Street and his labour rival, richard parker. Votes rechecked, a recount in coventry and this result in the last hour or so. The number of votes recorded for each. Weve waited all day for this moment. Its happening now. The result. And i do hereby declare that richard parker. Cheering this is the most important thing i will ever do. This week, people here voted for the person and the party. | they recognise that a labour mayor can make a positive. Difference in this region. So where do i go . A winner and a loser and the finest of margins. Mr street, commiserations. What do you put your loss down to . Very straightforward, chris, isnt it . We didnt persuade enough people across the West Midlands of our record and our plans for the future to give them confidence to go and vote on thursday. Ive always said it was my campaign and we didnt get over the line. Bluntly, is rishi sunak to blame . No, this was my campaign. Idid it. The famous words. I did it my way, and it was always going to be like that. And in the end it wasnt quite enough. But ill tell you what, it was bloody close excuse my language and no one would have expected that. To be clear, do you want rishi sunak to lead the conservatives into the General Election . Yes, there is. It would be complete madness to have another moment of introspection. Khan, sadiq labour party. Elsewhere, labours sadiq khan has won again in london. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, london. Its the honour of my life to serve the city that i love. Therefore, i declare that andy burnham is duly. Elected as the mayor of the Greater Manchester combined authority. There was another Labour Victory in Greater Manchester. It has been hard to keep Greater Manchester moving forward when the country has been going backwards, but we have managed it, and our economy is growing faster than the uks. Labour also won in liverpool, salford, South Yorkshire and west yorkshire. But the eye catching result today is in the West Midlands. Chris mason, bbc news in birmingham. Well, lets now take a closer look at all the results almost all of them are now in and find out what they tell us about the state of the parties� fortunes as we approach a General Election. Heres nick eardley. As you can see, its a real knife edge. As you can see, its a real knife edae. , as you can see, its a real knife edie,� , i1 i as you can see, its a real knife edae. , . , as you can see, its a real knife edae. M11 . , edge. Just 1500 votes between the labour victor edge. Just 1500 votes between the labour victor and edge. Just 1500 votes between the labour victor and andy edge. Just 1500 votes between the labour victor and andy street edge. Just 1500 votes between the labour victor and Andy Street For L Labour Victor and andy street for the conservatives, despite the fact that more than half a million votes were cast. In terms of percentages, this is how it shakes out, 37. 8 and 37. 5. Note the 12 , that this is how it shakes out, 37. 8 and 37. 5. Note the i2 , that was an independent candidate, critical of labours policy on the war in gaza, and despite that labour did manage tojust make it and despite that labour did manage to just make it through. And despite that labour did manage tojust make it through. Let and despite that labour did manage to just make it through. Let me show you on the next slide how things have changed. The labour vote is actually down a wee bit. The conservative vote is down so much, ii , that conservative vote is down so much, ii , that has allowed labour to take the West Midlands, and finally let me just the West Midlands, and finally let mejust quickly show the West Midlands, and finally let me just quickly show you the swing that we got there, 4. 6 from the conservatives to labour, enough to get them over the line. It wasnt just the West Midlands, though. As we were just hearing from chris, london today as well. Sadiq khan being returned for a third term, the margin there was a lot bigger, 275,000 votes in it in the end, and this is why. Let me show you the swing quickly. Its a big one, 3. 2 conservative to labour, and that matters because the conservatives were hoping to close the gap with labour in london, but the opposite has happened. As you can see there. Across the country, across england, we have now got a pretty good picture. 106 of 107 councils have declared, and here is how it looks. Labour up 185, a good result for them. The conservatives down 473, theyve lost almost half of all the seats they were defending on thursday. Thats a really bad result. As you can see, the lib dems on thursdays results have just overtaken them. It is worth pointing out down here as well the greens are up out down here as well the greens are up 74. And finally this, this is what they will study in the Party Headquarters and what it might mean for a General Election. Look at that. Conservative vote right down, 12 . The lib dem up 2 , the greens up 12 . The lib dem up 2 , the greens up too, but they will be quenching where the 3 is. They sound confident that it is in the right places, the places they need to win if they are going to win a General Election. The results have