Local elections 2023: An hour-by-hour guide of when key results are expected

Published

2 years ago

May 4, 2023

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Polling stations have now closed and votes are being counted in this year’s local elections in England.

The results will come in waves throughout the night and into the morning – with all councils expected to declare by 8pm on Friday.

Elections were held in 230 of England’s 317 councils, within district, borough, county borough and unitary authority councils, along with four mayoral elections in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.

This is your guide to the key seats to watch out for through the early hours of the morning and beyond.

From midnight

• The first result could come from Broxbourne, a Tory-held council – expected a little after midnight.
• The pace of declarations will then speed up significantly, with results at Castle Point, Rushmoor, South Tyneside, Basildon, Halton and Sunderland all expected between 1am and 2am.
• Hartlepool, a key battleground which as of now has no overall control, is expected to declare its result at around 1.30am. Both parties will be looking to seize a majority here – after Boris Johnson secured a by-election victory in the parliamentary seat in 2021.
• The hotly-contested Harlow will also declare early. Losing just four seats would mark an end to Conservative control, which was gained back in 2021. Prior to this, Labour had the majority for a decade.
• At this point, the result of the Middlesbrough mayoral election will also likely be confirmed.

From 2am

• This is when results will really start to pour in. Brentwood is expected on the hour – and if the Tories lose just one seat, the council will fall to no overall control. There is also the potential for a Liberal Democrat majority if they made gains.
• Also expected to declare at some point in this period are Ipswich, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Portsmouth, Redditch, Rochford and Exeter.
• At 3am, Boston in Lincolnshire is expected to be one of the first councils to declare results in all of its wards. Currently under no overall control, the Conservatives only need to gain one seat to win a majority.
• Three gains in Peterborough would also give the Tories overall control of the council. A result is expected at 3am.
• Dudley is another Conservative-controlled council that we should keep a close eye on when the result comes in at around 3.30am. The Tories should retain overall control, but any transfer of seats between the two main parties will be watched.

From 4am

• In this two-hour period, more than a dozen results could be declared in rapid succession. Early on the list will be Braintree, Coventry, North Devon, North Norfolk and Southend-on-Sea.
• Bolton, which has no overall control, is one to watch at 4am. It is one of several Metropolitan Boroughs where the rise of local independent groups has affected the ability of one party to seize a majority.
• At the same time, Plymouth will likely declare a result. Politics here is somewhat chaotic, with both Labour and Tory councillors either defecting or being expelled. With newly elected independents in their midst, it is difficult to predict how voters will react.
• Turning to the Liberal Democrats for a moment, and Tory-held Dacorum in Hertfordshire is in Sir Ed Davey’s sights for a “blue wall” upset.
• At 5am, we will see declarations that could also be significant for the Lib Dems: Bath and North East Somerset which the party took from the Conservatives in 2019, and Windsor and Maidenhead, where Lib Dem gains could shift the council from Tory to no overall control.

From 6am

• A headline of the day would be if Medway in Kent falls to Labour. This was a new council in 1997 but even during its landslide victory, Labour could not win it outright. The winning line is 28 seats so watch this one closely at 6.30am.
• Another to watch in this hour is Stoke-on-Trent, which is set to declare at 6am. The area is a stark example of how Labour’s voter base has eroded in areas hard hit by industrial decline. Voters have been supporting various brands of independents since the turn of the century and their rise has damaged Labour.
• Others declaring after dawn breaks are South Gloucestershire, South Kesteven and Tameside.

At this point, there will be time to take a breather.

With the exception of East Lindsey – which is expected to declare at 9am. After this, we don’t anticipate any results emerging until 12pm.

