UKIP candidates have won three seats in Bexley after yesterday's (May 22) election, though the Conservatives have retained control and the Lib Dems have languished.

All the results are now in for the borough with Conservatives winning 45 seats, Labour winning 15 and the Lib Dems winning none at all.

How the results compare to 2010

UKIP was the biggest winner in Bexley while the Lib Dems were the biggest losers.

The Tories’ shine dimmed slightly for Bexley residents as they lost seven seats from the 2010 election and overall votes were down three per cent.

However they retained a significant overall majority with 45 seats to Labour’s 15 – meaning the Conservatives still have a majority of more than 70 per cent of seats in the council.

Support for the Lib Dems plummeted by around 11 per cent of votes in 2010 to just two per cent.

They trailed in fifth behind the BNP.

UKIP went from getting less than one per cent of the total votes to 12 per cent – it came sixth in 2010 and third this year.

Votes for BNP reduced by a third - they went down to four per cent of votes after having six per cent in 2010.

Popularity for Labour rose slightly from 28 per cent to 32 per cent and they gained four seats – taking them to 15.

Support for the Green Party diminished from 1 per cent to less than 1 per cent.

UKIP success - a question of "humanity"?

Lynn Smith was elected in Blackfen and Lamorbey along with Conservative candidates Peter Craske and Brian Beckwith.

The former cabinet member for adults' services Chris Taylor has been ousted from the ward.

UKIP candidate Mac McGannon was elected to Colyers and Chris Beazley was elected to St Michael's.

The controversial party has won three seats with 12 per cent of the votes and has come third behind the Conservatives (48 per cent) and Labour (32 per cent).

Junior minister for international development Lynne Featherstone told the BBC she thought much of UKIP wins were due to Nigel Farage coming across like a "human being" and that the Lib Dems had lost much of their "humanity".

Visit the council website.