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Labour has increased its control of London to take 45 of the capital's 73 Parliamentary seats, despite heavy losses elsewhere in the UK.

Ed Miliband's party won target seats such as Brent Central and Enfield North while cementing narrow successes from the 2010 election in places such as Hampstead and Kilburn, Britain's most marginal constituency.

The party's gains left it with seven more seats than it polled in London five years ago, while the Tories lost one.

The Lib Dems' position here mirrored their near-collapse nationally - Nick Clegg's party haemorrhaged support in the capital to end the night with a lone MP, Tom Brake in Carshalton and Wallington. They started yesterday with seven.

Among the casualties were the Lib Dem candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green, Lynne Featherstone, and former Business Secretary Vince Cable, who was ousted by Tory Tania Mathias in Twickenham.

Meanwhile the party's former deputy leader Simon Hughes, an MP of 32 years, lost out to Labour's Neil Coyle in Bermondsey and Old Southwark.

The Conservatives also took Kingston and Surbiton from Energy Secretary Ed Davey - who was the evening's first ministerial casualty, although certainly not its last.

The results roughly mirrored the Standard-sponsored YouGov poll that predicted a 13-point lead for Labour earlier this week. No other parties took seats in the capital.

London's biggest majority was won by Labour MP Stephen Timms, who held East Ham with more than 77 per cent of the vote.