From midday

• The first in the Friday afternoon wave of results will be Herefordshire, and Labour-held Rossendale, Gateshead and Manchester.
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will be hoping to bolster his majority in Gateshead – and hold on to the other northern councils – as the general election looms.
• Solihull is one to keep a close eye on when it declares at 1pm – as is Stratford-upon-Avon. Both have fragile Conservative majorities and could see a fall to no overall control if the Liberal Democrats and Greens make gains.
• Burnley could also bring an interesting result at 1.30pm. Labour needs four gains to take majority control.
• Conservative-held Walsall is a council where Labour will need to make gains if it is to claim it’s on track to win the next general election.
• We also expect the Mansfield mayoral election to declare at around this time.

From 2pm

• At this point, politics watchers should be aware of the results in Torbay, where the Conservatives lost their majority to no overall control in 2019.
• Results for Stafford, Middlesbrough, Tunbridge Wells, West Devon, West Suffolk and Wokingham will also be confirmed between 2pm and 4pm.
• Darlington is one to watch when it declares at 3pm. The Tees Valley area is a key target for Labour. With all seats up for re-election, Labour might advance, having finished just two seats behind the Conservatives last time.
• It’s also worth noting that Milton Keynes is run by a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition at the moment.

From 4pm

• Later in the afternoon, results will rush in from a number of key battlegrounds. The first will be Dover, where the Tories gained a seat from Labour in a local council by-election in 2021. If the Conservatives lose three seats, they lose overall control.
• Two cabinet ministers – Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt – have their Surrey constituencies in Elmbridge, which is currently under no overall control. The area saw big swings to the Liberal Democrats in the 2019 general election – could the party take the council this time?
• At the same time, Swindon is expected to declare its results. Sir Keir launched Labour’s local election campaign here – it is a key target for the party.
• Stockton-on-Tees should also declare in this period. Labour lost control of the council in 2019 and the parliamentary constituency later that year in the general election.
• Sheffield will see Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens going head to head – with Labour hoping for three gains to win a majority.

From 6pm

• The final rush will begin at 6pm – but by this point, we will likely have a good idea of the overall picture.
• Those to declare in this wave will include Lancaster, New Forest, South Derbyshire, Mid Devon and Bedford.
• Waverley is expected to declare at around 6pm. In May 2019, the Liberal Democrats came within six percentage points of the Tory total – but won only 14 seats compared to 23 for the Conservatives. The Lib Dems will be hoping to make gains and seats to build pressure ahead of the general election.

From 8pm

• The very last result is expected to come from York, which is currently run by a Liberal Democrat and Green coalition. Labour is hoping to make gains.

World

Women’s Euros: Concerns for player safety as tournament kicks off in Switzerland

Published

5 hours ago

July 2, 2025

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Women's Euros: Concerns for player safety as tournament kicks off in Switzerland

The Women’s Euros begin in Switzerland today – with extreme heat warnings in place.

Security measures have had to be relaxed by UEFA for the opening matches so fans can bring in water bottles.

Temperatures could be about 30C (86F) when the Swiss hosts open their campaign against Norway in Basel this evening.

Players have already seen the impact of heatwaves this summer at the men’s Club World Cup in the US.

It is raising new concerns in the global players’ union about whether the stars of the sport are being protected in hot and humid conditions.

FIFPRO has asked FIFA to allow cooling breaks every 15 minutes rather than just in the 30th minute of each half.

There’s also a request for half-time to be extended from 15 to 20 minutes to help lower the core temperature of players.

FIFPRO’s medical director, Dr Vincent Gouttebarge, said: “There are some very challenging weather conditions that we anticipated a couple of weeks ago already, that was already communicated to FIFA.

“And I think the past few weeks were confirmation of all worries that the heat conditions will play a negative role for the performance and the health of the players.”

Football has seemed focused on players and fans baking in the Middle East – but scorching summers in Europe and the US are becoming increasingly problematic for sport.

While climate change is a factor, the issue is not new and at the 1994 World Cup, players were steaming as temperatures rose in the US.

There is now more awareness of the need for mitigation measures among players and their international union.

FIFPRO feels football officials weren’t responsive when it asked for kick-off times to be moved from the fierce afternoon heat in the US for the first 32-team Club World Cup.

