advances, with a net gain of three councils.

2033 Labour leader Ed Miliband reacts to the referendum result. He says he is "disappointed" by the verdict but acknowledges the people have spoken "very clearly". However, he promises to continue to argue for a "new politics" in the UK.

2027Jonathan Irving tweets: "Seems as though the NO vote is a vote against Nick Clegg not a genuine decision on the AV voting system"

2022 The BBC's Chris Buckler in Belfast says it looks like the status quo will be maintained in Northern Ireland after the Assembly poll - with the Democratic Unionists set to win the largest number of seats and Sinn Fein coming second. Peter Robinson is set to remain as First Minister with Martin McGuinness as his deputy, he adds.

2019James Moakes in Manchester writes: "I think that the electorate has shown the Lib Dems and Nick Clegg exactly what we think of them. I think with their share in government in tatters, there should be a serious rethink about the coalition and Clegg as the Lib Dem leader."

2018 Here's Nick Clegg's first reaction to the AV defeat. He says it is a "bitter blow" but he accepts what he says is a "very clear" result. But he insists he is committed to remaining in the coalition and "seeing its work through".

2015Actor Stephen Fry tweets: "We AV yessers got our botties spanked. Hey ho. Such is democracy."

2010 We have had more than 400 individual referendum results now, with fewer than 40 to come. As we stand, 68.5% of people have voted No, while 31.4% voted Yes.

2009There has been cheering and clapping from the No supporters as results, for the eastern region, were declared by an official from the Electoral Commission at a venue in London.

2005 More results are coming in from Northern Ireland although there is mounting concern about how long the counts are taking - Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness has called for an inquiry into events. In Upper Bann, Sinn Fein's John O'Dowd has been elected while Gregory Campbell, of the Democratic Unionists, was returned for East Londonderry.

1955Labour MP for Birmingham Northfield Richard Burden tweets: "#No2AV msg negative, misleading but effective to win. #Yes2AV msg should have shown vision of change, not ridden on back of anti MP anger."

1948 Politicians are reacting to the news of the No victory. Labour's Jack Straw, an AV supporter, says he is not too "dismayed" by the outcome and he admits the No campaign ran a more effective campaign. Former Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett - a patron of No to AV - says Labour was genuinely divided but she believed the strength of arguments won out in persuading people.

1947Edinburgh Central votes yes, adding to 4.7 million supporters, but the no votes have reached above 10 million from 369 wards.

1941 That's it. The UK has voted no in the AV referendum, rejecting change to the electoral system.

1938 Another council gain for the Conservatives. They have taken control of Woking in Surrey, from no overall control. The Tories gained two seats, one from the Lib Dems and one from an independent candidate.

1936Tom Webb in Lancaster writes: "The Tories and No2AV will be breaking out the bubbly, whilst the Lib Dems and Yes2AV are surely licking their wounds - but no one seems concerned that the turnout for a vote on fundamental constitutional reform was a paltry 40%! What does that tell you about the levels of apathy in the UK today? And more importantly, is anyone going to do anything about it? (not the politicians, that's for sure!)"

1934Matt Rhodes tweets: "Is it true that we said #Yes2AV in Haringey? Does that mean we get the Alternative Vote even if nobody else does?."

1932 The threshold for the no campaign to be victorious - based on BBC projections - is 9,873,000 voters. The number of no votes actually counted has already reached 9,002,930.

1930 Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, the first results in the Assembly elections have been announced. In Newry and Armagh, Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy topped the poll and the SDLP's Dominic Bradley and Ulster Unionist Danny Kennedy have also been elected.

1927Peter Bone, Conservative MP for Wellingborough, said the only reason for the formation of the coalition was "to clean up the economic mess left by Labour", but once that is dealt with the parties should go their own ways. He said a national emergency should be the only reason for parties to come together to govern, and the Conservatives could rule as a minority government.

1920 David Pybus in Whitby writes: "I resent the implication that I've been swayed by a dirty No campaign or an inadequate Yes campaign. I haven't listened to either of them as I had a view before the campaigns started - I voted No because I didn't want a system introduced that allowed floating voters to have as many votes as there are candidates instead of casting one vote honestly for their preferred candidate".

1921Michael Gove, Education Secretary, said he was open-minded about AV initially and then after studying the arguments, he concluded that the best thing to do was to vote no. He said it was out of courtesy to the Lib Dems that he took time to consider the options first.

1916Southwark becomes the seventh area to support AV, with 52.7% of voters in favour, while 314 areas vote no.

1912Asked on the BBC about the state of the coalition, Mr Huhne said: "There is no doubt that the relationships have been frayed in this campaign."

1910 John Reid, one of the most prominent No to AV campaigners, says the result is "stunning" and "resounding". The former Labour minister, who shared a platform with David Cameron to back first-past-the-post, says people should not seek to bring in electoral change "by the back door".

1906 Liberal Democrat cabinet minister Chris Huhne says it is "ridiculous" to suggest that his leader Nick Clegg should lose his position because of the AV defeat as well as poor election results in English councils, Scotland and Wales. "We have a coalition agreement which we have pledged to deliver and we plan to go ahead with it," he told Sky News.

1904 It has been in danger of being overlooked among all the other drama but remember we are still awaiting the result of the Leicester South by-election. No word yet about when it will be declared but the authorities were talking earlier about trying to get an announcement by 2000 BST.

1859With 284 results in, there are 278 voting no.

1858 Labour's Tessa Jowell, an AV supporter, says the issue is now closed and there should be no more talk of changing the voting system. The "chance has gone", she tells Sky News. Tory MP Matthew Hancock says the vote is a "positive endorsement" for first-past-the-post.

1853And yet another yes result - 55.8% of Camden voters are in favour of AV.

1851And another yes result - this time from Cambridge, with 54.3% of voters in favour.

1848 The fourth yes result has come in. Islington supports it by 56.92%, with a majority of 6,702 votes.

1847Allyn Thomas tweets: "Most areas ranged in the 30% - 40% for voter turnout. Unbelievable that so few actually cared about the referendum.#vote2011"

1843The BBC projects that 69% of voters will say no, and 31% will vote yes, with a 41% turnout.

1840 Reflecting further, Lord Ashdown says he initially advised Nick Clegg to hold the referendum poll in September but later changed his mind. He says the better-than-expected turnout vindicates the decision to hold it now. He also says the Yes campaigners were damaged by Labour divisions.

1838Another yes result - Haringey, with 56.62% in support of AV.

1835 Shadow Welsh Secretary Peter Hain says he fears the "game is up" over the AV referendum. The Labour MP tells the BBC that supporters of change would have had a "much better chance" if the poll had been held on a different date, not at the same time as local elections. For the Lib Dems, Lord Ashdown says the result is a "major blow".

1832After 186 results out of 440 in the AV referendum declared, the running totals are two areas in favour - with almost two million votes (31.5% share of the vote), and 184 saying no - 4,340,870 votes or 68.49% of the vote.

1825 Some details about how people are voting regionally are filtering through. The West Midlands has rejected AV most overwhelmingly so far, with 73% of voters supporting first-past-the-post. In London, however, nearly 40% of people have voted yes.

1823Rebekah Barsauckas tweets: "Labour has taken an absolute hammering in Scotland! Can't say i'm not smiling! #vote2011 #election2011"

1819Liberal Democrat cabinet minister Danny Alexander tells Sky News: "It looks like we are going to lose quite handsomely. It will be a victory for the No campaign. It is disappointing that people have chosen to vote the way they have. I think there is a whole number of reasons for that, but I think the most important thing is to accept with good grace the verdict of the people and say 'That's that'."

1815 The BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson says an overwhelming No vote in the referendum would leave Nick Clegg further "battered and bruised". However, he says David Cameron has told Conservatives not to "gloat" over the likely result so as not to antagonise their Lib Dem coalition partners - who supported AV.

1810 Some good news at last for the Yes to AV campaign. Glasgow Kelvin and Lambeth have backed the switch to a new system - the first Yes results of the evening. Glasgow Kelvin backed AV by 59% to 41% while Lambeth voted yes by a margin of 55% to 45%.

1800 According to the Press Association, we have had 80 AV results so far - we are still waiting for the first Yes vote. Average turnout so far is 43.7%.

1755Away from the AV referendum, it has emerged that the Conservatives have lost control of Waveney Council in Suffolk - the authority has gone to no overall control. The Conservatives lost four seats while Labour gained eight.

1752 Nowhere has returned a Yes to AV vote yet.

1750Simon Y tweets: "Watching the #vote2011 results roll in. With 1.3 million votes counted, it's 70% "no to AV". Expected the result; incredulous at the margin."

1745Editor of Liberal Conspiracy blog Sunny Hundal tweets: "Not sure why No2AV win means there is no "progressive majority". Just means Yes2AV campaign failed in persuading people, incl lefties."

