Voters across the Portsmouth area, along with the rest of the country, have gone to the polls

Election day is always nervy - and today was nervier than most with the results rolling in in what was always expected to be an interesting election thanks to the rise of Reform and unpopularity of Labour and the Conservatives nationally.

Every time we reach the midpoint of a government’s term, council elections tend to give the ruling party a bloody nose even though the issues that people are voting on today - roads, libraries, planning, schools, parks etc - have little to do with Westminster.

And it seems that in some parts of Hampshire, local issues have been more important than national ones - with the Lib Dems taking back overall control of Portsmouth City Council and the Conservatives retaining control of Fareham Borough Council.

The Lib Dems have lost control of Gosport Borough Council, and the Tories have lost the county council, while Havant Borough Council remains in no overall control.

Keep in track with our live coverage to stay abreast of all that is happening: