Labour won 420 new seats and took overall control of 16 councils in the local elections that took place alongside last Thursday’s general election.

The results, where counting finished over the weekend, reveal a large swing in favour of Labour councillors, with most losses sustained by the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, which lost 123 and 144 seats respectively.

Liverpool (town hall pictured), Oxford, and Coventry are all now under Labour control.

It is thought that the higher turnout in the general election has brought about the swing towards Labour. This is because the general election uniquely coincided with local elections in key urban areas, such as all 32 London boroughs, and all metropolitan borough councils.

Here, voters who otherwise would not vote in council polls have done so, which is is generally assumed to favour Labour, whose core supporters are thought to be more apathetic.

As a result, Labour has taken overall control of the following councils:

• Brent
• Camden
• Coventry
• Doncaster
• Ealing
• Enfield
• Harrow
• Hartlepool
• Hastings
• Hounslow
• Islington
• Liverpool
• Oxford
• Southwark
• St Helens
• Waltham Forest

The Conservatives have taken control of the following:

• Craven
• Gosport
• Hart
• Richmond-Upon-Thames

The Liberal Democrats have taken control of the following:

• Cheltenham
• Winchester

• Labour takes control in urban local elections
• Hung parliament to continue cuts uncertainty
• Liberal Democrats to play key role on spending cuts
• Tories to axe 750 school projects, says Labour
• Bob Neill hits back at Labour claims