1745 Alex Salmond is speaking in Edinburgh. He confirms he will ask the Scottish Parliament to approve him as First Minister after his party's election victory. He plans to speak to David Cameron this evening and stresses, in that conversation, he will "lay down markers" about what the result means for Scotland's relationship with the UK as a whole.

1740 With 28 of the 440 counting areas now declared, it is looking as though the eventual No lead will be of the order of 70% to 30%, according to politics expert Prof John Curtice. There are of course still lots of results to come and the exact percentages may shift a little, but the result already looks very stable and the No campaign can confidently look forward to success.

1737Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray says he has agreed with Ed Miliband that there needs to be a "root and branch" review of the party's operations in Scotland after its election defeat. "Hard and fundamental lessons" need to be learnt, he tells the BBC.

1736James Gleave tweets: "This isn't just a defeat, it's a complete thrashing. That's voting reform off the agenda for another 30 years. #Yes2AV #vote2011"

1734There have been 28 results in the AV referendum so far, according to David Dimbleby on the News Channel.

1731Asked about Labour's disastrous performance in Scotland, Lord Mandelson says his party needs to reflect on it "very deeply". In the past, he believes, Labour had "exuded a sense of entitlement" to govern there and this may have counted against them. He says the campaign became "presidential" in nature and Labour leader Iain Gray could not match Alex Salmond's "showmanship".

17:30Lord Mandelson says he expects a "decisive" No vote in the alternative vote referendum. The former Labour Cabinet minister tells the BBC he is disappointed but "entirely unsurprised" by the likely result. He criticises the decision to hold the poll on the same day as local elections and says the public did not see the case for AV as a "big deal". And he compliments David Cameron on "mobilising" support against any change to first-past-the-post.

1729 Results in the AV referendum are coming in thick and fast now - all of them voting No so far.

1727 According to the Guardian Live blog the AV turnout (35.4%) in London was higher than it was when Londoners voted in 1998 in a referendum on whether to have a mayor. The turnout then was 34.1%.

1719 Valen writes: "If Nick Clegg had been tougher on the Conservatives they may not have ended up in this mess. I think it's a pity that Clegg may be forced to stand down as leader of his party as he showed a lot of promise during the General Election last year."

1716 Broxbourne, Stirling, Sunderland and Southend-on-Sea have all voted No to AV. The No vote in Broxbourne was an overwhelming 79.5%

1710 What odds would you have got for the first indications of the referendum result coming from the Orkney Islands, Isles of Scilly and Na h-Eileanan?All voted no with margins of between 20.5% and 35.9%. No psephologist would draw conclusions from a tiny amount of evidence like that. Plenty of journalists will note those are the sort of No leads we saw in the campaign polls though, BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins says.

1659There have been two declarations so far in the AV referendum - both in favour of the No campaign. On the Isles of Scilly, 39.76% (288 people) voted Yes and 65.3% (542 people) voted No. On the Orkney Islands, there was a Yes vote of 39.76% (3,187) and a No vote of 60.42% (4,829).

1654 We don't know if someone has spilled their tea or it's just down to the weather, but staff at the Fermanagh/South Tyrone count have asked for hair dryers to dry out wet ballot papers.

1648 Combative stuff from Conservative MP Bill Cash. He tells Sky News people have voted with a "capital C for the Conservatives and not the coalition". He says the Lib Dems are now "so unpopular" they don't "have the right" to object to Conservative policies behind the scenes. He says they have "lost all authority and all legitimacy in insisting they have their way".

1643 The BBC's political correspondent Ross Hawkins says the higher than expected turnout, even where local elections were not taking place, means the worries about changing the electoral system on a dismal number of votes were unfounded. It may also mean voters were more interested in a referendum many assumed was being largely ignored by those outside the Westminster village.

1636 With just 50-odd mostly rural councils left to declare, it's beginning to look unlikely that Labour will record a net gain of 1,000 seats, while the Conservatives may well end up slightly in positive territory, says our expert Prof John Curtice. Doubtless, Conservative spokespeople will take delight in this unexepectedly favourable outcome, he adds.

1629 BBC political editor Nick Robinson writes on his blog: "As we await the result of the referendum on changing our voting system I can't help noticing that proportional representation has delivered a stable, majority government in Scotland whilst good, old-fashioned first-past-the-post produced a hung parliament and a coalition in Westminster."

1625The Guardian's Tom Clark tweets: "AV London turnout (if really 35.4%) is very high .... shows not everyone bored (even if majority were)"

1621Victoria Peckham tweets: "I can't believe people think AV turn-out below 45% (everywhere but Scotland) a triumph. 35% in London. What low expectations."

1617 The Lib Dems have lost Newcastle - a city that was once the feather in their cap. Labour has taken control, winning 10 seats.

1613 Politics expert Prof John Curtice says the turnout in London - where there were no local elections - was only a little lower than in most other parts of England where local elections were held. To that extent, he says, the referendum does seem to have attracted a less than disastrous level of participation on its own. Prof Curtice also points out that the overall turnout looks likely to exceed 40% so the result would still have been binding if the proposed - but rejected - 40% threshold had been imposed.

1608 Here's the full list of regional turnout figures we have so far: Eastern 43.1%; London 35.4%; North East 38.7%; North West 39.7%; Scotland 50.7%; South West 44.6%; West Midlands 39.8%; Yorkshire and Humber 39.9%.

1604 With almost all of the key wards now declared, the BBC's figures for the projected share of the national vote are: Conservatives 35%; Labour 37%; Lib Dems 15%; Others 13%.

1558 Figures show more people turned out to vote in the AV referendum than many commentators expected. Of the eight regions so far announced, Scotland had the highest - 50.7% - and London the lowest - 35.4%.

1543 Caroline Lucas MP says the people of Brighton and Hove have "made history again" by voting in 23 Green councillors and making the party the largest on the authority. Speaking on the BBC News Channel, she says there's a sense that the Greens are now "a real alternative", but she refuses to be drawn on how the council will be run.

1549Caledonia67 writes: "Congratulations to Alex Salmond on his victory. I hope Scotland gets our referendum on independence. We can still have free movement, passport-free travel (as with Ireland) but do so free from the yoke of Westminster and thrive as a proud nation that will lead the way in renewable energy and thus help other nations prosper."

1545 Labour has lost North Lincolnshire - its first loss in England - and the Conservatives are now in charge. But Blackpool - the place David Cameron called his "lucky city" just last year - has gone firmly red.

1539 The turnout in the West Midlands in the AV referendum was 39%. We won't have an overall UK-wide figure until a bit later.

1534Luke Bozier tweets: "Surely this isn't about LDs being blamed for cuts. This is about LD supporters no longer being able to protest vote, and hating it."

1530 Iain Gray says he will now instigate "a root and branch review" of the Scottish Labour Party's structure and strategy.

1527 Scottish Labour Leader Iain Gray tells BBC Scotland he will stand down in the autumn after his party suffered a crushing defeat in the Holyrood elections.

1525 For those of you who like to know the minutiae of politics, those straws that decided the Bury Council result were, we're told, in fact, cable ties.

1520 We should be getting some figures on the referendum turnout shortly, but we've been told the actual vote count has been delayed - we'll bring you more on what that will mean for the timing of the eventual result when we have it.

1513 Lib Dem minister Chris Huhne has conceded that the Yes camp looks set for defeat in the AV Referendum. He told the BBC he had no idea what the final percentages would be, but "if the boxes are anything like what I've seen it doesn't look good".

1507 The Green Party is now the largest party in Brighton, with 23 seats. It's still five seats short of a majority, but the city that chose Caroline Lucas as the UK's first green MP last year has cemented its support for her party at local level.

1503 The SNP may have the headlines, but George Eaton, of the New Statesman, thinks the Tories are the big winners from today. "There is now a far greater chance of a Tory majority in 2015," he writes. "The prospect of an emboldened Conservative Party fighting the next election under first-past-the-post, having redrawn the constituency boundaries in its favour, is not a happy one for Labour. For Ed Miliband, the really hard work starts now."

1500 Simon Hinde tweets: "The real story of these elections may be the turnout: seems to have been v low, showing growing disaffection with all parties."

1456 Labour has taken control of Chesterfield and Ipswich, but has failed to win Thurrock - a southern seat the party really had its eye on.

1449 "Anybody who is a Labour supporter will be devastated by the results," says shadow justice secretary Sadique Khan, of the situation in Scotland. Asked about the future of Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray, Mr Khan says he is "a proud man" and will want now to discuss the implications of his party's defeat with his family.

