keeping a moving away again forjust keeping a close eye because we are expecting those results obviously imminently. keeping an eye across south yorkshire because we are also expecting that in the next couple of minutes. but you said, in terms of the west midlands, you expect the conservatives to hold that. that has certainly been widely reported and widely anticipated. i think, to be honest, what is perhaps less widely realised is there are two stories about the west midlands to emerge today. one is the result of the mayoral contest. the other is the result of the police and crime commissioner collection. the two of them taking place in parallel. when this happened in 2021, while andy street managed to retain his post as mayor of the west midlands, the labour party won the police and crime commissioner election and this is one of the reasons why some analysts have been saying these mayoral contests are not necessarily

a reliable indication of the support of the parties that the candidates are representing but also they are affected by the personal support of those candidates in the metro mayoral elections so one of the things i will be looking at later on is notjust the mayoral election contest but also the pcc contest and if we discover that labour have won the pcc contest as in 2021 that will add to the doubts that the conservatives�* focus on the mayoral contests in the belief that this shows things are not so bad for the tories after all is perhaps somewhat misplaced. tories after all is perhaps somewhat mislaced. , ., ., ., ., misplaced. john, we are going to brin: misplaced. john, we are going to bring everyone — misplaced. john, we are going to bring everyone the _ misplaced. john, we are going to bring everyone the liverpool - misplaced. john, we are going to i bring everyone the liverpool count, we�*ll come back straight to you for your interpretation of we see. we'll come back straight to you for your interpretation of we see. thank ou, your interpretation of we see. thank you. ladies — your interpretation of we see. thank you. ladies and _ your interpretation of we see. thank you, ladies and gentlemen. - your interpretation of we see. thank you, ladies and gentlemen. i'm - your interpretation of we see. thank you, ladies and gentlemen. i'm going to declare _ you, ladies and gentlemen. i'm going to declare the result of the poll for the — to declare the result of the poll for the liverpool city region combined authority mayoral election held on_ combined authority mayoral election held on thursday 2nd of may 2024. war. _ held on thursday 2nd of may 2024. iyer, catherine fairclough, being

the combined authority returning officer_ the combined authority returning officer for the liverpool city region _ officer for the liverpool city region hereby declare that the total number_ region hereby declare that the total number of votes cast for each candidate _ number of votes cast for each candidate at the liverpool city region — candidate at the liverpool city region combined authority mayoral election— region combined authority mayoral election on thursday 2nd of may 2024 are as _ election on thursday 2nd of may 2024 are as follows. tom crone, the green party. _ are as follows. tom crone, the green party, 26,417. _ are as follows. tom crone, the green party, 26,417. jade louise marsden, the conservative party candidate, 27,708~ _ the conservative party candidate, 27,708. rob mcallister—bell, liberal democrats, 23,666. steve rotheram, the laneur— democrats, 23,666. steve rotheram, the labour party, 183,932. cheering

thank you. and ian edward smith, independent, 11,032. the number of ballot _ independent, 11,032. the number of ballot papers rejected was as follows _ ballot papers rejected was as follows. once of official marks, one _ follows. once of official marks, one. voting for more candidates than entitled, _ one. voting for more candidates than entitled, 278. writing or a mark by which _ entitled, 278. writing or a mark by which a _ entitled, 278. writing or a mark by which a voter can be identified, 13. unmarked — which a voter can be identified, 13. unmarked or void for uncertainty, 1974. _ unmarked or void for uncertainty, 1974, making the total rejected 2266 _ 1974, making the total rejected 2266. the electorate was 1149736. the turnout at 23.72%. i do hereby declare _ the turnout at 23.72%. i do hereby declare that — the turnout at 23.72%. i do hereby declare that steve rotheram is duly elected _ declare that steve rotheram is duly elected as the mayor of the liverpool city region. applause

thank you, returning officer. can i start by thanking your officers who have presided over this set of elections and the police, of course, for conducting it within the law. congratulations also to all the other candidates who have already been notified of their successes. it is an honour to serve your community at all levels. i�*d like to give a special mention to the many teams across the whole liverpool city region who have helped to take liverpool�*s labour message out on the doorstep. it�*s only through our volunteers working right the way across the piece that we are able to get those messages out. and on a personal note, i�*d like to express my sincere gratitude to my team and agent dan who have worked tirelessly to deliver this result. my team know

