Rumours are circulating of potential gains for the Labour Party in Brighton and Hove, particularly in solidly Green city centre wards.

While the official results are yet to be announced, turnout figures have revealed a disappointing decline from the 2019 elections, with only 40.8% of residents voting this year.

You can hear about all the latest action from the count at the Brighton Centre on our election live blog here.

The Conservative Party has suffered losses across England, losing more than 250 councillors and ten councils including Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent, and Medway.

Fittleworth and Petworth, a historically Tory ward in Sussex, has already flipped to yellow, indicating that the Liberal Democrats could be challenging the Tories for control of the council.

Meanwhile, a source in Brighton and Hove has revealed that the Green Party has lost in the new Kemptown ward.

The Argus: The count at Brighton Centre this morningThe count at Brighton Centre this morning (Image: Newsquest)

Labour sources are confident of a good result in Brunswick and Adelaide, which is currently home to the current Green-led council leader Phelim Mac Cafferty and deputy leader Hannah Allbrooke.

Politics researcher James Prentice has highlighted several key battleground wards in Brighton and Hove, with the Green Party looking to make gains from Labour in Central Hove, Goldsmid, and Queen’s Park while defending seats in Hanover and Elm Grove.

Labour, following their recent by-election victories in Wish and Rottingdean Coastal, will be looking to gain seats from the Conservatives in Hangleton and Knoll, Wish, and Woodingdean.

Reports have been swirling throughout the morning of potential recounts, with candidates outlining a strong Labour performance in several wards.

Rumours of a possible recount have surfaced for the strongly Green ward of Regency, previously held by husband-and-wife councillors Tom Druitt and Alex Philips.

Though the count has begun at the Brighton Centre, the first results are not expected until the early afternoon.

This year's local elections in Brighton and Hove were the first to be contested with new council wards after the Local Government Boundary Commission drew up new boundaries.

Although the city kept the same number of councillors, several new wards were created, including Kemptown, Round Hill, Whitehawk and Marina, and Westdene and Hove Park.