1445 The BBC's political correspondent Ross Hawkins says the SNP's overall majority is something few predicted, the consequences of which could prove historic. The question now is, can Alex Salmond turn support for the SNP into votes for an independent Scotland? A referendum on independence is unlikely to happen quickly, but the prospect of a poll on whether to change the shape of the UK is likely to put debates about the alternative vote in the shade.

1440 Unusual goings-on in Bury. After three recounts, Labour and Conservative posted the same number of votes in the Ransbottom ward. The two candidates then drew straws, with the Labour candidate drawing the longest one to gain an extra vote and win the seat - giving them a majority on the council.

1439 Kevin, from Wokingham, writes: "Clegg and the LibDems made one big mistake. Most people don't care about Electoral reform but they do care about real life issues. When they held the line on AV and back tracked on university fees support evaporated."

1432 The seat that took the SNP over the line was Kirkcaldy - the home town of former prime minister Gordon Brown.

1428 The SNP has won an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament.

1425 Kevin, from Wokingham, writes: "Clegg and the LibDems made one big mistake. Most people don't care about Electoral reform but they do care about real life issues. When they held the line on AV and back tracked on university fees support evaporated."

1421 BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins reports that rather than calling for Nick Clegg to go, some Lib Dem MPs want to see rather more of him. One told him the deputy PM must consult with them more before making big policy announcements. It shouldn't be enough just to agree things with David Cameron, the MP says.

1417 BBC expert Prof John Curtice says so far, key wards declared today are proving slightly less good for Labour and slightly less bad for the Lib Dems than first appearances suggested. It's therefore possible, he says, that the eventual projected share of the national vote may find Labour adjusted down slightly and the Lib Dems slightly up.

1415 The Word writes: "I work in banking, and even I sometimes despise bankers but the credit crisis was actually caused by political failure. The academics, and politicians really, properly, bought into self-regulation. Gains have been made by Labour it seems, which demonstrates how crazy your average voter can be."

1410 BBC News is reporting low turnout and high security in Northern Ireland. The correspondent says waiting for election results has been a real "test of patience" with results not due to be announced for another four to five hours.

1405 The Telegraph Live page reports Energy Secretary Chris Huhne - a 2/1 favourite according to bookmakers William Hill to succeed current Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg - as saying the party needs to hold its nerve and has backed leader Nick Clegg. The Telegraph quotes Mr Huhne as saying: "I don't think it is time for a change in leadership. I absolutely think that we have made the right decision to go into government." He added: "We need to hold our nerve, see our way through it and as the economy improves and the jobs come back we will get electoral reward and Nick will be shown to be the leader who has taken the right decisions."

1402 Brian Taylor, BBC Scotland's political editor, points out that Labour designed the voting system in Scotland with the express aim of preventing the SNP ever winning an overall majority. That plan has backfired spectacularly, he says, with this "astounding" victory.

1400 Labour gain Preston from no overall control, while the Lib Dems lose St Albans to no overall control.

1357 BBC News reports Welsh Labour's failure to gain the Aberconwy seat from Plaid Cymru, which was won by the Conservatives, has damaged its chances of getting an overall majority of 31. Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan told the BBC news website: "We have, in fact, stopped Labour getting an overall majority." She said that over the last few elections, the Welsh Conservatives had "quietly and steadily moved the party forward". "We are not trying to create a revolution. We are trying to show we are a fresh voice for Wales and I think we are being rewarded at the ballot box," she said.

1350 Tim Brandon, from London, writes: "I still believe in what the Lib Dems stand for, I just no longer think that Nick Clegg does."

1347 Neil O'Brien, director of the right-leaning think tank Policy Exchange, says the loss of the AV vote "would raise an existential question about where the Liberal Democrats are going". He writes: "The real threat is that it will be crippled inside. When trust and goodwill flow, the coalition can make real progress. Each partner is prepared to swallow decisions that are unpalatable, knowing that in the not too distant future the favour will be returned. That could get harder now."

1345 Shadow chancellor Ed Balls, being interviewed by David Dimbleby, said "it was a bad result for Labour last night. Congratulations to Alex Salmond". He went on to say all those protest votes from the Lib Dems went to the SNP and not Labour. Twelve months ago, Labour had a bad election result, he said, but "we've been listening, rebuilding and we're making some gains in the UK. It's not a one-year miracle". He claimed the Conservatives had been "savvy" by putting the Lib Dems up as "shields". This is essentially a Conservative government, he added.

1340Jess Brammar of ITV news tweets: "Always thought people vote SNP as left-wing party, not because most want independence. Will be fascinated to see if referendum proves me wrong."

1339 endangeredlogic writes: "I generally viewed the LibDems as a party that had nice sounding ideas that were unworkable in practice and wouldn't vote for them because they seemed to have their heads in the clouds. It seems slightly ironic that the moment they start demonstrating that they could be fit to govern, their support evaporates."

1335 BBC Radio Scotland reports that the Scottish Labour Party has strenuously denied rumours that party leader Ian Gray, accused by many of conducting a lamentably poor campaign, is to resign this afternoon.

1333Mark Ledger tweets: "I'm amazed that Labour have done so poorly in Scotland #vote2011"

1331 Andy Burnham, Labour's national election co-ordinator, says the party will be "ready" if the prime minister calls a snap general election. Speaking in Warrington where Labour gained six seats and took control of the council, Mr Burnham said the results across the country showed that Labour "was back".

1330 The Lib Dems have gained control of Burnley council after winning two extra seats. The BNP lost one of its two seats on the authority.

1321 Nick Clegg's parliamentary aide Norman Lamb tells the BBC: "No one, I believe, in the party wants at this stage to have a change of leadership." BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins said Lib Dem calls for Mr Clegg's resignation are few and far between - but they are being made, and some are imagining a stage when his departure will be demanded. However, he said Mr Lamb wasn't issuing a coded call for him to go.

1318Douglas Oliver tweets: "Delighted to see SNP heading to an overall majority, never thought they'd do that well. #vote2011"

1315 In a Labour press release, Ed Miliband says former Lib Dems have "withdrawn permission for Nick Clegg to back Tory policies". During the campaign Labour argued the coalition did not have a "mandate" for its plans, says BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins. The opposition's suggestion the government lacks legitimacy for what it is doing is becoming central to its argument, he said.

1312Tom Hill tweets: "Has everyone that voted Lib Dem last year forgotten what the Labour government did? They've all run back to voting Labour! #vote2011."

1310Simon Hinde tweets: "Labour has not found anything compelling to say on economy, individual prosperity (not to mention law/order, immigration etc etc) #vote2011."

1308 Marek Norvid, from Newcastle upon Tyne, writes: "It's all well and good Nick Clegg and Paddy Ashdown rabbiting on about "dusting down and moving on", have they ever considered that the main issue from now and for the forseeable future is how will they ever regain the TRUST of the electorate."

1300 Labour has held Gateshead, the Tories keep control of Uttlesford in Essex, and the Lib Dems hold Three Rivers council in Hertfordshire.

1258 Steve Richards, from the Independent, told BBC News the consequences of the losses for the Lib Dems will be long-term. Over time the coalition will become "unsustainable", he said, and predicted it will not last until the general election in 2015.

1252 William Hill is offering odds of 2/1 that Nick Clegg resigns as Liberal Democrat leader by the end of this year, the Daily Telegraph's blog reports. Chris Huhne has been offered as 2/1 favourite to succeed Clegg if he does go. Other candidates include Tim Farron at 11/4, Danny Alexander at 6/1, and Norman Lamb at 7/1.

1247 The Conservatives have retained control in North Somerset, Derbyshire Dales and Kettering.

1240 The Conservatives have gained control of Solihull council from no overall control after gaining six seats. The Lib Dems lost four and Labour two.

1235view_from_spen writes: "Clegg should go as leader. Its not losing the AV vote that makes me say this - its the lack of negotiating skill and judgement - there was no need for a referendum. If the Tories didn't want PR the minimum requirement from the LD's to enter the coalition should have been an AV Bill in Parliament within the first 12mths."

1230 Our political correspondent Ross Hawkins says the PM's BBC interview was pretty sober stuff from a man who has had a good night at the polls - paying tribute to Lib Dems for their coalition work, promising no celebrating after the AV result and expressing his respect for the Scottish government. There's no advantage for him in annoying the Lib Dems by crowing, or being seen to lecture Scottish voters.

1226Jules writes: "I think it is pretty sad that there is such a democratic deficit in the UK that people feel the need to use local elections as a way to get at the national government."

1224 James Forsyth, writing on the Spectator's Coffee House blog, says one of the big stories of the night is the return of Scottish politics to the national stage - after being "pretty much ignored since devolution". "It'll be fascinating to see how Cameron handles the prospect of a referendum on independence. Will he argue, as some constitutional scholars argue, that the Scottish parliament doesn't have the power to hold a vote on independence?" he writes.

