A TOTAL of 14 first-time Labour councillors were voted on to Brighton and Hove City Council.

For them it was a day of unbridled joy coming so soon after the deflating national defeat in the general election.

Councillor Claire Moonan, newly elected to the former Green seat in central Hove, said: “It is a surprise as Central Hove was not one of our key target seats and I am absolutely delighted.

“Peter Kyle ran a fantastic campaign, together with the city campaign - there is no doubt we have had a real surge for Labour which has been advantageous for the council elections.”

Fellow first-time councillor Tracey Hill, who is one of three new Labour councillors for Hollingdean and Stanmer, said: “After Thursday's result we obviously had some doubts as Caroline Lucas increased her majority and we were just not sure.”

For fellow Labour councillor Emma Daniel it was nervous wait before her confirmation that she had retained the seat she had won in the Green heartland of Hanover and Elm Grove in a 2013 by-election.

She summed up the good spirit the election campaign had largely been fought in across the city by praising her campaign rival David Wilson in her victory speech.

Coun Daniel said: “I think the personal vote has helped enormously and the fact we have campaigned for 18 solid months has paid off.

“The Caroline Lucas impact was a big worry for my campaign and we did try to campaign positively and make it clear there was a council election going on and our feedback was they wanted a Labour council even though they liked Caroline Lucas.”

For Green councillor Leo Littman it was a day of relief in retaining his seat in the Preston Park ward but sadness that his two party colleagues lost out to Labour.

He conceded that travellers pitching up in the middle of Preston Park may well have tipped floating voters over the edge.

“I spoke to one resident who understood the policy hasn't changed since the last administration. He understood all this and still said 'You have still lost my vote.”

“One thing I think we have learnt is to be better at communication. We don't do nearly enough of that.”

Phelim MacCafferty and Ollie Sykes were voted back in for the Greens in Brunswick and Adelaide.

Coun MacCafferty said: “We worked very hard in the ward and even if people did not necessarily like the Green Party they liked that we took very seriously the responsibilities and roles of ward councillors and people have rewarded us for our hard work.

“I would hope to carry on with the planning portfolio but we have yet to decide the next convener of the Green group.

“Our work is not finished and it is not going to be finished.

“This is about changing society over a period of time - we are mid way through what we see as a project.”

Alex Philips and her husband Tom Druitt retained the Regency ward for the Greens - won by Jason and Ania Kitcat in 2011.

“It is really important we continue to build on the work we have already achieved. Brighton and Hove is a different place to the rest of the country - we saw that at the General Election.”

For Steve Bell, newly elected Conservative councillor for Woodingdean, it was a case of double election joy after his fiancé Maria Caulfield claimed a stunning victory over Norman Baker in the Lewes parliamentary battle 24 hours earlier.

He said: “Now we have got the election over we will plan our marriage.

“We just want to get back to normal life.”

Ukip were unable to translate large gains in the general election votes in the council election and lost their only seat in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean - which they gained with former Labour councillor Leigh Farrow’s switch.

RESULTS WARD BY WARD (Also available on our live blog)