FIFA has to balance the needs of fans and broadcasters with welfare, with no desire to load all the matches in the same evening time slots.

Electric storms have also seen six games stopped, including a two-hour pause during a Chelsea game at the weekend.

This is the dress rehearsal for the World Cup next summer, which is mostly in the US.

The use of more indoor, air conditioned stadiums should help.

There is no prospect of moving the World Cup to winter, as Qatar had to do in 2022.

And looking further ahead to this time in 2030, there will be World Cup matches in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The temperatures this week have been hitting 40C (104F) in some host cities.

FIFA said in a statement to Sky News: “Heat conditions are a serious topic that affect football globally.

“At the FCWC some significant and progressive measures are being taken to protect the players from the heat. For instance, cooling breaks were implemented in 31 out of 54 matches so far.

“Discussions on how to deal with heat conditions need to take place collectively and FIFA stands ready to facilitate this dialogue, including through the Task Force on Player Welfare, and to receive constructive input from all stakeholders on how to further enhance heat management.

“In all of this, the protection of players must be at the centre.”

World

Women’s Euros 2025: Where is it, how to watch and when are England and Wales playing?

Published

5 hours ago

July 2, 2025

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Women's Euros 2025: Where is it, how to watch and when are England and Wales playing?

England are looking to defend their title at the 2025 Women’s Euros.

But conquering this year’s competition will be tricky right from the group stages.

The Lionesses will come up against Wales, who made history by qualifying for their first major tournament, and two other European heavyweights: France and the Netherlands.

As the tournament kicks off, extreme temperatures have raised questions about whether players are being protected in hot and humid conditions.

Here is everything you need to know about Euro 2025.

Where is Euro 2025 being held?

This year’s Women’s Euros is being held in Switzerland.

The competition kicks off on Wednesday 2 July, with the final on Sunday 27 July.

Matches will be held in eight venues across Switzerland from Zurich to Geneva, with the final game being played in Basel.

What teams have qualified?

A total of 16 teams have qualified for the competition.

Eight teams progressed directly from the qualifying league stage and seven teams qualified via the play-offs.

As hosts, Switzerland qualified automatically.

The teams playing in the tournament are:

• England
• Belgium
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Iceland
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Sweden
• Spain
• Switzerland
• Wales

How much do the winners get?

This year, the total available prize money for the tournament stands at €41m (£34m) – more than doubling from the prize pot in 2022.

All competing sides receive a €1.8m (£1.5m) participation fee, with the remaining money going to the quarter-finalists, semi-finalists, runners-up and winners.

The maximum prize money achievable for the tournament winners, if they also win their three group stage matches, is €5.1m (£4.3m).

Who has (and hasn’t) made the England squad?

Some notable names will be missing from the England squad this year.

Goalkeeper Mary Earps announced in May that she is retiring from international football with immediate effect.

Within days, two other names, Fran Kirby and Millie Bright, also announced they would not be taking part in Euro 2025.

The departure of Bright, Earps and Kirby is a loss of three experienced players – between them they have 218 international appearances.

So who has manager Sarina Wiegman picked for the 23-person squad, and who has been snubbed?

Use our slider below to look through some of the key players, or see a list of the full England squad, here.

History-making Wales squad announced

The Welsh women’s national football team has qualified for an international tournament for the first time.

Their 23-player squad was announced by head coach Rhian Wilkinson at the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) on Thursday morning.

Midfielder Angharad James captains the side, and is one of four players to have played over 100 times alongside fellow Wales veterans Jess Fishlock, Hayley Ladd and Sophie Ingle, who also made the cut.

Ingle hasn’t featured for club or country since suffering an ACL injury during a pre-season friendly for Chelsea last September.

The 33-year-old returned to full training at the beginning of the month and her inclusion comes as a significant boost ahead of Wales’ first major tournament.

Fishlock, Wales’ record appearance holder and goalscorer, will hope to add to her 47 international goals as she leads the line.