1220 The Lib Dems have retained control of Watford, losing just one seat.

1215 With results for North Wales now coming in, our resident expert Prof John Curtice says it remains uncertain whether Labour will manage to win 30 or 31 seats. It is likely to depend on the distribution of the last regional seat. However, at the moment the odds seem to be against Labour securing the 31 seats that would give it an overall majority.

1212 Alister McLeod tweets: "I spoiled my AV vote. It's a valid form of protest! I'm not happy with FPTP, but I'm also not happy with AV. I want more choice."

1208 David Cameron also said there would be "no celebrating" the AV result, regardless of whether it was a Yes or a No. He told the BBC: "The issue will be settled and we will go on with being a coalition government and working in the national interest."

1203 Labour has taken control of Lincoln City Council by winning six wards in the local election. The council had previously been run by the Conservatives, who lost a ward and dropped to 15 seats. Labour has also taken Leeds from no overall control, winning seven seats to gain a majority of 55. The Lib Dems lost five seats and the Conservatives one in Leeds.

1157 Asked about the possibility of a referendum on Scottish independence, David Cameron says he "believes passionately in our United Kingdom" and while he congratulates Alex Salmond on his "emphatic win", he will fight with "every fibre that I have" to keep the United Kingdom together.

1152 First reaction from David Cameron. He says the Conservatives have "done well". He also says: "I pay tribute to the work that the Lib Dems have done and will go on doing in the coalition."

1147 Conservative blogger Tim Montgomerie says the Lib Dems "have been found out". For years, he says, they've played the right or the left in different parts of the country and said whatever would make them popular. This is "a grow up moment", he adds.

1143 Thereminwar tweets: "So far the Tories have made gains. Small gains but gains nonetheless. Disappointing for Labour."

1139 Nick Clegg's chief political advisor has said he believes the No campaign has won the AV referendum. Norman Lamb told BBC Radio 5 live: "We wanted to give people a chance to have their say for the first time on how they elect their Parliament and people have rejected that."

1133 Labour have gained both Cardiff North and Cardiff Central - gains that politics aficionado Prof John Curtice says could well help ensure they win an overall majority in the Welsh Assembly.

1128 Wayne Lockwood tweets: "Dare I suggest LibDems as party with most integrity? They knew they'd be scapegoat in an unpopular govt but still went into coalition."

1124 BBC Radio Scotland is reporting slow counting in some areas due to confusion created by the amount of things people needed to vote on at once. The confusion is apparently not as bad as it was four years ago, but the addition of the AV vote on top of parliamentary elections means that a lot of people have had trouble either filling out their ballots correctly, or putting them in the right boxes. When the AV ballot boxes are opened they'll have to see if there are any additional Scottish Parliamentary election papers.

1117 Lib Dem Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne says listening to Ed Miliband "brings back memories" of what it was like when his party was in opposition and was able to promise things without ever having to deliver them. He says Labour are now getting some of the protest votes that the Lib Dems used to get.

1112Keith Cooper writes: "Previously I had voted Liberal Democrat in every election since I turned 18 and I do support many of the things that they have achieved in this parliament, for instance raising the tax threshold. But their betrayal on tuition fees has stopped me from being able to support them."

1109 "South, north, east and west, Labour is coming back", Ed Miliband tells an audience of supporters in Gravesend.

1105 Green Party leader Jake Griffiths says he's pleased with his party's campaign in South Wales Central despite its failure to secure the historic 7% of the vote which had been projected by a YouGov poll. In fact, the party failed to win a single seat in the region, but Mr Griffiths insists: "We didn't have a flawed campaign, it went very well."

1058 Lib Dem MP Bob Russell says it's "bizarre" that Labour has made gains when they were responsible for the UK's budget deficit. "It's like rewarding the bank robbers rather than the policemen who caught them. It's just bizarre that people have such short memories."

1053 Liverpoool Lib Dem leader Flo Clucas has blamed a national "hate campaign" against Nick Clegg for the party's devastating losses in the city. The party lost 11 of the 13 seats it was defending on the authority, with former council leader Lord Mike Storey toppled by 18-year-old Labour candidate Jake Morrison.

1050 Science Tech Politic tweets: "I'm no fan of Lib Dems propping up this government, but most of the policies people most object to are clearly Tory led."

1046 Labour peer Lord Hattersley says the SNP have made gains because they are offering something "genuinely radical" - a real alternative on health and social care, and tuition fees, for example. He says this is the sort of political ground his party must work to recapture.

1042Will tweets: "Surprised but very happy to see what a good night it was for the Conservatives! Labour will be gutted."

1038 Less pleasant reading for the Lib Dems in Milton Keynes, New Forest and Chelmsford. In all three, there was a direct fight between them and the Conservatives and the latter won convincingly every time. When given the choice on who to "kick" - as senior Lib Dems have put it - it appears that voters predominantly chose the Lib Dems, rather than the Tories.

1029 Laura Kuenssberg, chief political correspondent of the BBC News Channel, tweets: "John McTernan tells me Iain Gray won't be Labour leader in Scotland at next election."

1024 Some more crumbs of comfort for the Lib Dems. In three councils in the south where the Tories are their main opponents they have held them off. In one, Eastleigh, they have actually gained three seats. Interestingly, Eastleigh is the constituency of Chris Huhne, who this week verbally attacked his Conservative coalition colleagues during a cabinet meeting.

1020 Business Secretary Vince Cable says Nick Clegg has put up with "an enormous amount of personalised abuse" during the election campaign and this will increase support and consideration for him within the party.

1016 Evan Harris, vice-chairman of the Lib Dem Federal Policy Committee, says Nick Clegg has become a "lightning rod" for criticism, but he says his party leader won't be surprised. "Nick Clegg knew that his popularity wouldn't last," he adds.

1010 Alex Cunningham, Labour Member of Parliament for Stockton North, tweets: "We've had hug a hoodie with Cameron - on BBC we see from Willie Hague its now "hug a Lib Dem" time - Coalition must be feeling pressure."

1007 Politics professor John Curtice says the local election results in England will provide Labour with "modest pleasure". He says they show the party "can compete", but are "not on a trajectory that would make us believe they could win the next general election".

1000 Despite the implications of that SNP result for Labour, there is much better news for Ed Miliband in Wales. Former Welsh Secretary Peter Hain told the BBC his party's gains were "a triumph" and Labour's best ever performance for an assembly election.

0955 BBC figures suggest the SNP is heading for an overall majority north of the border. This would be the first such majority ever, for any party, in the Scottish Parliament.

0950Rich York writes: "The real loser here is Ed Milliband, he backed AV and has lost and there are signs he is losing much of the Labour Scottish heartland to the SNP. With the boundary changes and with Scotland moving away from Labour they can never gain power again. Incredibly good night for David Cameron."

0945 Lib Dem peer Lord Razzall tells the BBC that his party's councillors are "the representatives of government" in the north of England, so if voters want to "kick the coalition", it's obvious who they're going to kick.

0937 Sky News's John Craig has quoted a political friend of his as saying that Labour has suffered a "tartan tanking" in Scotland. Craig went on to say that Labour had got their campaign "all wrong" and that the SNP were "nudging" towards the 65 seats needed for a majority.

0933Daniel Dixon, from Sheffield, writes: "In reply to Stewart from Chesterfield, Gordon Brown didn't bankrupt this country, he wasn't in charge long enough. The world economy goes round in cycles, it's like hitting the reset button, it's not the first time the economy has crashed and it won't be the last I can guarantee you that."

0930 Mark Pack, from the blog Lib Dem Voice, is the only person so far this morning to put a vaguely positive gloss on his party's situation. "The expectations were so awful," he tells the BBC, that actually, "it's not as bad as we thought".

0925 Helen C Menon tweets: "Brunt of coalition cuts yet to come. Tuition fees don't kick in until 2012. Tories shouldn't feel so complacent."

0921 In North Yorkshire, a 19-year-old barman has been voted in as a Conservative councillor. Luke Ives stood in the Ryedale District council elections. The Tories are in charge there for the first time in the authority's history. The victorious pint puller told BBC Radio York he was "surprised and delighted".

0918Gary tweets: "It feels this morning that the annoyed owner of the dug-up garden has kicked the dog and thanked the owner."

0913 The language in some of the newspapers is bordering on apocalyptic, with the Daily Mail branding the result a Lib Dem "massacre". For the Independent, it's also a bit biological - the paper says there's been "a poll bloodbath", with support "haemorrhaging".

0906 A crumb of comfort for Nick Clegg. According to BBC polling expert David Cowling, if these local results were repeated on a national level - and first-past-the-post was retained - the Lib Dem leader would still keep his seat. His colleagues in Cambridge, Manchester Withington and Bradford East wouldn't be so lucky though.

