LABOUR have held onto Sandwell Council after a night of huge losses over the border in Dudley.
The Conservatives made gains in nine of the 27 seats up for grabs - quite a feat given the borough's voting tendencies in recent years - but Labour remain in power.
The Tories not had a single representative since 2015, when Anne Hughes lost her seat in Charlemont with Grove Vale.
Scott Chapman became the first Conservative to gain a seat from Labour in 13 years, in Friar Park, with Archer Simeon Williams gaining a seat in Princes End, David Fisher in Charlemont with Grove Vale, Liam Michael Abrahams in Great Barr with Yew Tree, Laured Kalari and Satpal Singh in Rowley ward, Jay Anandou in Old Warley, William David Gill in Great Bridge and Ian Chambers in Wednesbury South.
The result means Labour’s share of the seats on the council has dropped from 62 of 72 to 53 of 72, with the Conservatives now holding nine seats in total.
Voter turnout in Sandwell was up by five per cent from 2019, with 29.5 per cent of eligible residents heading to the polls.
Full results for Sandwell:
Abbey - Nicky Hinchliff - Elected - Labour hold
Blackheath - Kerrie Carmichael - Elected - Labour hold
Bristnall - Ellen Rachael Fenton - Elected - Labour hold
Charlemont with Grove Vale - David Dean Fisher - Elected - Conservative gain
Cradley Heath and Old Hill - Vicki Anne Darby Smith - Elected - Labour gain
Friar Park - Scott Chapman - Elected - Conservative gain
Great Barr with Yew Tree - Liam Michael Abrahams - Elected - Conservative gain
Great Bridge - William David Gill - Elected - Conservative gain
Greets Green and Lyng - Pam Randhawa - Elected - Labour hold
Hateley Heath - Kacey Akpoteni - Elected - Labour hold
Langley - Caroline Owen - Elected - Labour hold
Newton - Eleaine Giles - Elected - Labour hold
Old Warley - Jay Anandou - Elected (full term) - Conservative gain AND Harnoor Bhullar - Elected (one year term) - Labour hold
Oldbury - Rizwan Jalil - Elected - Labour hold
Princes End - Archer Simeon Williams - Elected - Conservative gain
Rowley - Laured Kalari - Elected (full term) - Conservative gain AND Satpal Singh - Elected (one year term) - Conservative gain
Smethwick - Parbinder Kaur - Elected - Labour hold
Soho and Victoria - Farut Shaeen - Elected - Labour hold
St. Paul's - Sukhbir Singh Gil - Elected - Labour hold
Tipton Green - Charn Singh Padda - Elected - Labour hold
Tividale - Maria Crompton - Elected Labour hold
Wednesbury North - Peter Hughes - Elected - Labour hold
Wednesbury South - Kirat Singh - Elected (full term) - Labour hold AND Ian Michael Chambers - Elected (one year term) - Conservative gain
West Bromwich Central - Laura Maeve Rollins - Elected - Labour hold
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