ELECTION 2018: Drama as Tories' grip across the Portsmouth area weakens

In a night packed with drama, the party seized the momentum in the city, securing four extra seats, rounding their total to six.

One of them included that of former Conservative culture boss, Linda Symes, who in a crushing blow to the Tories was dethroned from her St Jude seat by Labour’s Judith Smyth.

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RESULTS: Labour resurgence leads to a disappointing night for Portsmouth Tories

RESULTS: Lib Dems snatch seats in Gosport

RESULTS: Conservatives firmly in the driving seat at Havant Borough Council

RESULTS: Fareham remains blue__________________________

While Claire Udy, who just days before the election quit the Labour party amid an anti-semitism controversy, was voted in as the new represent for Charles Dickens ward as an independent.

Liberal democrats also increased their majority by one in Portsmouth to 16, cutting the Conservatives overall majority to just three.

Ukip was wiped out from Portsmouth echoing the party’s national results.

It was a similar display in Havant, which saw just two Ukip members managing to cling onto power while the Tories stormed to an overwhelming victory taking all the remaining seats.

Fareham, too, remains under Tory control with no overall change in the numbers.

Conservatives were jubilant that they had managed to snatch a ‘safe’ Lib Dem seat in Fareham East for the first time in 18 years.

But the Lib Dems cancelled out this loss by making their own gains elsewhere in the constituency.

While it was jubilation for Lib Dems in Gosport as they seized six extra seats, slashing the Tory’s overall council control to a meagre margin of one.

Conservatives remain now with 18 seats, having lost three of their seats.