seen the conservatives suffer their worst local Election Results in 40 years. The latest Council Results all but one of which have now been declared, show that the tories have been pushed into third place. So where does this all leave the conservatives and rishi sunak . Chris mason explains more. They knew these results in the round were going to be difficult, but they pointed in advance to what they hoped would be some rare beams of light in the gloomiest of political scenes, and one of them they hoped was here. So psychologically this matters, even if it was always going to be a tall order given the National Trends for andy street to hang on here. Contrast that with labour. You will not be surprised that keir starmer is wearing a broad smile, and you wont be surprised either that he has been here in birmingham. 50 either that he has been here in birmingham either that he has been here in birminuham. ,. ,. , birmingham. So the message out of these elections, birmingham. So the message out of these elections, the birmingham. So the message out of these elections, the last birmingham. So the message out of these elections, the last elections i these elections, the last elections now, the last stop before we go into that General Election, is the country wants change. I hope the Prime Minister is listening and gives the opportunity to the country to vote as a whole in a General Election as soon as possible. The least surprising thing you will hear tonight is a leader of the opposition calling for a General Election. They always do. Little wonder keir starmer would do that in the light of the last couple of days. Ijust wonder given the light of the last couple of days. I just wonder given what we have seen in the last couple of days, coupled with the fact that conservative mps as things stand dont seem to have the appetite to bring the Prime Minister down that the prospect of a General Election in the coming weeks has perhaps receded. It of perhaps more likely to come now i suspect in the autumn. Lets turn tensions to the east now. Efforts are intensifying to secure a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in gaza as the Israel Hamas War approaches the seven month mark. A delegation of hamas negotiators arrived in cairo on saturday. Cia director William Burns is also in the egyptian capital to mediate. The talks are reported to have ended for the day, with a senior hamas official telling the Afp News Agency there have been no developments. Lets take a look at where things stand. The main Sticking Point is whether a Ceasefire Deal will be permanent or temporary. A hamas official says the group will not agree to a truce that does not fully end the gaza war. Israel is reluctant to agree to this. Israeli forces remain active in gaza. Mediators have been waiting for hamas to respond to an israeli proposal to halt the fighting for 40 days, and to exchange hostages for palestinian prisoners. But even if a deal is reached, israeli prme minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists there will be a fresh Military Offensive in rafah. There has been Widespread International concern that an Israeli Ground operation could endanger more than1 million palestinians sheltering there. Our correspondent anna foster is injerusalem has the latest on where negotiations stand. Were at that point in proceedings where through the afternoon ive been watching in the Regional Media various briefings, everything from saying that we are on the verge of an agreement of a framework of an agreement, everything through to no, israel say they will not agree to a ceasefire that will permanently end the war. I think the key thing to remember at this point in time is this is the moment where we hear these various briefings, we hear Different Things from different sides, but until we get some sort of official word potentially from the egyptian mediators who are actually in charge of these talks in cairo, really all of that is just background noise. What we do know is that one of the key Sticking Points is that idea of a permanent ceasefire. We know that is a key part of what hamas is asking for out of this deal. The idea that there would be an eventual end to this war rather than just a temporary ceasefire while that exchange goes on. We know that israel equally say that without a Ground Offensive in rafah, which Benjamin Netanyahu, the israeli Prime Minister, has been talking about for months, they say they cant conclude their Military Operation, they cant deliver on that promise of fully removing hamas from gaza. In fact they are saying in the last few days that even if there is a deal, that Military Operation will still go ahead. So at the moment there is a lot going on behind closed doors, a lot of rumour and speculation and conjecture. But in concrete terms, right now we are no further forward. Bbc arabic� s Abdelbassir Hassan has also been following negotiations and has the latest from cairo. We couldnt hear anything from the talks in cairo which have started already earlier today. Hamas are taking it serious at this time as well, and a statement from, or remarks made to reuters by the hamas leader today