Labour is failing to make progress in the West Midlands towns and boroughs where it needs to succeed in order to win the next general election, an MP has warned.
Steve McCabe, Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak, said the party had to end its internal battles and “start listening to the people we seek to represent.”
He was speaking after Labour became the first main opposition party to lose council seats for more than 30 years - although it continues to control twice as many councils as the Conservatives.
Conservatives also failed to make gains compared to the last set of council elections in 2012, when the party did badly.
It was a good day for Labour in Birmingham, where the party gained two council seats, leaving it with two thirds of the 120 seats on the authority.
MORE: Birmingham council election results 2016
But the party either failed to make progress or suffered small losses in many of the key West Midlands towns and boroughs which have marginal Parliamentary constituencies.
With counting completed in 80 out of 124 seats, Labour had lost overall control of one local authority - Dudley - and suffered a net loss of 24 council seats.
Conservatives had gained five council seats. Tories lost control of Worcester City Council but gained control of Peterborough.
Liberal Democrats had gained eight seats.
Mr McCabe said: “Where we have already been doing quite well, and Birmingham is a good example, we have continued in that vein.
“But if you are thinking about where Labour needs to start winning in order to be general election winners, there is no evidence we are making headway in the areas where we have to reach beyond our current base, and that is a problem for us.”
Walsall North Labour MP David Winnick said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn should consider resigning for the good of the party.
He told the Press Assocation: "Although there is speculation about a possible coup in the Parliamentary Labour Party, I don't think that is the best option.
"The party faces a crisis and the onus is on Jeremy himself. He should decide whether his leadership is helping or hindering the party.
"I think all the evidence shows that it is not helping."
West Midland councils with marginal Parliamentary seats include:
Dudley
Labour lost overall control of Dudley, losing three seats while the Conservatives gained four.
MORE: Dudley council election results 2016
Cannock Chase
Labour retained control of Cannock Chase District Council with 21 seats, but suffered a net loss of one seat.
MORE: Cannock Chase council election results 2016
Redditch
Labour also continues to run Redditch, after no seats changed hands. The party has a majority of just one councillor on the council, but will be pleased to have retained it.
MORE: Redditch council election results 2016
Tamworth
Conservatives held on to Tamworth, gaining two seats while Labour lost three.
MORE: Tamworth council election results 2016
Nuneaton and Bedworth
Labour retained control of Nuneaton and Bedworth Council but the party lost three seats and the Conservatives gained three.
Labour could take a share of control in Walsall and Worcester
Labour may be cheered by the propsect of taking control of Walsall in partnership with the Liberal Democrats, despite making a modest net gain of just one council seat.
No party is in overall control of Walsall, which has been run by the Tories with support from UKIP and independents since last June. But Walsall’s Labour group leader Sean Coughlan said he now planned to meet with the Lib Dems to make arrangements to run the council.
And Labour could potentially take control of Worcester in partnership with the Green Party.
Worcester had been run by the Conservatives, but Tories lost their majority having lost two council seats, placing the council under no overall control. Labour gained one seat.
MORE: Walsall council election results 2016
How Labour MPs responded
Birmingham MP Richard Burden (Lab Northfield) said the results were not a verdict on party leader Jeremy Corbyn. He said: “That would be a very superficial analysis”.
But Wolverhampton MP Emma Reynolds (Lab Wolverhampton North East) said the party had “a lot of work to do” to reach out to voters who don’t already support it.
She said of Mr Corbyn: “I respect the fact that he is our leader. But he now has a responsibility to make sure that we aren’t just content with keeping our core vote.”
Mr Corbyn’s supporters insisted the party had gained ground compared to the 2015 General Election, which Labour lost. However, his critics point out that opposition parties usually do much better than the national governing party in local elections.
Mr Corbyn insisted his party did better than expected.
He said: “Across England we had predictions we’d lose councils. We didn’t. We hung on”.
And his allies moved to try to put an end to speculation about his leadership.
Labour’s Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said Labour MPs should “Get behind the democratically elected leader or shut up”, comments echoed by Shadow Local Government Secretary Jon Trickett.
Deputy Labour Leader Tom Watson calls for calm
Watch: Black Country MP and Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson tells Labour MPs to get behind Jeremy Corbyn
Black Country MP Tom Watson, Labour’s Deputy Leader and MP for West Bromwich East, said party leader Jeremy Corbyn should not be judged on the results this year’s elections.
He said: “I think even our opponents who are not members of the Labour Party, would say that after eight months it would be very unfair and improper actually to hang this set of election results on Jeremy Corbyn’s peg alone.”
Disaster for Labour in Scotland
Labour suffered a disastrous night in Scotland, where it came third behind the SNP and Conservatives in elections for the Scottish Parliament.
There were signs that support for the SNP is beginning to falter, as the party lost six Scottish Parliament seats and no longer has a majority, although it continues to be by far the largest party.
Conservatives gained 16 seats in Scotland, a result which many credited to their charismatic Scottish leader, Ruth Davidson.
Labour continued to be the largest party in Wales with 29 seats in the Welsh Assembly, just short of a majority.
Senior Labour figure Andy Burnham may quit Parliament
Andy Burnham, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, revealed he was considering standing for the post of mayor of Greater Manchester, when an election is held next year.
If he was to win, it would mean standing down as an MP - and giving up the chance to become Home Secretary.
Mr Burnham has twice stood unsucesfully for the post of Labour leader, which may have prompted him to consider opportunities outside Parliament. Howver, it also suggests he considers it unlikely that Labour will win the next general election and form a government.
Tory fury over London mayoral campaign
But there was also anger within the Conservative Party over the party’s controversial campaign in the London mayoral election, which polls suggest Labour is on course to win.
Tories labelled Labour candidate Sadiq Kahn “extremist”, in what Labour said was an attempt to smear him because he is a Muslim.
Andrew Boff, leader of the Conservative group in the London Assembly, condemned his own party’s campaign in an interview on BBC2’s Newsnight.