0901 The Guardian has been poring over Nick Clegg's claim that his party must "redouble its efforts" to show why it's in government. "Is he suggesting the Lib Dems are going to insist on softening some policies, reversing gears, or that there are policies yet to be unveiled that that we don't know yet about that he is determined to halt in their tracks before they ever see the light of day?" the paper asks.

0854 Alan Cochrane, in the Daily Telegraph, says Alex Salmond's victory in Scotland "puts the very continuation of the United Kingdom, as presently constituted, under serious threat".

0848 Lib Dem grandee Lord Ashdown says his party may have entered the coalition with "too much merry optimism... that the people of Britain would understand that compromise is not betrayal".

0842 Stewart Small, from Chesterfield, writes: "Twelve months after the general election and Labour are being given hundreds of council seats back by the voters. How quickly we forget that Gordon Brown bankrupted the UK by his incompetence. We are in a mess and the quickest way to match Greece, Eire and Portugal with the begging bowl is to vote Labour back in. I am old enough to remember this country going cap in hand to the IMF for them to run the country's economy and that was yet another Labour government."

0836 A bit more on what William Hague said a short while ago. He insisted there would still be a "very positive atmosphere" in the cabinet despite the Lib Dems' losses.

0832 Jenni Willows tweets: "In the crossfire of huge economic cuts, the Lib Dems would seem to have been used as the political equivalent of a human shield."

0827 Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander tells the BBC he doesn't think the view that Nick Clegg should resign is "at all widely held", but he admits his party has "suffered setbacks".

0820 Mr Clegg said his party had been hid hardest in parts of northern England that have "strong memories of what life was like under Thatcherism in the 1980s" and where people "somehow fear that's what we're returning to".

0811 First reaction from Nick Clegg to his party's drubbing. "We're clearly bearing the brunt of the blame," he tells reporters outside his London home.

0805 Stuart Campbell, from Lochgilphead, writes: "The reason that the Conservative Party have held or gained seats, while their coalition partners the Lib-Dems have lost seats is very simple: the Tories have stuck to their policies and for the most part delivered on their general election promises; the Lib-Dems have abandoned all general election policies, lack principle and backbone, and have been shown to be a party of short-term opportunism. People simply do not believe the Lib-Dems anymore!"

0800 A source close to Nick Clegg has told the BBC it's been "a very tough night, a very bad night, and a very difficult night for hard-working councillors". "It is obviously a defeat... but we are not surprised that in the short term there are results like this," they said. On the call from the leader of the Lib Dems in Nottingham for Mr Clegg to resign, the source said: "I can understand that some councillors are upset at losing their jobs."

0754 The leader of the Lib Dem group on Nottingham City Council is calling for Nick Clegg to step down. Gary Long blamed his party's woes - and his own lost seat - on the issue of tuition fees.

0749 William Hague says Labour have been "routed" in Scotland and Ed Miliband must be very disappointed. "He isn't doing as well as I was doing when I was leader of the opposition, which wasn't brilliantly," he adds.

0744 Mr Miliband says the electorate has sent "a clear message to this government, and the Lib Dems in particular, that there needs to be a change in direction" on issues such as the NHS, living standards and tuition fees.

0739 Labour leader Ed Miliband says he is pleased with his party's gains, but admits there is "further progress to make" and he is "disappointed" with the results in Scotland.

0736 Oliver Redfern, from Sheffield, writes: "As a student of Sheffield Hallam, I strongly believe that there is a feeling of betrayal from Nick Clegg after the signing of a petition against university fees. As a result of this I think that voters of my generation will take his actions into consideration even though this is a local council election and not national. It would be interesting to see what would happen if this was a government election!"

0723 Shadow education secretary Andy Burnham says the results show Labour is on its way back and the story of the night is the Lib Dem's "spectacular implosion".

0714 Paul Phillips tweets: " No George Galloway in Scottish Parliament! Along with surge for SNP it's been a good night for Scotland."

0711 John Collins in Ayr writes: "Never in my dreams could I see the home of the Scottish Labour movement in east Ayrshire fall to the SNP. Kier Hardie must be ready to jump off his plinth in Cumnock; what a damming indictment of Labours policies that this has happened."

0709 Kelly O'Donnell tweets: " If Bury recount shows another tie for Rambottom, the winner could be decided by throwing a coin or pulling a name from a hat!!"

0706Latest from Scotland. With two of the regional lists declared the total MSPs per party is: SNP 44, Labour 20, Conservative 4, Lib Dem 2, Scottish Greens 1.

0703 Better late than never. for the Assembly election and AV referendum. Votes cast in the local council poll will not be counted until next week.

0701The SNP HOLD Aberdeen Central with a majority of 617. Both the Labour and SNP vote went up, while the Lib Dems went down 17.6%.

0659 Fred Chukkawakka tweets: " How can #libdems claim they are on the side of voters when they allowed VAT increase, tuition fees increase, and cuts to the #NHS?"

0657 Scottish MSP for Central Scotland Margaret Mitchell has told BBC Scotland that a "period of reflection" will follow what has been a disappointing night for the Scottish Conservatives.

0655 The Daily Mail's Andrew Pierce said the Conservative's share of the vote was down by about 1% on last year, so there has been hardly any negative impact for them. He said it has been a "disastrous night" for Labour in Scotland, their former heartland. The Lib Dems, he added, are paying a very heavy price for going back on their promise not to increase university tuition fees.

0653 The BBC's chief political correspondent Norman Smith says although the Lib Dems have only lost control of two councils, they have been losing councillors "all over the place" and are "being punished significantly more harshly than their coalition partners."

0650 Steven Thomas tweets: " Hilarity at count in Coventry as mobile phone plays "Another One Bites The Dust" as Lab wins Bablake ward for 1st time in 15yrs "

0649 Daily Mirror columnist Kevin Maguire tells BBC Breakfast that the Lib Dems are the "fall guys". He said things were going to get worse for Nick Clegg, with the likely outcome of the AV referendum to be a no.

0646 Former Liberal Democrat press spokesman Olly Grender said the backlash over some of the coalition's decisions had been particularly directed at the Lib Dems. But she said the SNP had wiped votes away from everyone in Scotland.

0644Lib Dems LOSE Bristol to No Over All Control.

0641She said Alex Salmond has described it as a "watershed moment" - a stunning, sensational victory.

0637 Back to Scotland, the BBC's Scotland correspondent Lorna Gordon says there has been a rush of results over the last 30 minutes - with the count now standing at SNP 42 seats, Labour 20, Conservatives 4 and Lib Dems 2.

0633 While the focus is on the elections in England, Scotland and Wales, that will shift later on Friday with the first results from the UK-wide AV referendum expected at 1730 BST. We've had a few turnout figures for that poll including Cambridge at 48.4% and Bury at 41%.

0629The Secretary of State for Wales and Conservative Cheryl Gillan told the BBC she was pleased with the party's results so far - saying taking Montgomeryshire from the Lib Dems was a key result.

0626 BBC Scotland are predicting that the SNP will get 65 seats in the Scottish parliament. In a parliament with 129 seats, that's a majority.

0622 The BBC's Scotland correspondent Lorna Gordon said a big rush of results are expected in the next couple of hours but political commentators are already talking about parties like the Liberal Democrats and Labour hemorrhaging votes and a "political earthquake". So far, there have been very big swings to the SNP - at the moment they have 37 seats of those declared - and they are saying this shows they are the natural party of Scotland and Alex Salmond is on track to be First Minister once again.

0617 Now for a brief round-up from our Wales correspondent Hywel Griffith. He says what appears to be happening is a resurgence in the Labour vote. There are 60 seats up for grabs in the Welsh Assembly and Labour have 20 so far, so they might just be on course for a clear majority. The Lib Dems are not having such a good night and Plaid Cymru are also feeling the squeeze, he added. A clearer picture should emerge early this afternoon.

0612 The BBC's political correspondent Ben Wright said about a third of the councils in England have declared so far - mainly urban areas in northern england - but the message they are sending to Liberal Democrats in Westminster is very worrying - with them losing control in cities like Hull and suffering heavy losses in places like Liverpool and Manchester.

0608 In Scotland, 54 of 73 constituencies have been declared in the Parliamentary election. In Wales, 28 of 40 have been declared. We are still waiting on the majority of English councils - only 86 of 279 have concluded so far.

0604 More from Prof John Curtice on the council elections in England. He said while Labour were "clearly back in the political game", the performances were not up there with those enjoyed by the party in the 1990s. He said they were profiting from the Lib Dems' misfortunes and from people who were unhappy with the coalition.

0601Labour blogger Hopi Sen tweets: "Great night for Labour in North, Mids & Wales, brum esp. much better than expected. South comes tmw, and Scotland- Well our share held up!"

