136 of 136 councils Counting complete
Voting has taken place at councils across Essex
Conservatives have lost control of Essex County Council - where they held a majority for 25 years - to Reform UK, with leader Kevin Bentley losing his seat
Reform also takes Thurrock Council, with previous leader Lynn Worrall getting defeated at the ballot box
Six district councils have also had elections in Basildon, Brentwood, Colchester, Epping Forest, Harlow and Rochford
English council results show Reform UK picking up seats in former Labour heartlands - here's where things currently stand across the country
We're most of the way through declarations now for the makeup of Essex County Council in these local elections.
Reform UK has taken 49 seats, the Conservatives have 10, the Liberal Democrats have four, independents two, and one each for the Green Party, Residents for Uttlesford and the People's Independent Party.
Matt Knight
BBC News, Essex
Reform will run County Hall in Chelmsford after Essex turned to a different shade after 25 years of Conservative rule.
A sea of turquoise swept across the county to set Nigel Farage's party on course for a large majority.
Reform had already seemed on course for a win from overnight counting, but the remaining seats decided on Friday morning sealed their victory.
Reform won in Epping and Theydon Bois, where anti-asylum seeker protests had been held last year at sites including the Bell Hotel.
They won everywhere, from urban parts of Basildon to the most rural Essex has to offer.
It's a sobering defeat for the Conservatives, who at the time of writing have only saved themselves eight seats - a far cry from the 50 they started with.
Focus will now shift to what Reform plan to do in power. The campaign has been heavy on national politics, and not local issues, but the vote for change was clear.
Newly-elected Essex County Councillor Peter Harris has been giving us his reaction to the news that his party has gained control of the authority.
"What a fantastic result for Reform, and a fantastic result for the people of Essex that have just simply had enough of the old politics," says Harris, who's also deputy leader of the Reform UK group on Tendring District Council.
"People wanted change, and they've voted for that; they've given us a clear mandate to make the changes necessary now, and we're absolutely over the moon.
"People will be waking up today delighted that they've got that change, and yes, they will hold us to account, and we will rise to that challenge - but we will do what we say we're going to do, and Essex will have a brighter future."
Image source, PA MediaGabby Colenso
Senior reporter
At Southend's count, Reform UK celebrated early wins but fell short of expected seat gains.
The Green Party doubled its representation from two seats to four. However, two of its members have been criticising Reform’s rise, with Liz Swanson and Peter Walker turning their backs as Reform candidates were declared elected.
“When the first Reform candidate won, I just felt compelled to do it,” she said. “Peter joined me, and then we continued.”
Walker says national politics had influenced voting patterns.
“My vote tripled because of Zac Polanski,” he's been telling us. “The two-party system is changing.”
Reform’s group leader on the council, Tony Cox (pictured below), says voters are demanding change.
“People are fed up,” he says. “They want change, and these elections have been a referendum on the government.”
Russell Quirk, a Reform UK member hoping to be elected in the Brentwood Hutton ward, has been speaking to BBC Essex's Sonia Watson following a night of huge gains for his party.
"It's proven by the results that [Labour, Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats] haven't covered themselves in glory," he says.
"This is a litmus test. A barometer of feeling nationally and locally."
Quirk, who is already a Brentwood borough councillor, said people were disappointed with the Tories' tenure on the county council, including their record on increasing council tax and on potholes.
Image source, PA Media
Charlotte Rose
Senior reporter
Newly-elected Reform UK councillor Daryl Swain, who won a Colchester City Council seat in the former Labour stronghold of Greenstead, says people have been telling him they're "fed up with the Labour government".
The Green Party put the increase in its vote down to enthusiasm from young voters, in a city with a student population of about 10,000, external at the University of Essex campus.
Green Party group leader Kemal Cufoglu said people supported a "message of hope", and that local party membership had "tripled" since last summer.
Labour councillor and current Deputy Leader of the Council, Julie Young, has put her party's losses down to people "struggling with the cost of living" and feeling "life is really hard at the moment".
The Conservatives held on to five of the six seats they were defending. It was a sign people were "ready to listen to the party again" according to group leader Paul Dundas (pictured).
It was a mixed picture for the Liberal Democrats, and current council leader David King said it reflected a "national discontentment with established parties".
The turnout was 41%; a significant increase on last year's poll in the borough, which stretches to Boxted, Dedham, Tiptree and Mersea Island.
History has been made - the Conservatives have lost control of Essex County Council, where they have held a majority for 25 years.
In the last few minutes, we've learned Reform UK has won 40 seats so far - the figure needed for a majority and to take overall control of the local authority.
Ian Puckey
BBC Essex Senior Producer
A number of senior Conservative councillors have lost their seats in the local elections.
John Spence (pictured below), cabinet member for health and adult social care and county councillor for Chelmer Division of Essex County Council since 2013, lost out to Reform UK’s Paul Clark in Danbury and the Hanningfields.
Another cabinet member, Peter Schwier, who's known as the climate tsar, lost in Hedingham to 19-year-old Nathan Robbins of Reform.
Mark Durham, the arts and culture cabinet member, lost in Maldon Rural North to Reform.
Tom Cunningham, another cabinet member, was ousted in the Three Fields and Great Notley division.
Labour's Ivan Henderson, the former MP for Harwich, also lost his county council seat, as did Dave Blackwell, an Independent on Canvey.
On Southend-on-Sea City Council, long-serving Independent councillor Martin Terry - who served as cabinet member for community safety - was also ousted.
