Reply #17: With 162 of 166 results in,

[muriel_volestrangler]

    Councillors Councils   
PARTY  +/-  TOT  +/- TOT   
  CON  261 1621   12  50  
  LAB -463 2170   -8  39  
   LD  129 1232   -2   9  
   PC  -26  165   -2   1  
  OTH   20  593    0  63

(PC means Plaid Cymru, the Welsh national party. No local elections in Scotland this year)

On the basis of voting in 500 key wards the BBC is projecting an equivalent national vote for the parties of Tories 38%, Lib Dems 29% and Labour 26%.

If correct it would be the first time a party in government has finished third in terms of national share of the vote in local elections.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3796075.stm

So the Lib Dems did gain seats too, but overall they lost control of some councils.