Local election results: Lib Dems manage to increase votes and do less badly than Labour

The party still managed to hand over seats to the Tories, like everyone else

(Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The Liberal Democrats have managed to cling onto more seats than Labour in England.

The party has managed to increase its vote share and hold on to many of its seats. But it is still suffering at the hands of the Conservatives and may struggle to get a substantial number of seats in next month's general election.

With full results from 17 of the 88 councils holding elections declared, the party had 111 councillors. That was a net loss of nine – far fewer than the net 58 seats that Labour lost during the vote.

Almost all of those seats – as well as many from Ukip – have been handed to the Conservatives. They had had 429 councillors, a net gain of 109.

Lib Dem former business secretary Sir Vince Cable called the night "neutral" for his party.

He said the party's overall vote share had increased significantly, while it had also made progress in areas like Cheltenham and Eastleigh, where it hoped to gain back MPs at next month's General Election.

"We're in a relatively encouraging position, though there hasn't been a spectacular breakthrough," he said.