0558 More results are in. Labour GAIN Gravesham from the Conservatives, Labour HOLD Cardiff South & Penarth, and the SNP GAINS Glasgow Anniesland from Labour.

0555 Now turning his attention to English local elections, Prof John Curtice said the Tories projected share of the national vote (35%) was "fairly remarkable" for a party that had been in office for a year and they should take a "degree of quiet satisfaction" from it. He said the usual protest vote had been directed instead towards the Lib Dems.

0553Annabel Goldie, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, told BBC Scotland the SNP have had a good night but at the expense of the collapse of two parties in Scotland - and she isn't sure if that is a good thing for Scottish democracy.

0550 Professor John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, tells the BBC that early signs show that Labour might just get a majority in Wales. Currently, Labour are in a coalition with Plaid Cymru.

0548 The SNP keeps snapping up more seats. The Scottish Children's Minister Adam Ingram GAINS Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley from Labour, while the SNP GAINS Edinburgh Central from the Liberal Democrats.

0545 Energy Secretary and Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne said although the party did well in his patch, it had not been such a good night for the Lib Dems elsewhere. But he told BBC Radio Solent now was not the time to look for a new leader.

0542Will Straw, ippr's Associate Director for Strategic Development tweets: "Lab supporters shldnt get too excited by a LD collapse. It will be a pyrrhic victory if we don't make gains in the South against Tories."

0539 A few more updates from across the UK. Labour GAIN Oldham, the Tories GAIN Tewkesbury and the SNP HOLDS Angus North & Mearn.

0535Andrew Sparrow of the says the Green Party has sent him an email saying they have held four seats and gained one on Norwich city council. Norwich Greens now have 15 city councillors and 7 Norfolk county councillors, making a total group of 22, the largest in the country, the party says.

0532Bit of a recap. The Liberal Democrats have lost control of some of their flagship councils in England, including Hull and Stockport, in the first national test of the coalition government. The SNP is making gains in Scotland and Labour is advancing in Wales.

0529James Chapman, Daily Mail Political Editor tweets: "Hearing extraordinary anecdotal evidence of no to av rout... 70-30 split expected across the west country. Tomorrow's big story looks like Cameron facing the prospect of a Scottish independence referendum."

0527 The BBC's Nick Robinson said while it was still early days, it was "striking" that the Tories have a net gain a year into office.

0526 Jeremy Vine has been number crunching again. This time he has been looking at the net change in the number of councillors in England since 2007, when the seats were last contested. The Conservatives have gained nine, while Labour are +225. The Lib Dems have 166 less councillors as things stand, and the other parties have lost 87.

0525WalesOnline tweets: "Just had a quick chat with Carwyn Jones - he's delighted with the Bridgend result and more confident of an overall majority now. Jane Hutt is re-elected in the Vale of Glamorgan #senedd2011."

0522SNP and Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill HOLD Edinburgh Eastern.

0518Matt Withers tweets: "Could two of the four Welsh parties be looking for new leaders within the coming days? Turnout in Cardiff North is 51.7%. Officers warn recounts could push South Wales Central declaration back to 9am or later."

0515Don't forget we've got a bumper crop of live pages for those wanting to concentrate on events in and

0512 Two recounts in the Bury seat of Ramsbottom have failed to produce a winner. They will reconvene at 1300 BST Friday to start again. Labour need to win the seat to take control of the council.

0510 Here are the latest results for constituency seats in the Scottish Parliament election: SNP - 25; Labour - 11; Lib Dem - 2; Conservative - 1. Just over half have been declared.

0508The results from Birmingham are in, and it's a clear HOLD for Labour.

0506The party isn't howling for Nick Clegg's resignation, he said, and it would be "childish" to do so.

0503 Former Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik said it had been a "very disappointing night" but maintained the party was right to have "acted in the country's national interest" and go into a coalition with the Tories.

0500 Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan said she was "quietly optimistic" after the Conservatives took Montgomeryshire from the Lib Dems. She said since David Cameron had taken the helm, the Conservatives had been making "steady, not flashy" progress in Wales.

0454 Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones holds Bridgend - Labour HOLD.

0453 Recount at Glasgow Anniesland.

0451 SNP gains keep rolling in - Linlithgow is the latest.

0445Kevin Brennan Labour MP for Cardiff West tweets: "5 hours and 36 minutes after the polls close they are about to start counting the votes in Cardiff West."

0443 A few more updates from across the UK. Labour GAIN Bassetlaw, Plaid Cymru HOLD Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Labour HOLD Caerphilly and the SNP GAINS Cunninghame South.

0439 In England, Labour has gained 198 councillors, while the Lib Dems have lost 136. The Tories have lost two and the other parties have lost 79. But only 60 of 279 councils have declared.

0437Another result from Scotland - Sandra White GAINS Glasgow Kelvin.

0435 Leading political analyst to win an outright majority in the Welsh assembly.

0433Back to SNP leader and Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond's win in Aberdeenshire East, we've learnt he won with a 15,000 majority, gaining 21%.

0430Daniel writes: "Just come in from the counting in Manchester. Labour gains in an already great Labour city! Withington ward, an absolute core Lib-Dem council seat, has fallen to the Labour Party's Chris Paul, truly a great local achievement for Labour and it's candidate."

0428 The BBC's Jeremy Vine has the projected share of the national vote, based on key wards. Labour - 37% ; Conservative - 35%; Liberal Democrat - 15%; Others - 13%. He said if that held true, it would be the worst result for the Lib Dems since the early 1980s.

0427 Reporting from Scotland, the BBC's Andrew Kerr tweets: "One vote in SNP favour separating them from Labour in Glasgow Anniesland. Recounting."

0425 The BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson said the result was a "huge personal achievement for Alex Salmond".

0422 Mr Salmond said the SNP had reached out to people from all parts of Scotland. He said in the next parliament, there would be a referendum on Scottish independence.

0416 SNP leader and Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond HOLDS Aberdeenshire East.

0415 Johann Hari, The Independent, tweets: "My dad voted Yes to voting reform, so my mum voted No, purely because "anything he supports must be wrong" *sigh*."

0411 Labour HOLD Manchester.

0408SNP leader Alex Salmond has arrived at the Aberdeen count, where he will soon find out whether he has held on to his seat. Asked about his party's results so far, he said: "People seem quite cheerful about it. I'm delighted".

0403 Back to Nick Clegg's Sheffield, where Lib Dem council leader Paul Scriven said it was a "short-term setback" and the party had to keep its focus for the good of the country. He said they were trying to sort out the financial mess left by the Labour party and also hold back to the Tories.

0359Nick Lowles tweets: "Just heard that Steve Baktin has lost in Bentilee and Ubberley, Stoke-on-Trent. This is a tremendous result. I can now confirm that all 4 BNP councillors have lost in Stoke-on-Trent. With 9 just over a year ago BNP have 0 left."

0358 Some turnout numbers to consider. BBC journalists reporting that Manchester turnout was about 20%, compared with 30% in previous years. The turnout for the 2010 General Election was nearer 50%. Estimates for Cardiff seats Cardiff South & Penarth - 37%; Cardiff Central - 37%; Cardiff West - 43%.

0354Quick catch up with some other results, Lib Dems HOLD Eastleigh, Labour HOLD Newport East and HOLD Newport West.

0351Rowenna_Davis, newly elected Labour Councillor in Peckham, London tweets: "Phenomenal: 40% turn out, 2670 votes, majority of 2198. I'm a councillor! Thanks to everyone who made it happen.."

0349SNP GAIN Falkirk East from Labour - with a swing of 9.3%.

0345 Labour also GAINED Bolton from no overall control.

0344Labour HOLD Pontypridd and GAIN Coatbridge & Chryston.

0342 Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray won by just 151 votes. BBC Scotland correspondent James Cook says there is still some doubt over his future as many people in his party will hold him responsible for what is looking like a poor showing.

0340 Liberal Democrats HOLD Orkney Islands.

0337 Now confirmed - Labour has taken control of Hull City Council from the Lib Dems.

0336 The BBC's Scotland correspondent James Cook said he had "clung on by the skin of his teeth".

0334 Mr Gray said he would work "every minute of every day" for the things that really matter to people in East Lothian.

0333 It's always a case of feast or famine. After waiting hours for the results to come through, they are now all coming in at once. We'll give you the current state of play soon as we can.

0331 Leader of the Scottish Labour Party Iain Gray HOLDS East Lothian.

0329 Lab GAIN Sheffield from no overall control.

0328 The outcome of the referendum on the UK voting system is not due until Friday evening.

0326Freda, writes: "Why was the referendum on AV only? Why were we not given the option to vote for proportional representation? It's because the Conservatives are not willing to even consider the possibility of a proportional system. They will only contemplate systems where government is determined by the party affiliation of directly elected constituency MP's."

