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A Labour MP says if a cabinet minister does not put themselves forward to challenge Keir Starmer by Monday, she will attempt to trigger a leadership contest herself
In an exclusive BBC interview, Catherine West says she currently has 10 MPs who are prepared to back her and is "confident" enough MPs will come forward to trigger a contest
This is a big moment, writes the BBC's Henry Zeffman, with West kicking off a process that could lead to a leadership battle
Earlier, Starmer admitted that Labour had made "unnecessary mistakes" but said he would not walk away following heavy election losses in Wales, England and Scotland
He also appointed Labour veterans Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman as advisers
The election results, in brief: Plaid Cymru win big in the Senedd; SNP take the most seats in Holyrood but miss out on an overall majority; Reform UK makes sweeping gains in England - here's a look at the results
The Scottish Greens have won Edinburgh Central - a gain from the SNP.
The party sees a 29.3 point increase on the last election in 2021. Meanwhile the SNP drop down into third place - behind Labour.
We've just had four more Senedd constituencies declared - with Plaid Cymru and Reform UK leading in all of them.
Plaid won the most votes in Sir Gaerfyrddin, Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni, Pontypridd Merthyr and Caerdydd Penarth - followed by Reform UK in second place.
Welsh Labour, who's been leading Wales since the creation of the Senedd in 1999, has so far secured just four seats.
Richard Moss
Political editor, North East & Cumbria
Reform has taken control of Sunderland City Council after more than 50 years of Labour leadership.
Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter
Labour admits defeat in Wales
Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan arrived at the Ceredigion Penfro count expecting a grim set of results - multiple sources tell the BBC she is one of a number of Labour figures expected to lose her seat.
Her deputy, Huw Irranca-Davies, has already accepted that Labour won't be in position "to actually form the next government".
A small number of results have been announced already - with Plaid Cymru and Reform UK winning the most seats so far.
SNP claims victory In Scotland
As he secured his own seat in Perthshire North, SNP leader John Swinney said: "It is becoming clear that the SNP will emerge as the largest party".
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar accepted: "We made an argument for change and ultimately, it’s an argument we lost."
The SNP have so far won 33 seats in the Scottish Parliament - far ahead of any other party.
And in England, Reform surges in council seats
Count results have slowed in England, with just shy of half of the councillor seats up for grabs declared so far.
As the pieces of the jigsaw are gradually laid out, the developing picture looks bad for Labour and the Conservatives, but very good for Reform UK - our political correspondent writes.
Iain Watson
Political correspondent
Image source, PA Wire“The reassuring thing is that people don’t really hate Labour… they hate him.”
It's a reference, of course, to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. That quote is the verdict of a Labour MP who is not usually critical of the PM, in an area which went heavily to Reform UK.
One of his colleagues said Starmer himself was the main issue on the doorstep, while a left-wing Labour MP tells the BBC the message from Yorkshire voters was: "It’s curtains for Keir."
A senior Labour figure also tells me: "Everyone in Wales is saying this is all Starmer’s fault." The party is expected to lose power and come third in the race for the Senedd, or Welsh Parliament.
Starmer’s repeated assertion in his interview this morning that he wouldn’t walk away from the job, they say, "had gone down very, very badly" - and had potentially put his leadership in more danger as a result.
And I am told Labour’s "red wall" group of MPs – who are largely in seats where Reform is the main challenger – will be meeting on Wednesday to discuss next moves.
So far they haven’t been openly critical of the Starmer leadership, but the electoral position looks stark in their Midlands and northern English seats.
But who would replace Starmer is far from settled, and those close to Downing Street say he will "hunker down" and resist any attempt to oust him.
Of course, there are MPs who tell us they would like him to stay on – with a potentially divisive leadership contest while in office being seen as more damaging than keeping him in place.
We're rapidly seeing results flow in - to see more about the state of play in your region, take a look at our local live pages.
Labour has lost control of Preston City Council and Cambridge City Council.
The count is continuing for both, but it's now clear no party will have an outright majority.
In Preston, one seat is yet to declare. Labour has so far lost five, with Reform up four and the Lib Dems up two.
In Cambridge, there are two seats yet to declare. Labour has lost six seats, with the Greens up six.
The second Senedd constituency has just been declared - and Plaid Cymru and Reform UK claim two seas each.
It's one seat each for Labour and the Conservatives.
The seat share mirrors that in Casnewydd Islwyn, which was announced a short while ago.
Eleanor Shearwood
BBC Newsbeat
As votes are counted in Wales - where the voting age for the Senedd election is 16 - BBC Newsbeat has been hearing from young people ahead of the results.
It’s been quite a week for Amelia Manuel. The Cardiff student turned 16 on Wednesday, meaning she could vote for the first time on Thursday.
She says going to a polling station was “quite scary” but also “exciting because it was something new”.
“I was pleased because it’s a new responsibility and a lot of friends can’t because they’re too young,” she says.
She says she made the decision about how to cast her vote after using a website specifically to help people who were unsure.
“You could compare the policies and manifestos, and take a quiz to see what one you’re most likely to vote based on what policies you want to be introduced,” she says.
BBC Newsbeat also spoke to Morgan, 21, in Cardiff about her hopes for the results later.