General election 2015 - in pictures 25 show all General election 2015 - in pictures 1/25 Ukip shock Al Murray reacts to Nigel Farage's loss alongside Thanet South's Tory winner Craig Mackinlay (right) 2/25 Big scalp Shadow chancellor Ed Balls lost his Morley and Outwood seat to Conservative Andrea Jenkyns (Picture: Reuters/Craig Brough) 3/25 Downbeat Nick Clegg and wife Miriam Gonzalez Durantez after his victory in Sheffield Hallam - but the party was crushed overall 4/25 Back home The Prime Minister and wife Samantha return to Downing Street 5/25 High-profile casualty Labour's election supremo Douglas Alexander lost his seat to 20-year-old university student Mhairi Black 6/25 Emotional night The Prime Minister posted this picture online this morning with the message: "Here's to a brighter future for everyone" 7/25 Stunning success The SNP's Nicola Sturgeon roared to success in Scotland 8/25 'Deeply sorry' Ed Miliband apologised to his colleagues in Scotland 9/25 Boris being Boris Boris Johnson made a successful return to the Commons 10/25 Departure Veteran Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes after losing his seat (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 11/25 Long night The count for the Hove, Brighton Pavilion and Brighton Kemptown constituencies (Picture: Clive Gee/PA Wire) 12/25 Dawn over Westminster Daybreak over the Houses of Parliament on the day the UK goes to the polls (Picture: Getty) 13/25 The Camerons David Cameron and his wife Samantha face protesters after casting their votes at Spelsbury Memorial Hall in Witney (Picture: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty) 14/25 Clearing the way A woman sweeps the steps outside the Westminster Central Hall polling station (Picture: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire) 15/25 The Milibands Ed Miliband and his wife Justine after casting their votes in Doncaster (Picture: Chris Radburn/PA Wire) 16/25 Farage votes Ukip leader Nigel Farage arrives to cast his vote at the Eastcliff community housing office in Ramsgate (Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA) 17/25 Sturgeon in Glasgow SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon casts her vote in Glasgow (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty) 18/25 Wood votes Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood arrives at a polling station in Penygraig, Rhondda (Picture: Ben Birchall/PA) 19/25 Along for the ride A woman and her pet dog leave a polling station in Islington (Picture: Reuters/Peter Nicholls) 20/25 Church and state Nuns from the Tyburn Convent in west London cast their votes (Picture: Glenn Copus) 21/25 Clearing the way A worker sweeps the street outside 10 Downing Street as Britain goes to the polls (Picture: Anthony Devlin/PA) 22/25 Nosing around Debbie Carpenter and her horses arrive at a polling station is set up in Bramshill (Picture: AFP/Getty) 23/25 Bennett has her say Green leader Natalie Bennett leaves a London polling station after voting (Picture: Reuters/Phil Noble) 24/25 Last-minute canvassing Employment minister Esther McVey on the streets of West Kirkby (Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire) 25/25 Early birds The first voters of the day arrive at a polling station in Wimbledon (Picture: Amer Ghazzal/Rex) 1/25 Ukip shock Al Murray reacts to Nigel Farage's loss alongside Thanet South's Tory winner Craig Mackinlay (right) 2/25 Big scalp Shadow chancellor Ed Balls lost his Morley and Outwood seat to Conservative Andrea Jenkyns (Picture: Reuters/Craig Brough) 3/25 Downbeat Nick Clegg and wife Miriam Gonzalez Durantez after his victory in Sheffield Hallam - but the party was crushed overall 4/25 Back home The Prime Minister and wife Samantha return to Downing Street 5/25 High-profile casualty Labour's election supremo Douglas Alexander lost his seat to 20-year-old university student Mhairi Black 6/25 Emotional night The Prime Minister posted this picture online this morning with the message: "Here's to a brighter future for everyone" 7/25 Stunning success The SNP's Nicola Sturgeon roared to success in Scotland 8/25 'Deeply sorry' Ed Miliband apologised to his colleagues in Scotland 9/25 Boris being Boris Boris Johnson made a successful return to the Commons 10/25 Departure Veteran Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes after losing his seat (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 11/25 Long night The count for the Hove, Brighton Pavilion and Brighton Kemptown constituencies (Picture: Clive Gee/PA Wire) 12/25 Dawn over Westminster Daybreak over the Houses of Parliament on the day the UK goes to the polls (Picture: Getty) 13/25 The Camerons David Cameron and his wife Samantha face protesters after casting their votes at Spelsbury Memorial Hall in Witney (Picture: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty) 14/25 Clearing the way A woman sweeps the steps outside the Westminster Central Hall polling station (Picture: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire) 15/25 The Milibands Ed Miliband and his wife Justine after casting their votes in Doncaster (Picture: Chris Radburn/PA Wire) 16/25 Farage votes Ukip leader Nigel Farage arrives to cast his vote at the Eastcliff community housing office in Ramsgate (Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA) 17/25 Sturgeon in Glasgow SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon casts her vote in Glasgow (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty) 18/25 Wood votes Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood arrives at a polling station in Penygraig, Rhondda (Picture: Ben Birchall/PA) 19/25 Along for the ride A woman and her pet dog leave a polling station in Islington (Picture: Reuters/Peter Nicholls) 20/25 Church and state Nuns from the Tyburn Convent in west London cast their votes (Picture: Glenn Copus) 21/25 Clearing the way A worker sweeps the street outside 10 Downing Street as Britain goes to the polls (Picture: Anthony Devlin/PA) 22/25 Nosing around Debbie Carpenter and her horses arrive at a polling station is set up in Bramshill (Picture: AFP/Getty) 23/25 Bennett has her say Green leader Natalie Bennett leaves a London polling station after voting (Picture: Reuters/Phil Noble) 24/25 Last-minute canvassing Employment minister Esther McVey on the streets of West Kirkby (Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire) 25/25 Early birds The first voters of the day arrive at a polling station in Wimbledon (Picture: Amer Ghazzal/Rex)

Former director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer won Holborn and St Pancras for Labour while Wes Streeting - currently deputy leader of Redbridge Council - was elected as MP in Ilford North, taking the seat from the Tories' Lee Scott.

Elsewhere, Boris Johnson was returned to Westminster after winning Uxbridge, while Labour veteran Margaret Hodge held onto her seat in Barking despite heavy gains from Ukip.

