The Conservatives have gained control of Warwickshire, Lincolnshire and Gloucestershire as votes are counted in local and mayoral elections.
The party has also retained control of Essex, Hampshire and Dorset while UKIP has suffered losses.
A total of 4,851 council seats are up for grabs in 88 councils - all of those in Scotland and Wales and 34 in England five weeks before the general election.
Ros Jones, the Labour mayor of Doncaster, has been re-elected after getting just over 50% of votes. She told the BBC the election had been about "local issues" and her result was an acknowledgement of the work her team had done over the last four years.
Counting is under way in some councils in Wales and England and in the West of England "metro mayor" election.
Local and mayoral elections: Conservatives make early gains - BBC News