who they are and you know how brilliant you have worked. of course, as always, i�*d like to thank my wonderful wife and family and finally, can i thank the hundreds of thousands of people who have used their votes in this mayoral election, which ever party you chose to support. to those, though, who were unable to have their voices heard because of the government�*s regressive voter id laws, i understand your disappointment. i met many people on the doorstep who couldn�*t vote and i think it is wrong to deny a single person and their democratic right to vote. but today, the people in our area have not only spoken, they have hollered at the top of their voices with two simple and clear messages. to the government, enough is enough. and locally, labour is delivering in power. up—and—down this country,

ordinary people are fed up with the chaos, mismanagementand ordinary people are fed up with the chaos, mismanagement and decline the tories have presided over. despite this, though, we are getting on with thejob this, though, we are getting on with the job locally. this this, though, we are getting on with thejob locally. this result this, though, we are getting on with the job locally. this result isn�*t just a rejection of the tories. voters in our city region are not easily kidded. it is a ringing endorsement of what we are doing locally, to. and they weren�*t hoodwinked by pie in the sky populist pledges. it is no less dishonest, you know, to promise to deliver undeliverable things locally thanit deliver undeliverable things locally than it is to advertise £315 million a week for our nhs on the side of a bus if we left the eu. and it appears that for some, mudslinging and smear tactics are still the weapon of choice in the armoury of the deceitful and desperate. the

fact is there was only ever one party with a real plan for the city region�*s future, rather than back of a fag packet generalisations paid for with blank cheques and empty promises of parliamentary legislation that would never see the light of day proposed for unfeasible schemes. i want to make this liverpool city region the best place to grow up, grow a family and grow a business in. so i put forward a 72 page manifesto that will become the corporate plan of the combined authority over the next few days. but this result is notjust to vote for me, it is a vote of confidence in devolution, which we all agree with. from a standing start, we are starting to see the advantages and a greater understanding of devolution�*s benefits. devo is

delivering innovation, regeneration and renaissance, like 60,000jobs, 30,000 apprenticeships, 30,000 new homes, the country�*s first publicly owned trains in a generation, the best publicly owned and run digital connectivity in the country, and meaningful action to fix the broken bus market. real, tangible, progressive policies that otherwise wouldn�*t have happened. and just on a final note, the road to downing street runs through transformative labour administrations in local and regional government, with labour in westminster we will get to see what real devolution is like, not the limited decentralisation that we have at the moment. so the ultimate prize has to be labour mayors and council leaders working in tandem with a labour government. so what comes next? well, the prime minister

is squatting in downing street, and i say come out and face the voters, mr sunak. calla i say come out and face the voters, mr sunak. call a general election. we are ready when you are. but whilst we are waiting, our work will continue unabated. now is the time to embrace the future, to ensure that the next chapter in our story is not written for us in westminster and whitehall, but by us locally. we are taking back our future and i promise i will never let the people in the liverpool city region down. thanks a lot. applause studio: steve rotheram of course in a very strong labour seat, a labour area retains his position as liverpool mayor. a former mp, a former bricklayer and a well—known voice in the region, and of course

nationally to a degree. john curtice is watching those results. some of those votes commenced including steve rotheram �*s were down and he talked about the voter id laws perhaps preventing some people voting, didn�*t he? that perhaps preventing some people voting, didn't he?— perhaps preventing some people voting, didn't he? that is a sub'ect of continuing fl voting, didn't he? that is a sub'ect of continuing controversy. �* voting, didn't he? that is a subject of continuing controversy. there i voting, didn't he? that is a subject. of continuing controversy. there are some people who feel this is a reasonable change in our law to actually bring british standards voter administration in line with standard international procedure. —— steve rotheram. other people say it isn�*t a problem and they feel that some of the ways in which the voter id laws have been intimated, particularly with respect to which forms of identity are not acceptable, are, shall we say, had the whiff of wavering those people more likely to vote conservative, shall we say? but in any event, it is clearly not made any difference to the outcome in this election. of course, liverpool is still one of those places where, in a sense, we way the labour vote rather than

