Stand for Hampshire, but not for longpublished at 00:44 BST 8 May
Emily Hudson
BBC South Political Editor
Hampshire County Council seats are being counted first overnight and with all seats up here, literally anything could happen.
The Conservatives have run the council since 1997 so it would be seismic if they lose control. The Conservatives have been painting it as a Conservative/Reform race. The Lib Dems as a Lib Dem/Conservative race. The question is how many seats the Conservative lose and to who. Will it be enough for another party to take over outright? Or just a no overall control situation where parties have to work together to form a cabinet and select a leader?
After the county ballot papers are done, then in some areas, the tellers turn to the districts and boroughs (not in Winchester and Rushmoor, they get to go home and have a sleep and come back tomorrow). The ones to watch are Havant and Gosport. Reform have pushed hard there, won by-elections and are hopeful of taking control.
In Portsmouth, Labour losing seats could spell the end of the minority Liberal Democrat administration after Labour supported the Lib Dems in selecting a leader and cabinet. Will Reform UK do well there? The last by-election was won by them, but most of their current crop of councillors are there because they defected, not because they were elected.
Southampton City Council is a Labour strongholds, but could a shock be on the cards? Might the Greens or Lib Dems take some seats?
But councillors in Hampshire will serve just two years with new unitary authorities taking over in 2028.
Image source, Getty Images
