All the key battles and result times in today's local elections in England
Polling stations are open across England for today's local elections in a major electoral test for both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.
Voters have until 10pm to cast their ballot, with more than 8,000 council seats in England up for grabs.
The Labour leader urged voters to send a message to "this failed Government and out-of-touch" Rishi Sunak as the party battles to turn its national poll lead into victory at the ballot box.
Mr Sunak told an event that the Tories were moving away from "box set drama" politics - but warned they were in for a "hard night".
Last month, experts issued grim warnings that the Tories risked losing around 1,000 seats but recent forecasts have suggested the party's losses could be less dire.
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The 230 councils being contested today were last up for grabs in the dying days of Theresa May's premiership in 2019, when the Tories suffered major losses.
Jeremy Corbyn was still Labour leader, Brexit wasn't "done" and a Covid pandemic was unimaginable.
Boris Johnson and Liz Truss hadn't yet had a chance to inflict chaos upon the nation.
Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer face a big ballot box test in England's local electionsIt could also be the last trip to the ballot box for voters before the next general election - and the results will be scrutinised closely on Friday.
Despite starting from a low-point, the Tories still have the most to lose.
Out of all the 8,141 council seats up for grabs the party is defending 3,290 of them on May 4 - compared with 2,062 for Labour and 1,205 for the Liberal Democrats.
A 6% swing to Labour could see Mr Starmer's party "registering 700 or so gains".
There are no elections in Scotland and Wales - but there are council elections in Northern Ireland on 18 May. There are also four mayoral elections in England.
The local elections will also be the first time in England when voters are forced to show photo ID at polling stations under controversial new rules.
Here's our hour-by-hour guide to the local elections, with approximate timings provided by the Press Association.
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Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves on the campaign trail in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk (PA)Hour by hour guide to results
Thursday, May 4: From 10pm
Polls will close across the country at 10pm and counting will begin. Get the kettle on, it's going to be a long night.
Unlike a general election there is no exit poll, so there will be no indication to how the parties have performed until the results begin trickling in overnight.
The first to declare will be Broxbourne - a Tory dominated council - shortly after midnight.
Friday, May 5: From 1am
Results at Castle Point, Rushmoor, South Tyneside, Basildon, Halton, and Sunderland are all expected to declare between 1am and 2am.
Hartlepool is a key battleground between Labour and the Tories, with both parties hoping to seize overall control of the council.
Victory here would be symbolic after Boris Johnson pulled off a shock by-election victory in the parliamentary seat in 2021 - in a major blow for Mr Starmer.
The result of the Middlesbrough mayoral election is also due, with the independent Andy Preston seeking a second term in office.
In Harlow, the council is currently controlled by the Conservatives with 21 seats while Labour will be hoping to increase its number of councillors - currently 12.
Voters will be forced to show ID at the polling station for the first time (PA)From 2am
If the Tories lose just one council seat in Brentwood, the council will fall to No Overall Control - and the Lib Dems are only a few seats away from a majority here. The council leader has already announced he is stepping down and urged the Government to "seriously look at the way local authorities are financed".
In Thurrock the Tories currently have a majority with 29 councillors - compared to Labour's 14. The Tories are defending 8 seats, so could theoretically lose control on a bad night.
Others declaring include Chorley, Havant, Ipswich, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Portsmouth, Redditch, Rochford, Tamworth, Exeter, Hart, Lincoln, North East Lincolnshire, Sandwell, Sefton, Stevenage, Kingston-upon-Hull, and Worcester.
From 3am
Tory-run Boston borough council as one to watch, where even the smallest losses will deprive them of their majority, according to the LGIU. Independent candidates could be key here.
Elsewhere Dudley borough council where the Tories have a comfortable majority of 46 councillors - compared to Labour's 26. It remains to be seen whether Mr Starmer's party can make in-roads in a council that has previously switched parties.
The Lib Dems are hoping to cling on in Hull where they have just two seats more than Labour.
Eastleigh, North Lincolnshire, North West Leicestershire, Peterborough, South Holland, Colchester, Salford, Cotswold, Hertsmere, and Reading are also declaring around this time.
