So, those final figures in England look like this:
Conservatives: A bruising night for the party, which ended up losing control of nearly a third of the councils it had. It came out with 93 (down 45). In the process, it saw net losses of 1,269 seats. Labour: On the face of it, the numbers don’t look as bad. But Labour had hoped to make ground, not lose it. The party saw a net loss of six councils, ending up controlling 60,and had a net loss of 63 seats along the way. Lib Dems: The biggest winners. The Lib Dems managed net gains of 11 councils – leaving them in control of 18 – and 676 councillors. Greens: While they didn’t take control of any councils, it was nevertheless a day of progress. They made net gains of 185 seats across England. Ukip: The party’s regression continued and, with the Brexit Party not fielding candidates, Ukip’s lack of progress may confound some the more simplistic analyses that rely solely on Brexiter anger to explain the main parties’ difficulties. Ukip saw a net loss of 36 seats. Others: The various other parties, including independent candidates, ended up in control of six councils between them – a net increase of four – and saw net gains of 285 seats. No overall control: In all, 71 councils ended up with no party able to take overall control; an increase of 36.
These figures represent changes calculated from the dissolution of the relevant council."
Everyone on the radio and TV spun the same story - both parties lost seats although worse for the Tories - an outrageous collection of reports. The main loser was Tory 43 ( graun) or 44(wiki) councils lost; the main gainer was "No Overall Control" increased by 36 councils.