Labour loses control of Glasgow City Council for the first time in 40 years

The party has already lost all of its MPs in its traditional stronghold city

Electoral agents at the local election count in Glasgow's Emirates Arena (Getty Images)

Labour has lost overall control of its traditional stronghold on Glasgow City Council for the first time in nearly 40 years.

With counting still underway Labour has now lost enough seats that it is not mathematically possible for it to win a majority.

It remains to be seen whether the Scottish National Party will win control of the council or whether it will fall under no overall control. If the SNP do win a majority of seats it will be the first time another party has won control of the city's government since 1969.

Labour last lost control of the city between 1977 and 1980, when it was under no overall control.

The loss follows the party losing all its MPs in the city at the 2015 general election, with the SNP sweeping the board there.

The SNP also won all the constituency seats in the city at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, with Labour taking four of the additional regional seats.

Counting in the local council elections, with are conducted under the Single Transferable Vote system of proportional representation, began on Friday morning after voting on Thursday.

Labour has struggled badly in Scotland since the 2014 independence referendum, losing all but one of its once safe seats at the 2015 general election. It was replaced as the second largest party at the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections by the Conservatives.

The party has had a weak night across the UK in the local elections so far, losing ground in Lincolnshire, Cumbria and Warwickshire and parts of Wales.