Rishi Sunak examines a pothole with Darlington Council leader Jonathan Dulston (far left), Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen (far right) and Darlington MP Peter Gibson (second from left) (PA)From 4am
A handful of more councils are expected to declare between 4 and 5am, including Braintree, Coventry, North Devon, North Norfolk, Southend-on-Sea, Bassetlaw, and Hinckley & Bosworth
The North West council of Bolton is also expected to declare results. The council needs 31 seats for a majority and currently the Tories are on 26 while Labour is on 19.
Labour is eying up Plymouth, where Mr Starmer paid an early campaign visit. Dacorum in Herfordshire is in the Lib Dems' sights, where Ed Davey launched their elections bid by driving a tractor through a "blue wall" of painted hay bales.
From 5am
In Bath & North East Somerset, the Liberal Democrats are expected to retain control of the council they won a majority in 2019 from the Tories.
The LGiU has also highlighted Tendring district council - where UKIP once had a major presence - where the Tories would need to win just 4 more council seats to win a majority.
Stoke-on-Trent will be another key one to watch for Labour, which hopes to show progress in its former heartlands by becoming the largest party.
Ashfield, Bath & North East Somerset, East Hertfordshire, Telford & Wrekin, Windsor & Maidenhead Royal, West Lindsey will also declare.
Sir Ed Davey destroys a 'Blue Wall' made of hay bales at the Lib Fem local election launch (Getty Images)From 6am
Medway is also expected to announce its council results. Just weeks ago Mr Starmer visited the area, telling activists the party had a "fighting chance" to win.
The council is currently made up of 55 councillors, including 33 Conservatives and 20 Labour so turning the area red would be a big victory for Labour.
South Gloucestershire, South Kesteven, Stoke-on-Trent, and Tameside, are also expected to declare.
Now breathe. No more results - except East Lindsey at 9am - are expected until midday.
From midday
Labour is hoping to increase its majority in Worthing and hold onto Gateshead, Manchester and North Tyneside.
Solihull, which was once safely Tory, is now a battleground for Mr Sunak's party. The slim Conservative majority is under threat from the Greens and the Lib Dems.
The Mansfield mayoral election should declare around this time, with Labour looking for a second term.
Voters will head to the polls across England for the local elections (PA)From 2pm
Torbay could turn Tory if the party wins five seats, ousting the Lib Dem-Independent coalition that runs the council.
In Blackpool, Labour's minority on the council is worth watching.
Other declarations at this time include Norwich, Warwick, Preston, East Cambridgeshire, and Reigate & Banstead.
From 3pm
Labour will want to re-take Middlesbrough council, where they only need two seats. The party had run the council since the 1970s but lost it in 2019 to No Overall Control. Labour holds the parliamentary constituency and has criticised the independent mayor Andy Preston, who is running for re-election.
The party also wants a strong performance in Darlington ahead of the next election - a Commons seat they lost to the Tories in 2019.
Milton Keynes is run by a Labour-Lib Dem coalition - despite the Tories having the most seats - so there's plenty to fight for there.
Sir Ed Davey's party is pushing for gains in Surrey Heath and Wokingham as part of their battle to seize 'Blue Wall' areas from the Tories.
Keir Starmer meets supporters on the campaign trail in Gillingham (PA)From 4pm
The Greens are pressing to become the biggest party in Mid-Suffolk, where they only need to take a few seats from the Tories.
Over in West Oxfordshire, the Tories are battling to make up ground after losing control of the council in 2022 after 22 years.
Swindon is a target for Labour in the next election, with Mr Starmer launching the party's local election bid there. But they would need to make big progress to take control of the council.
From 5pm
Turn your attention north to Derbyshire, where several key results should be starting to come in.
Bolsover is a key test for Mr Starmer, where the party is defending a slim majority, while in Derby the Tories are scrambling to hold onto their minority administration from Labour.
South Derbyshire council should be a close contest, with both Labour and the Tories are just under the number of seats they need to win a majority.
The Greens will be hoping for a strong showing in Brighton and Hove where they form a minority administration.
Labour has a small majority in Southampton but face pressure from the Tories.
From 6pm
In Cheshire West and Chester Labour will be trying to win an outright majority, after missing out - despite having the most seats.
A flurry of other declarations are due around now, including Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, East Riding of Yorkshire, South Ribble and Waverley.
From 8pm
Last but not least will be York, where Labour is hoping to overcome the existing Lib Dem-Green coalition.
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