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The ABC television network and Disney-owned entertainment channels have seen dramatic audience defections as consumers switch to streaming services, including Netflix, Paramount+ and Disney+.

In the same time period, Reform have gained 19 new councillors, both through defections and by-elections, although they have also lost five.

Many are noting that in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election the Conservative vote more than halved, at least partly due to defections to Labour to stop Reform.

Before Thursday's elections it only held around 100 council seats, mainly as a result of defections from other parties.

At the time of his work as a double agent, his defection was hailed by then Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe as "a very substantial coup for our security forces".