Northern Ireland politicians will have been watching with interest today as PM Gordon Brown has been thrashed - and maybe even 'trashed' in the local elections.

He has already admitted the results are "bad and disappointing" for Labour, as the party suffers its worst local election results in almost half a century - and Ulster MPs will be looking to press home their advantage in the coming weeks.

Parties - such as the DUP - will be hoping to wring concessions on various issues from Brown - who looks certain to be also struggling to keep control at Westminster too, having been trounced in the local council polls.

He's going to need all the support he can get - however it may be won - as, by early evening on Friday with 153 councils declared, Labour had lost a crippling 297 councillors as well as key councils such as Reading.

The Conservatives made unprecedented gains under Mr Cameron with 243 more conservative councillors and winning control of 64 from 159 available councils, while the Liberal Democrats' under Nick Clegg has earned an extra 31 extra council seats in his early leadership of the country’s third largest party.

The results are Mr Brown's first litmus test of his premiership, and already the knives are sharpening within his party.

Mr Brown said he would "listen and lead", acknowledging the results will be a major blow to his popularity within the Labour party, if not the country. In early statements, the prime minister has blamed the economic downturn as the principle cause for the electoral defeat.

In other results, the British National Party has picked up an extra 11 seats while George Galloway's Respect party gained another councillor for his party in London. The green party also picked up an extra five seats extending their total to 38 councillors.

The PM's embarrassment was further compounded as it was confirmed on Friday that the newly elected party general secretary has quit before he even took up his post.

The national executive elected David Pitt-Watson as General Secretary in March, following an intense battle and lobbying by Downing Street in his favour.

As the walls seem to come crumbling down around Mr Brown's infant premiership, some commentators have pointed out Mr Brown should have listened to the voters’ disgruntlement at the abolition of the 10p tax rate to the detriment of low-income families in times of increasing food prices, and learn from the ongoing electoral mauling proving prudence is a risky pretence for policy.

(DW)(BMcC)