Morgan is hoping for a Plaid win: "I think Welsh independence and the whole thing of being proud of being Welsh really speaks to a lot of Welsh people."
She believes young people who do vote for Reform UK "feel that no matter what they choose it's not going to go in the way they want it to".
Image source, PA MediaWales First Minister Eluned Morgan has arrived at the Ceredigion Penfro count after multiple sources told the BBC that she is expected to lose her seat.
Morgan, who is Welsh Labour leader, has been first minister of Wales since 2024 - when she became the first woman to lead the Welsh government.
Reform UK has received the most votes in Casnewydd Islwyn, the first Senedd constituency to be declared under Wales' new voting system.
Reform secured 25,571 votes, with Plaid Cymru getting 23,069.
Each party has picked up two seats, with Labour and the Conservatives each getting one.
Robert Jenrick and Victoria Atkins, both former Tory ministers, were reunited this morning during the BBC’s election coverage - and it was rather awkward.
"Rob has not spoken to me since he left the Conservative Party - in the way that he did. And I considered us to be very good friends," she said.
Watch the moment below:
Jenrick served as immigration minister under the previous Tory government and was in the shadow cabinet before defecting to Reform in January.
Atkins was health secretary in the same government, and is now a member of the shadow cabinet.
Andrew Kerr
BBC Scotland political correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesAmong the recent flurry of holds for the SNP is a win for the party's Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, in Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine.
It's a win for Stephen Flynn - but the Conservatives said they were giving him a run for his money and they certainly did.
Quite early this morning, Tory and Liberal Democrat agents were saying it was much tighter than what might have been expected for the man tipped to be a future first minister.
The SNP contingent was oddly muted when Flynn arrived at the count.
There was a bit of a gasp as the returning officer gave the result, revealing the Conservative Liam Kerr was only 1,244 votes behind.
Flynn told the hall in his victory speech that "it looks like the SNP will win a fifth historic term in government" - it's a government he might lead.
With 16 results now declared in Scotland - here's a look at how things stand in the Scottish Parliament.
After a string of SNP holds in Scotland, the party has just lost Na h-Eileanan an Iar to Labour.
Labour candidate Donald MacKinnon has won by just 154 votes.
Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert
It is little surprise that John Swinney has retained his seat - and he will be pleased that the fall in support for his party, at four points, is less than for others.
Despite the fact there was a substantial Conservative vote here to eat into, Reform was only able to come in third place.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, PA MediaHeading back up to Scotland, and in the Perthshire North constituency, SNP leader John Swinney has won comfortably in a hold for the party.
Speaking after his win was announced, Swinney says: "It has been the privilege of my life to serve the people of Perthshire and I look forward to continuing that service in the next Scottish Parliamentary term."
"It is becoming clear that the SNP will emerge as the largest party", he says.
"I will simply do all that I can do to make Scotland a successful country and to improve the lives of the people of our country."
Lucinda Adam
BBC South East Today reporter
It's not just voters turning out - a swarm of wasps has come to the doorway of Worthing Leisure Centre, where three election counts are under way.
Returning officer Paul Brewer has advised candidates and agents not to go outside until the situation is dealt with.
The Conservative Party has lost control of Suffolk council to Reform UK.
Though votes are still being counted, Reform has gained 37 councillors - securing the majority needed to hold the council.
The Conservatives have lost 36 seats here so far, while Labour and the Lib Dems have both lost two each. The Green Party has won three new councillors.
Counting is under way in Wales and we're expecting to hear the first results in the next hour or so.
Labour figures have already said they expect to lose here. Multiple sources have told the BBC that current First Minister, Eluned Morgan, is expected to lose her seat.
There are 96 seats up for grabs - an increase of 36 since 2021, following the introduction of a reformed system to select Members of the Senedd (MSs).
The number of constituencies has also changed, with the previous 40 cut down to 16.
Since its creation in 1999, the Senedd - Wales's national parliament - has seen its role change as more and more powers have been devolved.
It now has full law-making powers on issues including health, education, transport, rural affairs and the environment.
BBC Wales political correspondent Daniel Davies has taken a look at what the Senedd's seat reform would have meant for the previous government - and how the new voting system will influence who the next first minister will be. You can watch that below.
Chris Mason
Political editor
Image source, Getty ImagesCounting is continuing in Wales - but Labour officials aren't expecting a win
While Labour has so far lost a number of councils in England, party officials say they don't expect to win the election in Wales.
The absolutely crucial couple of hours are the ones between now and teatime.
As we look intensively at the picture in Wales, Labour are pretty much conceding that they're going to lose.
Labour have won elections in Wales since before Sir David Attenborough - who celebrates his 100th birthday today - was born. That's how long their longevity of success has been there.
And it's going to end, or at least end for now, today. And that is huge.
Who emerges as the winner in Wales? It looks like it will be a tussle between Plaid Cymru and Reform.
Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert
The rate of Labour seat losses has picked up again. The party is now losing well over 50% of the seats it is trying to defend.
Indeed, outside London the figure is no less than three in four.
It still looks possible that the total of Labour's losses may not be far short of the 1,500 mark.
