09:04

Labour had braced itself for dreadful results in Wales.

It did lose control of councils that will hurt, including two of its valleys heartlands, but fared much better than expected elsewhere including in Swansea, Newport and, most importantly, Cardiff.

The party argued that the much-vaunted Tory surge through Wales had not come. Shadow Welsh secretary Christina Rees MP said:

The predicted Tory advance in Wales has simply failed to materialise. We have defied the pundits to deliver some extremely strong results across Wales – holding Cardiff, Newport, Torfaen and Neath Port Talbot, retaining control with gains in Flintshire and, against a Tory onslaught, increasing our majority in Swansea.

Phil Bale, the Labour leader in Cardiff, said the result in the capital had been very encouraging.

We’ve exceeded all expectations to retain control. Across Wales we always said this is going to be tough local election campaign for Welsh Labour after we did so well in 2012. There are beacons within the results. We have shown we can stand up to the cuts coming in from the Tories. As soon as the general election was called it changed the dynamic of the campaign. It’s very hard to get people to focus on local issues and yet we’re talking about some of the most important services people rely on.

There was disappointment for Labour in Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent, areas associated with the great Labour figures including Keir Hardie and Aneurin Bevan. Blaenau was lost to the independents and Merthyr may go the same way when a final ward votes next month. The leader of Merthyr, Brendan Toomey, was one of the most high-profile casualties, losing his seat to an independent. He said:

It is quite clear that huge numbers of the public aren’t entirely happy, to say the least, with the way the Labour party is going at the moment.

But in reality these are not seismic shocks for Labour. Both councils were run by independents until Labour’s success of 2012 and there is a proud tradition of independent councillors in Wales. Labour took succour in the fact that it was losing here to independents rather than the Tories.

The upset may be more bitter in Bridgend, where Labour lost overall control. This is the assembly seat of the Welsh Labour leader and first minister, Carwyn Jones, and where Theresa May parked her tanks last week when she visited, making clear that she was in the hunt for so-called safe Labour seats as well as marginals. Jones tweeted:

Carwyn Jones AM/AC (@AMCarwyn) Still, we can take great heart that we did so well in Newport, Cardiff and Swansea and held them off in so many if their target areas

Carwyn Jones AM/AC (@AMCarwyn) My thanks to our candidates in Bridgend. The Tories didn't do as well as they thought they would and that was down to your hard work.

Plaid Cymru said it had made breakthroughs in places like Bridgend and Blaenau Gwent and got its first ever councillors elected in Aberavon in the steel-making town of Port Talbot.



The party was disappointed not to take overall control in Ceredigion but other key Plaid targets including Ynys Mon (Anglesey) are counting later on Friday.

Plaid leader Leanne Wood said: “Across Wales there will be more Plaid Cymru councillors defending their communities and standing up to the Tories.”

The Conservatives gained control of Monmouthshire from no overall control but will not be entirely pleased with the results so far. Both the Lib Dems and Ukip lost ground.