The results provided some source of comfort to the Labour Party, who recovered some lost ground from local election reversals in previous years, despite losing the general election to the Conservative Party on the same day.

Labour gained 766 seats, bringing their number of councillors to 7,410.

The Liberal Party gained 136 seats and finished with 1,059 councillors.

Changes in council control were as follows; Labour gain from no overall control: Bassetlaw, Carlisle, Hartlepool, Newcastle-under-Lyme, South Tyneside Labour gain from Conservative: Barrow-in-Furness, Coventry, Derby, Ipswich, Nottingham, Sandwell, Tameside, Welwyn Hatfield Labour lose to no overall control: Thurrock Conservative lose to no overall control: Birmingham, Cambridge, Cheltenham, Kirklees, Leeds, Pendle, Rochdale, Rugby, Warrington, Wyre Forest Conservative gain from no overall control: Adur, Stratford-on-Avon Conservative gain from Independent: Hart Conservative gain from Democratic Labour: Lincoln Liberal gain from no overall control: Medina Independent lose to no overall control: South Lakeland, West Lindsey In 6 metropolitan boroughs the whole council was up for election.

‡ New ward boundaries 30 metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.