necessarily bothering to count it. the city has been very loyal to the labour party and in this contest, which of course is merseyside as a whole, notjust liverpool commander whole, not just liverpool commander steve whole, notjust liverpool commander steve rotheram, the labour candidate, has won 68% of the vote, a very substantial success, and i think in truth the city is going to be a very long time before there is any prospect of the conservatives ever being able to represent the city. they came second with 10% of the vote. it city. they came second with 1096 of the vote. . , city. they came second with 1096 of the vote. ., , ., _ city. they came second with 1096 of the vote. .,, ., _ ., ,., the vote. it was down by about 10,000 the vote. it was down by about 10.000 arafi — the vote. it was down by about 10,000 arafi from _ the vote. it was down by about 10,000 arafi from last - the vote. it was down by about 10,000 arafi from last year . the vote. it was down by aboutj 10,000 arafi from last year for the vote. it was down by about - 10,000 arafi from last year for the labour vote. it 10,000 arafi from last year for the labour vote-— labour vote. it is up ten points basically. _ labour vote. it is up ten points basically, absolutely. -- - labour vote. it is up ten points basically, absolutely. -- down| labour vote. it is up ten points - basically, absolutely. -- down 1096 basically, absolutely. —— down 10% roughly. basically, absolutely. -- down 1096 rou~hl . ,, , basically, absolutely. -- down 1096 rou~hl. ,, , , basically, absolutely. -- down 1096 rou~hl. ,, , ., roughly. student id card is not allowed but — roughly. student id card is not allowed but some _ roughly. student id card is not allowed but some pension - roughly. student id card is not allowed but some pension id | roughly. student id card is not i allowed but some pension id was allowed? .,. , allowed but some pension id was allowed? , , ., allowed but some pension id was allowed? , , , , allowed? exactly, your student bus ass, our allowed? exactly, your student bus pass. your young — allowed? exactly, your student bus pass, your young persons - allowed? exactly, your student bus pass, your young persons rail- allowed? exactly, your student bus pass, your young persons rail pass| pass, your young persons rail pass doesn�*t count, but your old person�*s travel card does. a little bit

curious. some people point out that older people are more likely to vote conservative and younger people are more likely to vote labour. to express a personal view, if we do make this change, their for doing it, it would be much better if it were done on a bipartisan basis with all the parties agree on what the rules should be because in a democracy the right to vote is central and it is crucial, and it�*s a good thing if the rules that surround our elections are something that in a sense all the parties are signed up to. but unfortunately that didn�*t happen. the argument essentially, in the local elections last year count was made of the number of people who turned up, were sent away and didn�*t come back again. and that was reckoned to be worth about 0.25% of the electorate. but those on the other side of the

argument say that figure is not necessarily reliable because some people were stopped from being able to vote before they got into the polling station because they were advised you don�*t have your voter id, you will not be allowed to vote. there was a bit of a story around all of this on thursday because a certain person known as thejohnson failed to sign up with his voter id and was indeed sent away. so at least we can be sure that the polling officials are administering that with rectitude because they would not allow the former prime minister to vote unless he came up with the party id that he himself and his government had demanded. that was a very clicked on the story on our website. i took my two teenage boys to vote for the first time and can take student id for one of them, had to take their passports. we had a bit of a debate in our house, i have to confess. just on the mayors, when you get a

labour mayor, these are relatively new positions. but if you have an incoming labour government later this year, how much does that help the mayor to have political and financial support from the centre? well, it is certainly alleged by the opponents of ben houchen that, shall we say, he seems to have had a rather good relationship with the uk treasury, and hm government. the conservative party says this is an example of levelling up in an area that needed levelling up and the conservatives�* opponents say this is an example of the government favouring their own side. i think there is a crucial point to make about this. in the end, anybody who takes on one of these mayoraljobs has first of all to be loyal to their area and only secondly loyal to their party. if you follow the example of borisjohnson when he was mayor of london, he on occasion was

willing to indicate his disagreement with the policies then being pursued by david cameron when he was prime minister when he thought he needed to shout for the interests of london and he didn�*t think the uk government were necessarily doing so, so yes, party ties may help the labour mayors, even though the tories might wind west midlands, labour will get most of them, but that�*s the limit. labour will get most of them, but that's the limit.— that's the limit. sorry to interrupt. _ that's the limit. sorry to interrupt, i'm _ that's the limit. sorry to interrupt, i'm going - that's the limit. sorry to interrupt, i'm going to l that's the limit. sorry to - interrupt, i'm going to share with interrupt, i�*m going to share with everyone in south yorkshire, let�*s listen in. everyone in south yorkshire, let's listen in. ., ., , ., listen in. the total number of ballot papers _ listen in. the total number of ballot papers in _ listen in. the total number of ballot papers in this - listen in. the total number of ballot papers in this area - listen in. the total number of ballot papers in this area wasj ballot papers in this area was 126,316 _ ballot papers in this area was 126,316. the number of valid votes given— 126,316. the number of valid votes given for— 126,316. the number of valid votes given for each candidate in this area _ given for each candidate in this area was— given for each candidate in this area was as follows. nicholas kyle allen, _ area was as follows. nicholas kyle allen, the — area was as follows. nicholas kyle allen, the conservative party candidate, 12,082. david bettney, sociat— candidate, 12,082. david bettney, social democratic party 6443. oliver james _ social democratic party 6443. oliver james cupboard, labour and

