Bad, Bad, Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown was dealt another huge blow last night when Labour lost all its remaining county councils in its worst ever local election results. Counties turned from red to blue in quick succession as the Labour vote collapsed in its heartlands. Hundreds of councillors lost their seats and their share of the vote fell to 23 per cent.

Labour councillors blamed their defeats on the Government's difficulties and the MPs' expenses scandal as Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lancashire slid from Labour control into the Tories' clutches.

Most of those counties had been held by Labour for nearly 30 years. Labour parliamentary seats in the North and North West look suddenly more vulnerable.

With results still pouring in yesterday evening, Labour had lost more than 300 councillors and was at risk of disappearing entirely in some southern counties.

The Tories were delighted by their strong performance in Labour strongholds and by seeing off the Liberal Democrats in the South West. By gaining Somerset and Devon from them, the Conservatives made big advances in areas where the Lib Dems have many of their Westminster seats. Later in the day they even pushed Cornwall, another Lib Dem stronghold, into no overall control.