0326 There are reports from Birmingham that a courier carrying two ballot boxes was mugged. The boxes have since been recovered and West Midlands Police said it was making enquiries. The law states the council has to count and declare a result - it is then up to individuals or parties to make a decision on whether to challenge a result through the courts.

0325 A big scalp has been taken in Liverpool. Lord Mike Storey, former leader of the Lib Dem group, has lost his seat to 18-year-old Labour candidate Jake Morrison.

0323 Alex Neil says there has been a "political tsunami" in favour of the SNP. Commentator Iain Macwhirter says there has been an epic change in the political landscape.

0321 After nine first-past-the-post results out of 73, SNP have six seats in the Scottish Parliament, Labour 3.

0319Andrew Gwynne, Labour MP for Denton and Reddish tweets: "Labour Gain Heatons Nth, Manor and Davenport/Cale Green in Stockport."

0318Tim Montgomerie, Editor of @ConHome, tweets: "Is this the story of these elections...? Cameron wins AV. Ed Miliband loses AV and Scotland. Clegg loses AV, everywhere and badly.."

0316 The SNP GAINS another Scottish seat from Labour - Airdrie and Shotts. That's five seats they've taken from Labour so far.

0315 Labour GAIN from Plaid Cymru in Llanelli.

0313 Liberal Democrat Leader of Hull City Council Carl Minns has lost his seat to Labour.

0311STV Election 2011 tweets: "SNP sources say Shona Robison to hold Dundee East constituency 'comfortably'."

0309She said it was a "triumph for positivity over negativity" and she thought there would be "many more stunning results to come here in Glasgow".

0306Deputy SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon GAINS Glasgow Southside.

0301The results are still coming in thick and fast. Conservatives HOLD Worcester and HOLD Harlow, while Labour GAINS Lincoln.

0258 The Lib Dems have been overtaken by Labour in Sheffield. Lib Dem President Tim Farron said he could have predicted that but he didn't think it was an anti-Clegg result.

0254English local results are flying in now. In the first Conservatives win of the night, the Tories GAIN Gloucester. Meanwhile Labour HOLDS Rotherham, GAINS Eastwood, Lincoln and Stoke-on-Trent.

0250It's the first time UKIP have fought a campaign in Northern Ireland and he says a "good result would be to break into the Welsh Assembly and Stormont".

0248 Nigel Farage tells the BBC his UKIP party is making progress and is on the way up.

0246There have been three HOLDS for the Conservatives - in Swindon, Runnymede and Brentwood.

0243 The is reporting a massive collapse of the Lib Dem vote in the Aberdeen area, with their vote level pegging with the Greens.

0240 A recount has been called in Llanelli.

0239 Dr Evan Harris, former Lib Dem MP, tells the BBC the party is going to have to take the losses "on the chin". He said they knew it would not be easy being in government at a time when bad news had to be delivered and cuts had to be made.

0238 Only 10 of the 279 councils in England have been declared so far. There have been no results from Northern Ireland's Assembly and local authority elections as counting has not even begun.

0236Some more results, the Tories HOLD Hart and Carlisle remains a hung council.

0234Kevin Davis, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Yeovil tweets: "South Somerset referendum looking two to one against #no2AV. South Somerset count tomorrow but certain to be Tory gains from Lib Dems."

0230At the last vote in 2007, the SNP emerged as the largest party and formed a minority government.

0226129 MSPs will be elected to the Holyrood Parliament - 73 through the constituency-based first-past-the-post system and 56 through a separate party list system in eight electoral regions.

0220 That's the third result to go that way in Scotland. The seat count so far is SNP 3, Labour 1.

0219 Meanwhile back to Scotland, SNP GAINS Clydesdale - with a swing of 8.9% from Labour to the SNP.

0217 A reminder of how the voting works in Wales. Voters in Wales (and also in Scotland) are required to fill in two separate ballot papers. Forty Assembly Members (AMs) will be elected from single constituencies under first-past-the-post. The second ballot is used to elect four AMs from each of five electoral regions under a party list.

0214 In the first Welsh result, Labour GAINS Blaenau Gwent

0209 The BBC understands that Labour are on course to replace the Conservatives as the single biggest party on Birmingham City Council, the UK's largest local authority. But the Con/Lib Dem coalition which runs the council looks safe. So far, there's been a Labour swing against the Lib Dems of 10% and against the Tories of 8%.

0207Chris Lambert, writes: "The Tories and Lib Dems are going to lose council seats, Labour will make big gains so Milliband will be jubilant and say this means how dissatisfied the public are with the coalition. The government that had to introduce the cuts caused by Gordon Brown's mismanagement are always going to be unpopular- just a shame that hardworking councillors are going to lose seats in protest."

0204 The results are slow in coming in. Although counting for the UK-wide AV referendum does not begin until 1600 BST on Friday, electoral officers will have had to do a lot of sorting out.

0202Quick update on the latest English council results: Conservatives HOLD Tamworth and Labour HOLDS Halton.

0200Vincent Moss, Sunday Mirror political editor tweets: "The SNP gains in Scotland pose some very serious questions for Labour and senior Scottish shadow cabinet ministers."

0158 Labour is looking to win overall control of the Welsh Assembly, where it currently rules in coalition with Plaid Cymru, but party sources say it may fall short of a majority.

0157 The SNP have made their first gains of the night in Scotland, winning two seats from Labour.

0155 Bit of recap now: The Liberal Democrats look likely to be the main losers in the local elections in England as early results come in. The night began with the loss of four seats to Labour in Sunderland. And Liberal Democrats in Sheffield say they expect to lose 12 seats in the city where the party leader, Nick Clegg, is an MP.

0153The SNP's Nicola Sturgeon is "cautiously optimistic" about taking Glasgow Southside.

0149 John Hemming, Lib Dem MP for Birmingham Yardley, says the party are having a bad night in the city but he doesn't expect Labour to take control. City is run by a Con-Lib coalition.

0146Paul Dale, The Birmingham Post tweets: "With a handful of results in, swing in Brum from Con to Lab is 8% and 12% Lib Dem to Lab. I'm hearing there's a recount at Stechford & Yardley North, where Lab need 24% swing to beat Lib Dems."

0141 The BBC's Scotland correspondent James Cook says two big scalps from the Labour party have gone and the big question is who is going to lead the Scottish Labour party? He says there's no obvious answer

0139 Labour's Tom Watson, MP for West Bromwich East, tweets: "Lib Dems meltdown in Hull. 10 out of 12 seats lost to Labour."

0136 SNP GAINS Hamilton & Larkhall

0134Broxbourne and Castle Point HOLD Conservative

0131 Jack Dromey, Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington, tells Sky News the Lib Dem vote is collapsing and the message is "unmistakable". He said the public doesn't like the direction central government is going or the threats to local services.

0129 Back to Hull. The BBC's Tim Iredale says Lib Dem vote has gone into "meltdown".

0128Severin Carrell, The Guardian's Scotland correspondent tweets: "Lib Dems predict lost Edin Southern to Labour, Edin Central to Lab or SNP, and cld lose Edin Western too, to SNP...Labour lose East Kilbride - major shock for #labour & major victory for #SNP. Labour lose leadership contender Andy Kerr."

0125 Back in East Kilbride, a 6.6% swing to the SNP gives Linda Fabiani a majority of almost 2,000 over Andy Kerr. BBC Scotland's Raymond Buchanan says taking a scalp like Mr Kerr's will be deeply concerning for Labour candidates as the night unfolds.

0122 Reporting from Manchester, the BBC's Arif Ansari tweets: "Lib Dem group leader in Manchester Simon Ashley has conceded defeat.'"

0019 The BBC's Scotland correspondent James Cook said the East Kilbride result would be a big blow to Labour

0017 SNP GAINS East Kilbride from Labour

0116 Radio 5 live reporter Phil Mackie in Birmingham says Lib Dems are expecting "a slap in the face" there.

0114 Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones tells BBC Wales: "Coalition with Lib Dems is inconceivable". The National Assembly elections are the first since 2007, after which Labour formed a coalition with Plaid Cymru.

0111 Former home secretary David Blunkett said it had turned from "Clegg mania" into "Clegg pneumonia".

0108 Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said he hadn't brought champagne tonight. He said one couldn't deny that there had been a coalition effect but there should be no doubt about the Lib Dem's resilience and determination to continue with a coalition that was necessary.

0105 Significant results are expected from Birmingham at about 0130, Lib Dem-held Bristol at about 0200, Sheffield at 0230 and both Manchester and Liverpool at 0300.

0103 More bad news for the Lib Dems. Lib Dem leader of Hull City Council Carl Minns has told a press conference at the city's Guildhall that the party has lost control of the council to Labour. The results have not been officially announced.

