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LABOUR last night appeared to have a fight on its hands as it battled to retain control of Durham County Council.

The party has dominated politics in Durham since it first won control of the county in 1919, but all the indications were that its majority on the authority was likely to be cut in last nights election.

At the last county election, in 2005, Labour won 53 seats, ahead of the Lib Dems on five, the independents on three and the Tories on two C leaving Labour with a commanding 43-seat majority.

This time, two county councillors will be elected in each division to create a 126-member authority, which will become a new unitary authority next year.

Labour insiders seemed confident last night that they would ease past the 64-seat winning post, but there was a growing feeling that the partys big majority would be dramatically cut, and even speculation in more optimistic opposition circles that the authority could move to no overall control.

The independents were hopeful of emerging as the main opposition grouping, and were expecting to win seats in Derwentside, Teesdale and Wear Valley.

The other two main parties By Tony Kearney tony.kearney@nne.co.uk were hoping to break out of their political ghettos. The Liberal Democrats, whose five seats are all in Durham City, where the party has run the city council since 2003, were targeting seats across the county, but particularly in Easington, Wear Valley and Derwentside.

The Tories held only two seats going into yesterdays election C both of them in Teesdale C but were hopeful of picking up seats in traditional Labour heartlands, including the likes of Seaham and Chester-le-Street.

However, many eyes will be on Sedgefield, where the British National Party harboured hopes of taking its first seat, with Chilton looking the most vulnerable.

In all, the BNP was fielding 30 candidates across the county, including 18 in Sedgefield and eight in Durham City.

ö For full results and reaction to the elections, see The Northern Echo tomorrow.

8:12am Friday 2nd May 2008

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