'Challenging' night ahead for Labour as polls close in local elections

Labour was bracing itself for a “challenging” night on Thursday, as polls closed in local and mayoral elections across England, Scotland and Wales, with just five weeks to go before the 8 June general election.Senior Labour sources were playing down expectations, warning that they could be set to lose council seats, particularly in Scotland and Wales, and claiming that 2013 – when these seats were last contested – saw a strong performance for the party, then led by Ed Mil