co—operative party, 66,962. douglas james— co—operative party, 66,962. douglas james prestonjohnson, green party, 24.579. — james prestonjohnson, green party, 24,579. hannah ruth kitching, liberat— 24,579. hannah ruth kitching, liberal democrats, 16,250. and the total number of rejected votes in this voting area was 1316. thank you _ this voting area was 1316. thank ou. ,, , ., , , you. studio: that is the city council for _ you. studio: that is the city council for sheffield, - you. studio: that is the city council for sheffield, we - you. studio: that is the city - council for sheffield, we believe, and councilfor sheffield, we believe, and we are going to get the mayoral results now for south yorkshire. good afternoon, everyone. thank you for being _ good afternoon, everyone. thank you for being with us today for the count— for being with us today for the count and _ for being with us today for the count and declaration. martin swales and i will— count and declaration. martin swales and i will now do the official declaration. i, martin swales mud

being _ declaration. i, martin swales mud being the — declaration. i, martin swales mud being the combined authority returning officer at the election for the — returning officer at the election for the mayor for the south yorkshire _ for the mayor for the south yorkshire mayoral combined authority held yorkshire mayoral combined authority hetd on— yorkshire mayoral combined authority held on thursday 2nd of may 2024 declared _ held on thursday 2nd of may 2024 declared that the total number of ballot _ declared that the total number of ballot papers used at this election was 275,668. the number of rejected votes _ was 275,668. the number of rejected votes at _ was 275,668. the number of rejected votes at this — was 275,668. the number of rejected votes at this election was 3132. and the humber— votes at this election was 3132. and the number of valid votes given for each candidate was as follows. alan niktas _ each candidate was as follows. alan niklas kaul, the conservative party candidate, — niklas kaul, the conservative party candidate, 44,900 since 45 votes —— 40 4945 _ candidate, 44,900 since 45 votes —— 40 4945. betty david, social democratic party, 20,835 votes.

oliver — democratic party, 20,835 votes. oliver coppard, labour and co—operative party, 138,611 votes. douglas— co—operative party, 138,611 votes. douglasjohnson, green party, 37,142 votes _ douglasjohnson, green party, 37,142 votes. hannah kitching, liberal democrats, 31,002 votes. and i hereby— democrats, 31,002 votes. and i hereby declare that oliver coppard is duly— hereby declare that oliver coppard is duly elected as the mayor for the south _ is duly elected as the mayor for the south yorkshire mayoral combined authority — south yorkshire mayoral combined authority. —— nick allen. i authority. —— nick allen. ineed _ authority. —— nick allen. ineed to— authority. —— nick allen. i need to start by thanking the team who have run this election, right

across south yorkshire. standing for elections is hard obviously but running elections isn�*t much easier. it certainly leaves less margin for error. to the teams of people verifying counts and votes, the voting clicks and the staff of our councils and the mca led so ably by our combined authority returning officer martin swales, thank you. but most importantly, i need to thank the people of south yorkshire. after just two years you were asked to go to the polls to choose your mayor again. to go to the polls to choose your mayoragain. but to go to the polls to choose your mayor again. but from bentley to boston castle, you have lent me your votes. your support and trust once more. more than anything, with 51% of the vote, you have given me a mandate to continue the work we started in earnestjust two years ago. elections are the vehicle, not the destination, and today you have offered me notjust your consent but your blessing to continue on the journey we started to pursue the

change we so desperately need across south yorkshire, where ever it may be, to give every single person across barnsley, rotherham, doncaster and sheffield the chance to stay near and go far. and tojoin millions of people across the north in calling out this government for theirfailure to level up in calling out this government for their failure to level up our country, to do what is right for the whole of our country. i cannot promise to answer every question we face to immediately overcome the many problems we are up against in our communities across 14 years of tory government and 40 years of industrial decline. but i can promise, indeed, ido industrial decline. but i can promise, indeed, i do promise, industrial decline. but i can promise, indeed, ido promise, never to neglect that challenge, never to take your support for granted, never to do anything other than to apply the values on which i was elected to the values on which i was elected to the decisions i was asked to make on your behalf and to always think first of those who all too often come last. whether you voted for me

