Labour on course to control new authority

1:21am Friday 2nd May 2008

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LABOUR is on course to take control of the new County Durham unitary authority, with the Liberal Democrats and Independents making a reasonable showing.

The British National Party has in a couple of divisions - notably Tudhoe and Chilton - polled heavily, but has not won a seat.

With 47 of the 63 divisions declared, Labour was just nine seats short of winning overall control of the new council which is in diehard Labour heartland.

Turnout appears to have been remarkably high.

The Lib Dems have done particularly well in Durham City, where they run the district council. They have won 15 of their 19 seats in Durham City.

In other areas of the county, Independents are proving the main opposition to Labour, particularly in Derwentside and Newton Aycliffe.

The Conservatives have won just three seats and have yet to make signs of progress in an area which gave Labour of its first ever council in 1919.

However, in Sunderland the Tories have gained six seats from Labour to give David Cameron renewed belief that his party can make gains in the North-East.