Labour leader Ed Miliband comments on 2011’s elections in England, Scotland and Wales:

“I think the results we’ve seen in English local government up and down this country are sending a clear message to this government, and the Liberal Democrats in particular: that there needs to be a clear change of direction on living standards, on the NHS, on tuition fees and going too far and too fast on the deficit.

“I hope the government takes heed of that. I’m pleased Labour has won councils in Gravesham in the south and Sheffield in the north and we have our highest share of the vote in a decade. But I know we’ve got further progress to make.

“I’m disappointed by the results in Scotland and we’ll have to learn our own lessons about what the public are saying there.”