or not, whether you stayed home or campaign for another candidate, whether you are my biggest fan all my greatest detractor, if you call south yorkshire your home, then i am proud to be your mayor and i will work every day to give you the life, the opportunity and the region you deserve to do everything in my power to restore the pride, the purpose and the prosperity of south yorkshire. i�*d also like to thank the other candidates in this race. politics at its best challenges our ideas and tests the plans and proposals we believe would make our communities a better place. each of the candidates in this race has done something remarkable by putting themselves forward to be judged and we should all be grateful, notjust for their ideas and their energy but for their ideas and their energy but for their ideas and their energy but for their commitment to the idea of a better south yorkshire. i�*d also like to thank my wonderful campaigning team, particularlyjane campaigning team, particularly jane thomas campaigning team, particularlyjane thomas and my agent matthew, who

have been tireless, precise and thoughtful in equal measure. they have known when to encourage me, when to hold me back, they have known when to lead and when to follow. politics is a team sport and i simply would not be standing here today with this unique opportunity today with this unique opportunity to help people across south yorkshire if it were not for the countless hours that my friends, volunteers and labour party staff have put into this campaign. thank you very much. applause studio: so, oliver coppard there, as would have been predicted, retaining for labour the south yorkshire mayoral seat. for labour the south yorkshire mayoralseat. he for labour the south yorkshire mayoral seat. he was first elected in 2022, and as he said he got around 51% of the vote. professor john curtice is with us. what you make of that?— john curtice is with us. what you make of that? ., , , ., make of that? oliver coppard is not as well-known _ make of that? oliver coppard is not as well-known as _ make of that? oliver coppard is not as well- known as steve _ make of that? oliver coppard is not as well-known as steve rotheram. | as well—known as steve rotheram. this is somebody who has not come via the house of commons, but again, we see a swing to labour, here of

the order of 4% from conservative to labour. it�*s a bit lower than liverpool. but again, even in these mayoral contests, somewhat more personality —based than is otherwise the case. we are seeing swings to labour. we indeed saw a swing even in the tees valley. so here, even though the conservatives will not want us to focus on these contests, the message coming out at the ballot box is unsurprisingly that the conservative party is less popular thanit conservative party is less popular than it was three years ago when of course they were still ahead in the opinion polls. a very different position from where we are now. oliver coppard, just to look at his background a bit, describes himself as the uk�*s onlyjewish metro mayor, he�*s worked a lot in the region in barnsley council, he stood for a seatin barnsley council, he stood for a seat in sheffield hallam but lost to nick clegg. and those cities and towns that covered south yorkshire,

again, there are muslim populations, and yet the vote who has gone up, hasn�*t it? and yet the vote who has gone up, hasn't it? , ,., ., hasn't it? yes, indeed. liverpool, merseyside. _ hasn't it? yes, indeed. liverpool, merseyside, doesn't _ hasn't it? yes, indeed. liverpool, merseyside, doesn't have - hasn't it? yes, indeed. liverpool, merseyside, doesn't have much l hasn't it? yes, indeed. liverpool,| merseyside, doesn't have much of hasn't it? yes, indeed. liverpool, i merseyside, doesn't have much of a merseyside, doesn�*t have much of a muslim population. there somewhat more here, though the increase is lower. when talking about a large area like this, there is plenty of rural and quite affluent areas around the urban centres of south yorkshire, then the muslim population as a whole is going to be much smaller. one of the things about those local council elections is that once we are talking about individual wards we can end up with places which are very heavily muslim in a way that you wouldn�*t necessarily find in a parliamentary constituency, let alone an area like south yorkshire which again will amalgamate many a parliamentary constituency. so as it were, even if there is a muslim effect going on here it is largely going to disappear across such a wide area. that may be less true in london which is the most ethnically diverse part of the uk. but i think this is

not really where we can draw much confusion about what is very clearly a pattern whereby those who live in muslim areas and concluding muslim voters who voted labour in the past withdrew their support from labour over the gaza issue. in withdrew their support from labour over the gaza issue.— over the gaza issue. in terms of where we _ over the gaza issue. in terms of where we have _ over the gaza issue. in terms of where we have got _ over the gaza issue. in terms of where we have got to _ over the gaza issue. in terms of where we have got to in - over the gaza issue. in terms of where we have got to in the - over the gaza issue. in terms ofj where we have got to in the last hour with the two big mayoral results, we should say oliver coppard also takes on the role of police and crime commissioner as well as the south yorkshire mayor, what is your take? labour have done very well in many parts of the north of england, haven�*t taken overall in the last couple of days. of england, haven't taken overall in the last couple of days.— the last couple of days. sure. the overall take _ the last couple of days. sure. the overall take is _ the last couple of days. sure. the overall take is that _ the last couple of days. sure. the overall take is that all _ the last couple of days. sure. the overall take is that all of - the last couple of days. sure. the overall take is that all of these i overall take is that all of these results basically suggest that the conservative party has not made significant progress in trying to narrow the deficit that they face