The side beat the Republic of Ireland 2-1 in a play-off match to secure their spot in the Euros.

Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson said after the match: “This team found a way. They never broke for each other, they stayed strong. I’ve never been prouder of a team.

“This team stands on the shoulders of giants [the pioneering female footballers] who came before, and now they’ve proven how good they are.”

What are the Euro 2025 groups?

Similarly to the World Cup, teams in the Euros are split into four groups.

The top two teams in each group will progress to the knockout stage, where games will be decided by extra-time and penalties if needed.

The knockout stage pits the winners of the group against the runners-up, meaning Germany, Poland, Denmark or Sweden could lie in wait for England and Wales in the last eight.

Group A: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Finland

Group B: Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy

Group C: Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden

Group D: France, England, Wales, Netherlands

When are England and Wales playing?

The Lionesses start their bid for the Euros title on 5 July when they take on France. The game will take place in Zurich at 8pm UK time.

Wales kick off their campaign earlier the same day, against the Netherlands. That game starts at 5pm UK time in Lucerne.

The two nations will be the last teams in Group D to face each other.

Their showdown will be held in the city of St Gallen, on Sunday 13 July. Kick-off is at 8pm UK time.

Can England win the Euros again?

The Lionesses lifted the Euros trophy in front of a home crowd in 2022, after beating Germany 2-1.

Chloe Kelly delivered the deciding goal in extra time, but can the team do it all again?

Lucy Bronze admitted to Sky News that the team faces “one of the hardest” groups going into the tournament, but added: “We know on any given day, when we play at our best we can beat any team in the world.”

The right-back said: “We have got one of the most talented squads going into the Euros… I wouldn’t want to be a defender on the other team going against some of our players.

“We know it is going to be difficult, there are maybe a handful of teams that are capable of winning it, and we are definitely one of them.”

After naming her squad in May, Weigman told Sky News sports correspondent Rob Harris: “This group is a very well-balanced mix of players with multiple tournaments on their CVs and also those that will make their tournament debuts.

“I am excited to see what we are capable of this summer.”

How to watch the Euros 2025

Eevery single match of the Women’s Euros will be shown across the BBC and ITV, with the two broadcasters showing half of the 31 matches each, except the final, which will be shown on both channels.

Every match will also be screened live at three venues across London and Birmingham.

TOCA Social at The O2 and Westfield White City in London and The Bullring in Birmingham is hosting watch parties for fans hoping to catch all the action.

World

Snake captured on passenger plane – as expert reveals how it got there

Published

5 hours ago

July 2, 2025

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Snake captured on passenger plane - as expert reveals how it got there

A flight in Australia was delayed for two hours after a stowaway snake was found in the plane’s cargo hold.

The reptile was found as passengers were boarding Virgin Australia Flight VA337 at Melbourne Airport bound for Brisbane.

Snake catcher Mark Pelley said he thought it could be venomous when he approached it in the darkened hold.

But it turned out to be a harmless 60cm green tree snake.

“It wasn’t until after I caught the snake that I realised that it wasn’t venomous. Until that point, it looked very dangerous to me,” Mr Pelley said.

He said when he entered the cargo hold, the snake was half hidden behind a panel and he feared it could flee deeper into the plane.

“I had one chance to grab it, and if it escaped past me it would have gone into the panels, and then that would have been extremely hard to catch,” he told Sky News.

“Snakes are very fast-moving, thin and agile,” he added.

Mr Pelley said he told an aircraft engineer and airline staff they would have to evacuate the aircraft if the snake disappeared inside the plane.

“I said to them if I don’t get this in one shot, it’s going to sneak through the panels and you’re going to have to evacuate the plane because at that stage I did not know what kind of snake it was,” he explained in a separate interview.

“But thankfully, I got it on the first try and captured it,” he added. “If I didn’t get it that first time, the engineers and I would be pulling apart a [Boeing] 737 looking for a snake still right now.”