Local elections - as it happened: Corbyn insists Labour ‘ready for an election', despite missing top London targets
All the latest updates, as they happened
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Labour has urged the government to scrap controversial ID pilots, which saw some voters turned away during local elections in England.
Parties faced mixed results at the polls, although Jeremy Corbyn insisted Labour was "absolutely ready" for a general election, despite failing to deliver on its pledge to snatch key councils from the Tory clutches.
While Labour made gains in areas like Plymouth and Trafford, it was unable to win the Tory "crown jewels" in London, such as Wandsworth and Westminster.
The party had hoped to seize Kensington and Chelsea from the Tories in the wake of public outcry over the Grenfell Tower tragedy but failed to do so, while its chances in Barnet - which has a large Jewish population - may have been damaged by the recent antisemitism row.
The Conservatives capitalised on the near-collapse of Ukip, and gained control of councils in Peterborough, Southend and Basildon, with a small swing in their favour outside London.
Elsewhere, the Liberal Democrats won several councils - including target seats of Richmond-upon-Thames and Kingston-upon-Thames - while the Greens elected a string of new councillors.
Labour has retained control of Birmingham City Council, securing 51 of the 101 seats with 14 two-councillor wards yet to declare.
Another update on the state of the parties - only a few councils left to declare.
State of parties after 137 of 150 councils
Conservatives: 46 councils; 1,215 seats (-68)
Labour: 64 councils (-1); 1,848 seats (+77)
LibDems: 7 councils (+3); 441 seats (+57)
Green: 33 seats (+4)
UKIP: 3 seats (-57)
BNP: (-1)
Independent: 93 seats (-71)
Liberal: 1 seat (-1)
Ratepayers and Residents: 46 seats (-4)
No overall control: 20 councils -1
Caroline Lucas said it had been a "good night" for the Greens, saying her party had lost several seats by "a hair's breadth".
The Green Party co-leader told the BBC: "In the context, it is impressive, and the context of course is first of all an incredibly unfair electoral system that is hugely biased against small parties.
"It's also a context in which the resources that we had are a fraction of the resources that the other parties have. It's also sadly a time when... we don't get so much media coverage either.
"I think in that context its a really good result and we have held our own and we've shown that we can win seats up and down the country.
"We are clearly the fourth party now - Ukip has disappeared - and we are making gains and people know when they vote for Greens then they will get really hardworking Greens who will deliver for them."
A former mayor whose reinstatement gave the Conservatives control of a council by one seat has "sincerely apologised" over a racist Facebook post which resulted in her suspension.
Rosemary Carroll, who compared an Asian person to a dog on social media, rejoined the party "as the votes were being counted" on Friday - giving the Tories narrow control of Pendle council in Lancashire.
Conservative group leader Paul White said: "The post was shared in error but Rosemary fully accepted the potential upset caused and sincerely apologised.
"Having served her suspension period she rejoined the party and completed additional diversity training."
Ms Carroll, a former mayor of Pendle who represents the Earby ward, previously said she meant to delete the post but accidentally published it in error.
Labour group leader Mohammed Iqbal said the situation was an "appalling state of affairs".
He said: "Here's a councillor who brought shame on the borough on an international level and was welcomed back into the fold with open arms simply to grab control to the council.
"She turned up with a Conservative rosette literally as the votes were being counted."
Ms Carroll was suspended from the party for three months over the post.
The political balance of the council is now Conservatives, 25 seats; Labour 15 seats, Liberal Democrats nine seats.
The Liberal Democrats have gained control of Kingston-upon-Thames from the Conservatives, having won 30 seats so far of the 48 available.
The party has won four councils now - Kingston, Richmond, Three Rivers and South Cambridgeshire.
Labour have retained control of Harrow, having won 34 of the 63 seats available. Conservatives have 26 seats and there is still one ward left to
declare.
Labour have retained control of Newham after winning 36 of the available 60 seats. The party has won every seat declared so far.
An estimated 4,000 people were turned away from casting their vote in the five areas trialling controversial voter ID checks.
Analysis of figures released by electoral observers suggests 3,981 people were denied a ballot paper in the local elections due to not being able to provide relevant identification documents.
Latest here:
Theresa May, who was visiting the Sedgley Conservative club in Dudley, said "Labour failed" to make the gains they were targeting.
She said: "What we have seen up and down the country is people recognising that it's Conservative councils that provide them with good local services, better delivery of local services, but also keep council taxes low.
"We've seen great results around the country not just here in the West Midlands, of course in London we've held Wandsworth, and Westminster, and Hillingdon and Barnet - councils that Labour were targeting.
"But Labour failed in their efforts.
"What you have done here has been repeated around the country."
She added: "We're not going to be complacent, we won't take anything for granted."
Labour has retained control of Lambeth, winning 43 of the available 63 seats so far, with the Greens gaining two seats from Labour and 18 seats still to declare.
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