Prospective parliamentary candidate Gillian Troughton loses Cumbria seat

Image source, Reuters

Image caption, Gillian Troughton lost her seat on the Howgate ward

A prospective parliamentary candidate lost her seat on Cumbria County Council as the Tories gained at the expense of Labour.

Gillian Troughton, who contested the Howgate ward for Labour, is due to stand to be Copeland's MP next month after losing a by-election in February.

The Conservative Party is now the largest group on the county council, but no party has overall control.

Labour's Stewart Young said the council result was "a real disappointment".

Election 2017: Full results from across England

The Tories gained 12 seats compared to their 2013 election performance, giving them a total of 37 of the council's 84 wards - six short of an overall majority.

Image caption, The Conservatives gained 12 seats, mostly at the expense of Labour

Most of the gains were from Labour, which now has 26 seats, while the Liberal Democrats have 16 and Independents five.

New party leaders will be elected on Monday before talks to form an administration

Mr Young, leader of the Labour group on the council, said: "It is a real disappointment. Labour has lost a lot of good people."

In February, Ms Troughton lost to Conservative Trudy Harrison, who overturned a Labour majority of more than 2,564 to take the Westminster seat in a by-election triggered by the resignation of the sitting Labour MP Jamie Reed.