The Labour party have gained a foothold back on Kingston Council after four years in the wilderness.

They will be the smallest party in the Guildhall with just two seats, won today after a delayed second recount of Thursday's votes in the Norbiton ward.

Linsey Cottington, with 1,013 votes, and Sheila Griffin, who ran as an independent until 2010 after falling out with the party, polled 986 votes.

Liberal Democrat Bill Brisbane won the third council seat defeating Labour party leader Laurie South by just three votes.

The wins are a reversal of four years ago when veteran councillor Steve Mama was defeated, leaving Labour with no political representatives in the borough.

Labour tweeted the news:

 

Privately some councillors from other parties will admit having a third party on the council will be a good thing.

Tory councillor Andrea Craig responded to a tweet saying: "The return of three party politics to Kingston will make life more interesting" by saying "Agreed!".

The results bring the total number of Conservative councillor to 28, Lib Dems to 18 and Labour to two.

The Conservatives gained 39 per cent of the vote (52,204 votes), while the Liberal Democrats polled 30 per cent (38,999 votes) and Labour 18 per cent (21,060 votes).

The Green party received seven per cent of the vote (8,987 votes) and UKIP six percent (6,825 votes).