these heavy labour. the message of these heavy labour. the message of the opinion polls has been that over the opinion polls has been that over the last 12 months not much has changed. the same as the message that has been coming out of the local ballot boxes. when we projected the performance of the local council elections to projected national share we had labour nine points ahead etc where they were 12 months ago. so both in terms of local election performance and opinion polls the gap seems to be similar to what it was 12 months ago. the problem for the conservatives is the general election is now no more than six months away. 5ir election is now no more than six months away-— months away. sirjohn curtice, professor. _ months away. sirjohn curtice, professor, thank _ months away. sirjohn curtice, professor, thank you - months away. sirjohn curtice, professor, thank you so - months away. sirjohn curtice, professor, thank you so much. months away. sirjohn curtice, - professor, thank you so much. we will be back withjohn and our guests in a few minutes. don�*t go away. back for more soon. weather forecast now. hello again. it�*s the bank holiday weekend, of course, and i think mixed is probably the right word to describe the weather over the course of the weekend, because, while there�*ll be some warm, sunny spells for many of us, there�*ll also be some sunshine and showers as well. and this morning, certainly, it�*s been quite wet across parts of northern england,

into northern ireland. we�*ll continue with that rain, i think, in northern ireland into this afternoon. the risk of some showers, though, in the far north—west of scotland with some sunny spells, and with the sunshine in the south, you mayjust see some showers popping off across the far south—east of england. those could be heavy and thundery, but warm, sunny spells across many southern areas, temperatures 17, 18 degrees celsius. we may once again have the warmest weather in the west of scotland. 19 or 20 degrees. now, through tonight we�*ll continue with a bit of rain across parts of northern ireland, central southern scotland, maybe a few thundery showers in the far northwest. beneath the cloudier skies, temperatures down to about 9 to 11 degrees. but with the clearer skies, once again, quite a chilly night. temperatures on sunday morning starting off at about 4 to 6 degrees. now, during sunday, there�*ll be some cloud in cornwall, parts of devon, a few showers here. one or two showers developing elsewhere across england and wales, but largely dry with sunny spells. some heavier showers in the northeast of scotland with some thunder. and maximum temperatures about 16 to 18 or 19 degrees. once again, it will feel quite pleasant when the sun comes out. on into bank holiday monday, we�*ve got this weather front

here across the south and that�*s going to bring more cloud, some showers across southern areas of england, a few showers further north likely as well. and again, those could be heavy, maybe even a bit thundery into the afternoon. but for much of north wales, the midlands, into eastern areas of england, it looks largely dry. there�*ll be some sunny spells as well. temperatures on monday perhaps down a little bit. so 14 degrees there in aberdeen, about 15, 16 celsius further south and east across england. but going through the rest of the week, high pressure is building in. and when we see higher pressure like this, certainly in the spring, it�*s looking dry, it�*s looking fairly sunny, and actually quite warm as well. temperatures will be responding quite nicely to that sunshine. so you can see here that the temperatures will start to rise. 17 to 22 degrees celsius by the end of the week into next weekend. so on the whole, a pretty settled week to come. that�*s it for me. bye—bye.

live from london. this is bbc news. counting�*s under way at centres across england, as we await more results of mayoral elections in cities including in london. in the capital, the first results have started to come in, and in one london constituency it shows an 5 percent swing from conservative to labour. also in the last hour, steve rotherham has comfortably won the contest to be liverpool mayor, increasing his share

of the vote, and he had this warning to rishi sunak. to the government, enough is enough. and locally, labour is delivering in power. good afternoon, i�*m geeta guru murthy, and welcome to this bbc local election special. the first resulst have started to come in, in the mayoral race in london, and in one constitency, merton and wansworth, sadiq khan looks set to win a third term as london mayor. labour have held onto their metro mayors in liverpool and south yorkshire. this is what else we can expect over the next few hours. we are still awaiting results

in the four remaining regional mayor races including greater manchester and the west midlands