Image source, Essex County Council
Simon Dedman
BBC Essex political reporter
Stanway and Pyefleet - this the seat of the current Conservative county council leader Kevin Bentley. Five years ago he got more than half the votes but faces a challenge, like many of his Tory colleagues, from Reform UK.
Orsett, Thurrock - this is usually the Conservatives' safest ward on Thurrock Council. If they do not hold this seat, they could really struggle across the unitary council area.
Chafford Hundred, Thurrock – this ward has often swung between the Conservatives and Labour. Reform UK could be in the mix here too. An area of modern housing, home of Lakeside Shopping Centre and on the commuter railway line into London. Who wins here will be a good indicator of how the parties are doing.
Epping – in particular Epping and Theydon Bois on the county council and Epping West and Rural on the district authority. This is where The Bell Hotel is, which is used to house asylum seekers and where regular protests have taken place over the past year. The Conservatives are defending both seats.
Stifford, Thurrock – Standing for Reform UK is the former Conservative council leader of Plymouth Council, Richard Bingley. More than 20 years ago he was a Labour councillor in Thurrock before he joined the Conservatives and then UKIP. Could Bingley be back on Thurrock under a different party banner?
Nigel Farage's party need just six more seats to take control of Essex County Council.
A total of 40 seats is needed to take majority control, and Reform UK have currently reached 34 with the election of several more councillors in seats in Basildon and Epping Forest.
Charlotte Rose
Senior reporter
Candidates in Colchester share a joke while waiting for the results overnight
Reform UK has won five seats at Colchester City Council saying voters feel "frustrated" and voted for "change", but the council remains in no overall control.
There was disappointment for Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives who all lost councillors, while the Greens held the seat they were defending.
The authority was previously run by a Lib Dem-Labour coalition, although the Conservatives had the largest number of seats on the 51-member council.
Following yesterday's vote with the results all in, the position is:
Simon Dedman
BBC Essex political reporter
Image source, PA Media"This is our home, and we are going to defend it," Kemi Badenoch exclaimed to cheers from activists at a Conservative event in Hutton, Brentwood at the beginning of the campaign.
She ended by on a campaign stall herself in Billericay.
Essex was the political home of Winston Churchill (pictured) during World War Two when he was Prime Minister.
Today the county is home to six members of the Conservative shadow cabinet - some like Sir James Cleverly and Dame Priti Patel have held the highest offices of the state - both as home secretary - and Cleverly was also foreign secretary. Alex Burghart, Richard Holden and Rebecca Harris are also in the shadow cabinet.
Essex is at the heart of the Conservative Party. But will the Tories be in the hearts and minds of voters?
Lose the county council and this will be a deep blow for the party that is trying to rebuild after its worst general election defeat two years ago.
Image source, PA MediaIt's been a significant night for Reform UK, which has gained lots of seats in Essex.
Nigel Farage’s party has taken seats from Labour, the Conservatives and Independents and could now be involved in running councils.
When it comes to Essex County Council, 43 seats have been declared so far and Reform has won 28 of those, with the Conservatives taking eight.
In order to have a majority on the county council, the magic number a party needs is 40 - and we have 35 seats still to come.
Gabby Colenso
at the Southend count
Reform UK has made gains on Southend-on-Sea City Council, as Labour and the Conservatives lost seats.
The council remains under no overall control, with Labour still the largest party. Reform has gained eight councillors giving them 11, which matches the Conservatives' total.
Opponents say Reform’s success has been driven by national issues rather than local priorities.
The leader of the council, Labour’s Daniel Cowan (pictured), told us there had been "no talk of local services" during the campaign.
"That really concerns me," he says. "People have been elected on a national message, but nobody knows what their local mandate is.
"These elections are about local services, not national politics."
Charlotte Rose
Senior Reporter
Reform campaigners celebrate their success at the expense of traditional parties
Reform UK has gained five seats on Colchester City Council, taking two seats from each of Labour and the Lib Dems and one seat from the Conservatives.
In total, 17 seats (a third of the seats on the council) were up for grabs and turnout was higher than in previous years at 41%.
Newly elected Reform councillor Daryl Swain, who won a seat in the former Labour stronghold of Greenstead, said people told him they were "fed up with the Labour government" and "potholes" were a top priority.
The Greens held on to the one seat they were defending, with the party putting the increase in its vote down to enthusiasm from young voters, in a city with a student population of abound 10,000, external.
Green Party group leader Kemal Cufoglu said people supported a "message of hope", and that local party membership had "tripled" since last summer.
But it was a tough night for the established parties. Labour councillor Julie Young said people were "frustrated" and feeling "life is really hard at the moment".
Simon Dedman
BBC Essex political reporter
Which party will run one of the largest councils in England? Whoever is in charge at Essex County Council will control a budget that spends £1.3bn on services for about 1.5 million people.
They will oversee social care and children’s services, be responsible for fixing potholes and running libraries, oversee bus routes, deal with waste and focus on infrastructure.
Running the bread and butter services of our daily lives is what the parties have been vying for.
But running the county council provides a big political platform - to project themselves, have sway and influence over local services and get their views amplified across Essex and noticed beyond.
All seats are up for grabs, which usually happens every four years.
The last elections were in 2021, when the Conservatives had a huge majority of councillors:
Good morning, and welcome to our live updates page taking you through local election results in Essex.
We've had a large number of results overnight, with more coming in through on Friday, so stay with us for the latest.
We'll keep you across what's been happening, plus we'll have some analysis and interviews with winners and losers, as well as key moments of the results so far.
There are elections for Essex County Council, the two unitary councils in Southend and Thurrock, and at six district councils.