Labour has lost three council by-elections in a fresh blow to Sir Keir Starmer.

Van in Caerphilly went to Plaid Cymru with Labour's vote share plummeting by 28% to 26.8%, while the Welsh nationalist party was on 43.3% and Nigel Farage's Reform UK on 28.5%.

Meanwhile, Zetland in Redcar and Cleveland went to the Lib Dems with Labour dropping 25%, and Stoneygate in Leicester to the Greens with Labour down 12.8%.

The Green Party's Aasiya Bora, who was elected to Leicester City Council, described the win as "breathtaking".

It comes ahead of the crunch parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton next week.

Labour is trying to hold on to the seat amid a challenge from the Greens on the Left and Reform UK on the Right.

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