admits some complications on the scene here in cairo, because they have said that they are coming with their basic demands of a full cessation of the war, a full and complete withdrawal of the israeli troops from gaza and full access to the north of the strip as well as free movement, which seemingly had election from the israeli side, and the media quoted a diplomatic official from israel saying they will not stop the offensive Against Rafah as long as hamas is demanding an end to the war. This led benny gantz, the cabinet war official, to urge israel to exercise restraint because they didnt get any clear answer from hamas so far. Joining me to discuss the negotiations is frank lowenstein, former us special envoy for Israeli Palestinian negotiations and Senior Advisor to the secretary of state. The main Sticking Point seems to be whether a Ceasefire Deal would be permanent or temporary why is that such a hold up . How optimistic are you that we could see a Ceasefire Deal . We how optimistic are you that we could see a Ceasefire Deal . See a Ceasefire Deal . We have seen encouraging see a Ceasefire Deal . We have seen encouraging signs see a Ceasefire Deal . We have seen encouraging signs in see a Ceasefire Deal . We have seen encouraging signs in the see a Ceasefire Deal . We have seen encouraging signs in the past see a Ceasefire Deal . We have seen encouraging signs in the past day i see a Ceasefire Deal . We have seen j encouraging signs in the past day or two from hamas. Previously rejected the proposal outright, and now they are viewing it with positivity, so thatis are viewing it with positivity, so that is encouraging. But as your correspondent pointed out, it is far from clear that this has resulted in a way of whether the ceasefire is going to be permanent or not. Netanyahu is saying that they will do rafah no matter what. It is really unclear whether they have reached a meeting of the mines on that, or alternatively whether hamas is just posturing here. That, or alternatively whether Hamas Isjust Posturing here. Haifa that, or alternatively whether Hamas Isjust Posturing here. Isjust posturing here. How much do ou Think Isjust Posturing here. How much do you think that isjust posturing here. How much do you think that ground isjust posturing here. How much do you think that Ground Invasion isjust posturing here. How much do you think that Ground Invasion of. You think that Ground Invasion of rafah that is likely to go ahead according to Benjamin Netanyahu, how much is that hanging over this, how likely is it to go ahead . I much is that hanging over this, how likely is it to go ahead . Likely is it to go ahead . I think it is definitely likely is it to go ahead . I think it is definitely hanging likely is it to go ahead . I think it is definitely hanging over likely is it to go ahead . I think it is definitely hanging over this i is definitely hanging over this because from a United States perspective, that would result in far more than casualties which obviously they want to avoid, but the Biden Administration are saying that this could become another vietnam for him, and they want to have a ceasefire as far as possible. I think we are doing everything we can to get the parties there, but whether we will succeed or not is an Open Question. Haifa whether we will succeed or not is an Open Question whether we will succeed or not is an Open Question. How much urgency is that on the part Open Question. How much urgency is that on the part of Open Question. How much urgency is that on the part of both Open Question. How much urgency is that on the part of both hamas Open Question. How much urgency is that on the part of both hamas and i that on the part of both hamas and israel, and of course there is domestic pressure tone for Prime Minister netanyahu to get hostages home, but this has dragged on for many months. Is there enough for either side to really push for a deal, to really make some sort of concession . Deal, to really make some sort of concession . ,. ,. , concession . That is a good question. What im concerned concession . That is a good question. What im concerned about concession . That is a good question. What im concerned about is concession . That is a good question. What im concerned about is that concession . That is a good question. What im concerned about is that we | what im concerned about is that we care about this more than either of the parties do, and in 2014 when we were negotiating a ceasefire, we pushed hard for the parties to agree to something they didnt want to agree to, and the ceasefire fell apart quickly, so the concern here is that if both sides feel forced to do some who didnt otherwise want to do, it may not last, and that is a concern for the Biden Administration, if the sides are not really in a place where they want to try to get this result. For their own domestic political reasons, how must think they are winning the war and they dont mind having thousands of Palestinian Civilians slaughtered to advance their aims, and i think netanyahu has concerns of his own, so neither side really wants this. Lets talk about what is going on in the us right now. I