How London constituencies voted

Barking:

Labour hold: Margaret Hodge with 57.7 per cent of the vote

Battersea:

Conservative hold: Jane Ellison with 52.4 per cent of the vote

Beckenham:

Conservative hold: Bob Stewart with 57.3 per cent of the vote

Bermondsey and Old Southwark:

Labour gain from Liberal Democrats: Neil Coyle with 43.1 per cent of the vote

* Veteran Lib Dem Simon Hughes was kicked out of his seat after 32 years as an MP

Bethnal Green and Bow:

Labour hold: Rushanara Ali with 61.2 per cent of the vote

Bexleyheath and Crayford:

Conservative hold: David Evennett with 47.3 per cent of the vote

Brent Central:

Labour gain from Liberal Democrats: Dawn Butler with 62.1 per cent of the vote

Brent North:

Labour hold: Barry Gardiner with 54.3 per cent of the vote

Brentford and Isleworth:

Labour gain from Conservatives: Ruth Cadbury with 43.8 per cent of the vote

* Ruth Cadbury scooped up thousands of disillusioned Lib Dem voters in Brentford and Isleworth to claim a narrow win of fewer than 500 votes

Narrow win: Ruth Cadbury speaks after winning her seat at Hounslow Civic Centre (Picture: Daniel Hambury)

Bromley and Chislehurst:

Conservative hold: Bob Neill with 53 per cent of the vote

Camberwell and Peckham:

Labour hold: Harriet Harman with 63.3 per cent of the vote

Carshalton and Wallington:

Liberal Democrats hold: Tom Brake with 34.9 per cent of the vote

Chelsea and Fulham:

Conservative hold: Greg Hands with 62.9 per cent of the vote

Chingford and Woodford Green:

Conservative hold: Iain Duncan Smith with 47.9 per cent of the vote

Chipping Barnet:

Conservative hold: Theresa Villiers with 48.6 per cent of the vote

Cities of London and Westminster:

Conservative hold: Mark Field with 52 per cent of the vote

Croydon Central:

Conservative hold: Gavin Barwell with 43 per cent of the vote

* Barwell survives a nail-biting battle to hang on to the key battleground

Croydon North:

Labour hold: Steve Reed with 62.6 per cent of the vote

Croydon South:

Conservatives hold: Chris Philp with 54.5 per cent of the vote

Dagenham and Rainham:

Labour hold: Jon Cruddas with 41.4 per cent of the vote

Dulwich and West Norwood:

Labour hold: New MP Helen Hayes, wins 51.4 per cent of the vote

Ealing Central and Acton:

Labour gain from Conservatives: Rupa Huq with 43.2 per cent of the vote

Ealing North:

Labour hold: Steve Pound with 55.1 per cent of the vote

Ealing Southall:

Labour hold: Virendra Sharma with 65 per cent of the vote

East Ham:

Labour hold: Stephen Timms with 77.6 per cent of the vote

Edmonton:

Labour hold: Kate Osamor with 61.4 per cent of the vote

Eltham:

Labour hold: Clive Efford with 42.6 per cent of the vote

Enfield North:

Labour gain from Conservatives: Joan Ryan with 43.7 per cent of the vote

* Ryan storms back into battleground seat declaring “it’s good to be back”

Enfield Southgate:

Conservative hold: David Burrowes with 49.4 per cent of the vote

Erith and Thamesmead:

Labour hold: Teresa Pearce with 49.8 per cent of the vote

Feltham and Heston:

Labour hold: Seema Malhotra with 52.3 per cent of the vote

Finchley and Golders Green:

Conservative hold: Mike Freer with 50.9 per cent of the vote

Greenwich and Woolwich:

Labour hold: Matthew Pennycook with 52.2 per cent of the vote

Hackney North and Stoke Newington:

Labour hold: Diane Abbott with 62.9 per cent of the vote

Hackney South and Shoreditch:

Labour hold: Meg Hillier with 64.4 per cent of the vote

Hammersmith:

Labour hold: Andy Slaughter with 50 per cent of the vote

Hampstead and Kilburn:

Labour hold: Tulip Siddiq

Harrow East:

Conservative hold: Bob Blackman with 50.3 per cent of the vote

Harrow West:

Labour hold: Gareth Thomas with 47 per cent of the vote

Hayes and Harlington:

Labour hold: John McDonnell with 59.6 per cent of the vote

Hendon:

Conservative hold: Matthew Offord with 49.1 per cent of the vote

Holborn and St Pancras:

Labour hold: Keir Starmer with 52.9 per cent of the vote

Hornchurch and Upminster:

Conservative hold: Angela Watkinson with 49 per cent of the vote

Hornsey and Wood Green:

Labour gain from Liberal Democrats: Catherine West with 50.9 per cent of the vote

Ilford North:

Labour gain from Conservatives: Wes Streeting with 43.6 per cent of the vote

Ilford South:

Labour hold: Mike Gapes with 64 per cent of the vote

Islington North:

Labour hold: Jeremy Corbyn with 60.2 per cent of the vote

Islington South and Finsbury:

Labour hold: Emily Thornberry with 50.9 per cent of the vote

Kensington:

Conservative hold: Victoria Borwick with 52.3 per cent of the vote

Kingston and Surbiton:

Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats: James Berry with 39.2 per cent of the vote

* Ed Davey became the first secretary of state to lose his seat last night when he was defeated by the Conservatives

Lewisham Deptford:

Labour hold: Vicky Foxcroft with 60.2 per cent of the vote

Lewisham East:

Labour hold: Heidi Alexander with 55.7 per cent of the vote

Lewisham West and Penge:

Labour hold: Jim Dowd with 50.6 per cent of the vote

Leyton and Wanstead:

Labour hold: John Cryer with 58.6 per cent of the vote

Mitcham and Morden:

Labour hold: Siobhain McDonagh with 60.7 per cent of the vote

Old Bexley and Sidcup:

Conservative hold: James Brokenshire with 52.8 per cent of the vote

Orpington:

Conservative hold: Jo Johnson

Poplar and Limehouse:

Labour hold: Jim Fitzpatrick with 58.5 per cent of the vote

* Labour hold both seats in Tower Hamlets with hugely increased majorities

Putney:

Conservative hold: Justine Greening with 53.8 per cent of the vote

Richmond Park:

Conservative hold: Zac Goldsmith with 58.2 per cent of the vote

Romford:

Conservative hold: Andrew Rosindell with 51 per cent of the vote

Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner:

Conservative hold: Nick Hurd with 59.6 per cent of the vote

Streatham:

Labour hold: Chuka Umunna with 53 per cent of the vote

* Shadow business secretary stands by Miliband as he grows majority in south London seat by 10,000

Contender: Chuka Umunna is being touted as a potential Labour leadership candidate

Sutton and Cheam:

Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats: Paul Scully with 41.4 per cent of the vote

Tooting:

Labour hold: Sadiq Khan with 47.2 per cent of the vote

* Khan slightly increased his majority in Tooting from 2,524 to 2,832 as he held onto Tooting for the third time

Tottenham:

Labour hold: David Lammy with 67.3 per cent of the vote

Twickenham:

Conservatives gain from Liberal Democrats: Tania Mathias with 41.3 per cent of the vote

* Shellshocked Vince Cable loses seat lost Twickenham seat he had held since 1997

Vince Cable: Ousted

Uxbridge and Ruislip South:

Conservative hold: Boris Johnson with 50.2 per cent of the vote

Vauxhall:

Labour hold: Kate Hoey with 53.8 per cent of the vote

Walthamstow:

Labour hold: Stella Creasy with 68.9 per cent

West Ham:

Labour hold: Lyn Brown with 68.4 per cent of the vote

Westminster North:

Labour hold: Karen Buck with 46.8 per cent of the vote

Wimbledon:

Conservative hold: Stephen Hammond with 52.1 per cent of the vote