You know when you desperately want to keep reading but you don’t want to finish a book because you don’t want it to end?That is this book. (And I just finished it on the train home which possibly wasn’t wise but it is BRILLIANT and you should read it)

'Isn't it a bit arrogant to say that people want you to keep on the same track?'

'We've got to carry on relentlessly focusing on delivering.'

The Conservatives will not change course despite big local election losses, Mark Harper tells Kate McCann and @AdamBoultonTABB.

Sir John Hayes tells Times Radio the PM needs to get tougher on legal migration and prove he’s a true Tory. Hayes also says Rishi Sunak must reshuffle his Cabinet and put Suella Braverman and others on the right back at the centre of policy making.

Asked repeatedly whether the Tories need to change direction, offer something new or rethink after the local elections Mark Harper tells Times Radio that no, the right thing to do is to continue delivering the same message because that’s what voters want. Asked if this stance was…

From 10am on Times Radio - as the political parties dust themselves off after the local elections Kate McCann and Adam Boulton pick up the pieces and look at what happens next…

#LocalElections2024 #TimesRadio #Politics

Even if no Tory rebellion against Sunak materialises after loss of Andy Street tonight, Tory MPs are furious with handling of London and West Mids from CCHQ and there are growing calls for party chair Richard Holden to resign… as former chair Oliver Dowden did in 2022.

Sunday Morning with Kate McCann & @AdamBoultonTABB - Times Radio from 10:

🔵Mark Harper
🔴@PatMcFaddenMP
🟦Richard Tice 🇬🇧
🔴Anas Sarwar
🔵John Hayes
📱Elena Michael
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿Will Hayward
🗞️Rosa Prince & Professor Mary Bousted
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Jim Sillars
🇺🇸H.R. McMaster

And more!

Everyone is getting tired, it has been a long night, poor Mel Stride just referred to the 'general erection' live on air. Someone off camera stifled a snort. Mel attempted to chew his own lip to stop the giggles. Should we all have a collective nap for half an hour?

Ben Houchen re-elected and promising to work hard for a better Teesside but no mention of 'Conservatives' or Rishi Sunak in his victory speech #LocalElections2024

…

Ben Houchen declared winner in Tees Valley - interestingly he doesn’t appear to be wearing a Conservative rosette or pin, which both the Labour and Lib Dem candidates are wearing. Not compulsory of course…

**NEW**

David Campbell Bannerman, the ex-Tory MEP and chairman of the Conservative Democratic Organisation, calls on Rishi Sunak to resign.

He tells The Telegraph: “Once again local elections under Sunak have been absolutely disastrous. A year ago we should have won seats…” 1/3

Keir Starmer says the Blackpool South result is “vindication” of the “hard work we’ve done to change the party”. Calls on the PM to “make way and call a general election so the country can move forward”. Says this result for Labour is “a direct message”

Tory rebel Andrea Jenkyns says No10 should undertake a reshuffle to bring more right wingers in - but says a confidence vote is unlikely

“It is looking unlikely that the letters are going in so we have to work with what we have got”

Right, who has overlaid sewage spills with local election results by ward... (one of you must have)

Tory Richard Holden says hang fire. Tells Times Radio results will be coming in over the coming days but admits it’s “not a great set of results” for the party so far.

Join us through the morning on Times Radio for the latest from our experts on what the first results mean. Tory chair Richard Holden will be on for his first broadcast interview in the next hour and Labour's Pat McFadden will pop up too.

Sir John Curtis says that the results in the local elections so far are ‘not far short’ of catastrophic for the Tories
 
They are ‘one of the worst if not the worst’ Conservative performances in local elections for 40 years
 
He says that Tories are losing half the seats they are…

“This points towards the prospect of Labour forming the next government.”

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson reacts to Labour gaining Thurrock.

Kate McCann | Calum Macdonald | Matt Chorley

Listen live: tinyurl.com/mn3ny773

That’s us tapping out for a few hours. Back on air at 6am 👋🏻