LABOUR turfed the Tories out of three London councils yesterday as Ed Miliband’s party claimed 1,200 more seats than Ukip. 

Twelve years of Tory rule at Hammersmith and Fulham was ended as voters gave 11 Conservatives the boot in favour of Labour candidates. 

Tony Benn’s granddaughter Emily Benn was among Labour reps celebrating after turning a Tory majority of four in a Labour majority of 10. 

A Con-Dem coalition at Redbridge Council collapsed under Labour gains in a taster of what could come at next year’s general election and Labour claimed Merton council from no overall control. 

They were among four of the five councils and hundreds of seats claimed by Labour across England as the Star went to press yesterday. 

Mr Miliband said the results reflected the “discontent building up for decades about the way the country has been run and about the way our economy works.

His party’s gains outside of London were fewer than expected and Labour figures were divided over the campaign. 

Bassetlaw Labour MP John Mann labelled Mr Miliband’s strategy “disastrous” but former London Mayor Ken Livingstone said he was still suffering from the legacy of new Labour. 

Labour's increase of more than 200 and far-right Ukip's gain of 125 last night came at the expense of both coalition parties, which lost hundreds of councillors. 

With half of results declared, the Liberal Democrats had already waved goodbye to control of two councils as voters punished them for selling out to David Cameron’s Tories, who surrendered nine councils. 

Jacob Rees Mogg was among Tory MPs who blamed Ukip for splitting the right-wing vote and begged Mr Cameron to fix a deal before the general election. 

Natalie Bennett also had cause for optimism ahead of Sunday’s European election count as she saw her party capture 12 seats across England. 

The Greens gained three seats in Solihull to become the official opposition, picked up their first seat on Wirral council from Labour and took two more seats in Bristol.

Mr Bennett said: "We're becoming much more of a national party."