Local Council Election Decided By Straw Draw After Tie

5 May 2017, 12:38 | Updated: 5 May 2017, 13:11

Election tie

The Conservatives have been denied a majority in Northumberland - because one council was decided by a drawing of lots following a tie.

The Tories were on the brink of securing a majority on the council, which has been controlled by Labour almost entirely since the 1980s.

The 67-seat North East council, in a former mining area, would have represented a huge coup for the Tories as Theresa May seeks to make inroads into Labour's northern heartlands.

The Conservatives needed to win the final coucil, South Blyth, to get a majority

However, it finished in a tie with the Liberal Democrats, meaning the result came down to a straw draw. The Tories lost the draw leaving no party with an overall majority on the council.

This is the moment that happened.

The final result left the Conservatives on 33 seats, Labour on 24, independents on seven and Liberal Democrats on three.