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What do the local election results tell us about Labour's progress?
Labour Party members celebrate their victory in Trafford, Manchester

Labour has made a modest advance on 2014 results that were good enough for many to predict a Labour victory at the following year’s general election and there was some Tory defensive consolidation, often out of the collapse of Ukip.

The local government election results declared by midday today revealed a political map of England little changed over the last 10 months since Labour’s surge at the general election.

That picture is of a deep two-party polarisation, with Labour strengthening in the big cities and making some inroads elsewhere, but the Tories stubbornly holding on in places with an anti-Labour rather than pro-government message in these lower turnout elections.

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