Local election 2022: Key political battlegrounds across Scotland and England after the votes are counted

As the results are all counted up, here are the main losses and gains in some of Scotland and England’s key battlegrounds.

Key political battlegrounds across Scotland and England after the votes are counted (Picture: Sarah Standing).

The SNP recorded strong results in many areas of the country, increasing its total number of councillors by 22 to 453 and gaining one council.

However, can the SNP sit comfortably as Conservatives suffer blows and Labour become the second largest party in Scotland?

In England, Labour gains in London away from Tory strongholds meant the ruling party suffered.

Here is a breakdown of some of the key battlegrounds across Scotland and England.

Scotland

Dundee

SNP gained Dundee by winning 15 of the 29 seats – just enough for the party to secure overall control of the council. This added two seats to their tally to give them a majority of one over all other parties. Previously, the council had been run by an SNP/Independent administration. Nadia El-Nakla, who health secretary Humza Yousaf is married to, secured a council seat in Dundee for the SNP.

Glasgow

The SNP was hoping to take complete control of Scotland’s largest city. However, they were only able to hold on to the most votes by a single councillor.

With SNP getting 37 seats and Labour 36 seats and the Greens doing well with Councillor Holly Bruce winning out in first preference over council leader Susan Aitken, the SNP cannot take a backseat on a not-so-comfortable “win” in Glasgow.

Edinburgh

Tories suffered huge losses in the council elections as the SNP was returned as the biggest party. The SNP won 19 of the council’s 63 seats, Labour increased their tally by one to 13 and the Greens went up from eight to ten. The Tories’ contingent of councillors is just nine – half of what it was in 2017.

Angus

After gaining four seats on Angus Council, the SNP has also become the largest group there, with 13 out of 28 councillors, gaining four seats. Independent parties have been impacted by Thursday's poll, losing 15, and this council area is no different as they lost two here.

West Dunbartonshire

The voting system used for local elections in Scotland means it is rare for one party to win an overall majority, but Labour has done it in West Dunbartonshire after making four gains, including two from the Conservatives. It was a real sign of encouragement for Anas Sarwar’s party, which has an enjoyed an increase in votes in these council elections.

Aberdeenshire

One to watch for questioning Douglas Ross’s leadership due to its large proportion of Tory councillors, the Conservatives gained three seats here and remained the most popular part in this council area.

Mr Ross can still feel comforted by this council area achievement, but maybe not so by his overall loss of 63 seats in Scotland.

Westminster

Westminster had been run by the Conservatives continuously since the council was created in 1964. Now it is in Labour hands – an outcome not predicted by many, but one that symbolises the slump in Tory support.

Wandsworth

Wandsworth is a long-standing Labour target in London and this year the party has finally won power from the Conservatives, who had been in control of the council since 1978 and had prided themselves on charging residents one of the lowest average levels of council tax in the country.