0101 The leader of the Liberal Democrats on Chorley council has accused Nick Clegg of "letting the party down". Ken Ball says he has become so disillusioned he may quit the party.

0059James Lyons, Deputy Political Editor of the Daily Mirror tweets: "Labour take four seats from the Tories on Sunderland council. Coalition finished."

0057 Paul Scriven, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Sheffield City Council, tells the BBC he's expecting to lose seats. This is not good news for Deputy PM and Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg, who is the MP for Sheffield Hallam.

0054 Rutherglen HOLD Labour.

0050 He said it was part of repeat pattern in northern cities - where Lib Dems are not just losing one or two seats, but virtually all of their representation.

0048The BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson said he was hearing that more than 10 of 12 the Lib Dem councillors in Hull are thought likely to lose their seats.

0044MayorWatch tweets: "LibDem blaming of EdMil for loss of AV vote undermined by fact it wasn't his face the No camp used on their posters."

0040 Wondering where the main battle grounds are? Andy Sawford, chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) think tank, has set out his

0037Deborah Linton, Manchester Evening News tweets: "The lib dems are really worried in #manchester. Every seat is a concern...#manchester ballot boxes were feeling quite light-wonder what that says about turnout I'm hearing its pretty low."

0035 The says: "Tory HQ are very interesting in Scotland tonight. They've sent an email saying the SNP should have a "solid victory" in Glasgow Southside".

0032Lucy Powell, former Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Manchester Withington tweets: "Labour gain 4 seats from Tories in Sunderland. Former lib dem leader in Liverpool to lose his seat.Lib dems looking in real trouble in Liverpool".

0029 The reports that "sources close to the count in Glasgow are predicting a solid victory for SNP in Glasgow Southside".

0026 BBC Scotland just reported rumours that current Labour MSP Charlie Gordon could be in trouble in Glasgow Cathcart. SNP have been saying that they are quietly confident.

0024 More on the Lib Dem councillor Neil Hamilton found dead in Newcastle.

0022PJ Wilmslow writes: "I went to vote today only to find that the council seat for my ward was uncontested. Why? Because our current voting system means no other candidate feels they can win as it's a safe Tory seat. If there was ever a case for voting reform this is it. I feel disenfranchised by a combination of the voting systems and an opposition that feels they can't win."

0020 Labour MP Sadiq Khan has told Sky: "I'm afraid the Yes vote is lost for a generation."

0017 Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman says it's important if Labour have more councillors, as well as councils. Though she said it wasn't just about the numbers but where they were. "People are looking to Labour because they feel the coalition has let them down," she added.

0015Sunderland result confirmed: Labour 56, Conservative 14, Lib Dem 1, Others 4

0012Chris Bryant, Labour MP for the Rhondda tweets: "Hearing good news in Wrexham, Newport, Merthyr and Caerphilly."

0009 We've got a bumper crop of live pages for those wanting to concentrate on events in and

0007For the Herald it is "Salmond heads for a second term", while the Times has "Salmond poised for action" at Holyrood.

0005The Scottish Sun says: "Home and Dry: Salmond heads for historic win", with a picture of Alex Salmond under an umbrella.

0003BBC Scotland has just shown tomorrow's front pages of The Sun, The Herald and The Times, all three are running with the SNP likely to win.

0000Christopher Hope, Whitehall Editor, The Daily Telegraph tweets: "Lib Dem sources fear they have lost 12 out of their 15 council seats tonight in Nick Clegg's home city of Sheffield."

2357Mark Gettleson tweets: "Rumours of Labour gain in Woolton ward Liverpool - Lib Dems have ALWAYS held it and led 51% to Lab's 25% in 2010. Sensational if true. This is the start of Clegg's northern nightmare. Labour GAIN Woolton ward, Liverpool. Was 51% Lib Dem to 25% Labour in 2010. More to come."

2353 The reports rumours on Twitter that the SNP could be set to win all five Aberdeen seats including Aberdeen Central. Aberdeen Central is currently held by Labour.

2348 He said he had heard from Lib Dem HQ that in Sheffield, Lib Dems were talking about the possibility of losing a dozen out of the 15 Lib Dem councillor seats.

2345 The BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson said it seemed as if a degree of sourness has crept into the coalition over AV - and the test will be if this is the moment the coalition falls apart.

2343Mark Casci tweets: "Labour source on Hull City Council says talk of easy Labour victory in the city "have been greatly exaggerated".

2341 Sky says the Lib Democrats have confirmed their candidate has died in Westerhope, Newcastle, rendering the election invalid.

2337 First results in: Labour HOLD Sunderland council.

2336In tomorrow's Guardian, Michael White says voters never really engaged in the AV debate and it did not capture the public's imagination.

2334 Lord Ashdown also blames the split in the Labour party if the AV vote is lost.

2333 Former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown has been defending the current Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg on BBC Question Time. He said Mr Clegg was a "decent man" who had become the "national whipping boy". To this, someone in the audience shouted "sell out".

2333Cllr Mark Bennett for Streatham, London tweets: "Told London AV ref turnout about 10%. People more interested in jobs, schools & NHS than voting. Lesson: political bubble on another planet".

2331 Speaking on BBC Question Time, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said the result of the AV referendum would not destroy the coalition. He said the yes campaign had failed to convince voters there was a "serious case for change".

2329 For those still confused about AV, the BBC has compiled a

2324The DUP and Sinn Fein are expected to remain the biggest parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

2323Labour is looking to win overall control of the Welsh Assembly, where it currently rules in coalition with Plaid Cymru.

2322At the last vote in 2007, the SNP emerged as the largest party and formed a minority government, but constituency boundaries have been significantly redrawn since then and one in six voters are now in a different seat.

2319In Scotland, the SNP is hoping to keep power at Holyrood, where it runs a minority administration.

2316 Counting in the referendum will not begin until 1600 BST on Friday.

2314 Polls have suggested AV will be rejected by a sizeable margin, but turnout levels at polling stations are predicted to have been fairly low, making the result more unpredictable.

2312 The Guardian is reporting that former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown has attacked Prime Minister David Cameron for getting involved in a campaign that was

2310 The AV referendum has split the coalition and the individual parties.

2307 Meanwhile, Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith told Sky "we will make losses and up to 1,000 [Conservative] councillors may lose their seats".

2305 Liberal Democrat and Business Secretary Vince Cable told Sky's Adam Boulton "we don't expect to have an easy night".

2302Andy Slaughter, Labour MP for Hammersmith tweets: "Close of poll in Reading and looking good for Labour"

2300 The English polls are the biggest test yet for the coalition, with results due in from midnight. Labour hope to make gains from the Tories and Lib Dems.

2258 However he said senior Lib Dems had told him they were committed to remaining in the coalition "for the long term" and scotched talk of a leadership contest.

2255 If Thursday proves to be a bad night for the Lib Dems, Nick Robinson said the party would be seeking to assert themselves more on issues such as banking reform and immigration.

2253 Anger within the Lib Dems over the way the referendum campaign was conducted is still strong, he added, and former party leader Lord Ashdown has told the Guardian that the "trust which lubricates" the coalition has disappeared.

2251The BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson said Nick Clegg feared a "drubbing" in English council elections and the "end of a dream" if voters - as polls suggest - reject changing the Westminster voting system.

2249She said 31 was the "magic" number - if Labour make it to 31 seats they go it alone, if they don't they won't.

2246 The BBC's Wales political editor Betsan Powys said Labour knows that with a conservative-led coalition in Westminster, they are in with their best chance in years of governing Wales alone with a majority - something they've only managed in two of the past 12 years.

2242 There is a bumper crop of live pages this evening for those wanting to concentrate on events in and

2233 He said there was unlikely to be a big upset in the power-sharing executive, despite some speculation before the campaign began that Sinn Fein could emerge as the biggest party. He said the Democratic Unionists would probably remain the biggest party.

2230 BBC Northern Ireland political editor Mark Devenport said polling day had passed off without incidence, which was no mean feat considering the election campaign had been marred by dissident republican violence.

2221We hope you'll stick with us for updates as the counts begin. The first results of some of the early declaring English councils are expected at about 2330 BST.

2212 For those who want the nitty gritty, the BBC has plenty of background information on the and

2200Millions have been going to the polls since 0700 BST but time is up ladies and gentleman, the polls are now closed.

2158In addition, votes in Northern Ireland will elect 582 councillors in the first local elections for six years.

2157And in England, 9,500 seats are being contested in local elections.

2156This is what's up for grabs. In Scotland, 129 MSPs will be elected to the Holyrood Parliament, while in Wales, 60 assembly members will be elected. In Northern Ireland, 108 seats at the Stormont Assembly are being contested.

2154 Hello and welcome to the BBC News live coverage of the 2011 elections and AV referendum. We'll bring you all the latest developments here.