Elections latest: Tory MP lashes out at own leadership as Labour takes key seat of Plymouth

'I think across the country, clearly, it's not been a good night for Labour, but certainly challenging down here'

Plymouth council has been seized by Labour from the Conservatives, leading to one Tory MP criticising his own party’s leadership over defence spending cuts.

As results filtered in the early hours of Friday morning in the local elections, Labour gained four wards from the Conservatives, giving Jeremy Corbyn’s party a majority on the council.

But Johnny Mercer, a former soldier and Tory MP for Plymouth Moor View MP, lashed out at the government’s approach to defence, suggesting it had contributed to the party losing the city’s council.

"We've lost control of the council,” he told BBC News. “I think across the country, clearly, it's not been a good night for Labour, but certainly challenging down here."

Mr Mercer added that on the doorstep, voters believed the military was reducing under the Conservative government .

"It's pretty clear to me the biggest factor in this city is defence," he said. "It always has been."

He added: "I've made very public my concerns around the handling of defence at the moment and what the vision is."

But welcoming the victory, the new council leader, Tudor Evans, said Labour would bring change to city, adding: “This is a triumph for Plymouth.”

Earlier on Friday, Theresa May’s party also lost control of one of its flagship councils in the north-west as Trafford fell to no overall control following a sustained assault by Labour activists in recent weeks.

The Liberal Democrats also gained control of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames from the Conservatives after winning at least 30 of the 54 seats.

Soon after the victory became apparent, the party tweeted: "Fantastic news that we have gained control of Richmond Council and held control in Cheltenham, Sutton and Eastleigh!"