Local election results 2024 LIVE: London 'on a knife edge' for Sadiq Khan while Midlands mayor Andy Street battles for re-election as Tories turn on Rishi Sunak after disastrous local results

Labour insiders have claimed that the mayoral election for London is on a knife edge, as bookies have slashed their odds on a shock defeat for Sadiq Khan.

Labour jitters were already spreading over Sadiq Khan's prospects in London amid claims of low turnout and a Gaza backlash.

Polls ahead of the election on Thursday suggested the incumbent, Khan, was on track for a comfortable victory over his Tory rival.

The final surveys gave him a lead of between 10 and 22 points. Yet rumours have been circulating today that it could be significantly closer, with senior figures pointing to the impact of Gaza on other results across England.

Mr Khan has faced intense scrutiny over his record on law and order during the campaign.

The Tories have claimed a vote for the Reform Party is effectively a vote for Labour.

The data seems to back that up. Psephologist John Curtis pointed out that in the the areas Reform ran, the Tories were down 17 per cent on average while in areas they didn't rub, the Conservative vote was only down 11 per cent.

Science minister Andrew Griffith (pictured) told BBC: 'If you vote for reform, you are going to get a Labour government, a Labour council, a Labour mayor.

'You are going to get Keir Starmer in No 10 and an illegal immigrant amnesty.'

Although declaration times may vary, these are times when results are expected to come in:

Mayoral elections

Liverpool City Region: Midday

London: Official time to be confirmed, but the picture should become clear around 1.30pm

South Yorkshire: 2pm

West Midlands: 3pm

Yorkshire: 3.15pm

Greater Manchester: 4pm

Salford: 5pm

Council elections

North Tyneside, Stroud, Warrington: 4pm

Epping Forest: To be confirmed

Rishi Sunak is braced for the result of key mayoral elections in London and the West Midlands, after the Conservatives were trounced in the first day of local election results.

As Friday's result declarations closed, the Conservatives had suffered a net loss of 371 seats, and lost control of 10 councils.

Despite widespread losses, the Prime Minister appeared to take solace from the Tories' win in the Tees Valley mayoral election.

All eyes will now turn to mayoral contests in London and the West Midlands, the results of which will be declared on Saturday.

Labour incumbent Sadiq Khan is now believed to have a closer-than-expected contest with Tory challenger Susan Hall in the capital, while a narrow contest is also likely for West Midlands Tory mayor Andy Streets (pictured).