Tories win back control of Barnet during disappointing night for Labour

The Conservatives have regained control of key Labour target council Barnet as some voters appeared to punish Jeremy Corbyn's party for the anti-Semitism controversy.

Labour went into the election hoping for an historic victory that would have seen them take control for the first time since the authority's creation in 1964.

But the anti-Semitism controversy which has dogged Mr Corbyn in recent weeks made a difference to voters in the north London borough - an area with a large Jewish population - according to the Labour group leader.

The Tories made concerted efforts to target wards with large Jewish populations in the wake of the controversy.

And the breakthrough came when they made a clean sweep in one of those wards - Hale - taking a seat off Labour in the process and increasing their vote in the ward by almost 2,800.

The crushing blow came when the Conservatives took all three seats in West Hendon, a long-time Labour stronghold.

Elsewhere Labour hopes of victories in flagship boroughs like Wandsworth and Westminster slipped away as they also remained under Conservative control.

Westminster North Labour MP Karen Buck said the party always knew taking Westminster City Council was impossible.

London mayor Sadiq Khan left the count at Wandsworth before the final result was declared.

Labour also conceded defeat in Kensington & Chelsea.

The Conservatives held Hillingdon, west London while Labour kept control of Barking & Dagenham, Ealing and Waltham Forest.

Sutton Council, south west London was held by the Liberal Democrats despite a strong Tory challenge.