UKIP’S south-eastern charge stalled yesterday when a trade union candidate triumphed in a council by-election in one of the party’s target seats. 

Nigel Farage’s party hoped victory in Thursday’s West Thurrock and South Stifford poll would propel them towards victory in the Thurrock constituency at the general election. 

But GMB and Usdaw member Terry Brookes hammered Ukip candidate Russell Cherry, claiming more than half the votes for Labour. 

He won 903 votes compared to Mr Cherry’s 621, while Tory candidate John Rowles trailed in third with just 270.

“We decreased the votes for Ukip and the Conservatives, so it’s a fantastic feeling,” Mr Brookes told the Thurrock Gazette. 

The Essex constituency is a top Ukip target after private polling for millionaire Tory donor Michael Ashcroft showed it was one of two seats where the far-right party holds a poll lead. 

Mr Farage had himself considered standing there before opting for South Thanet. 

Ukip launched a big ground campaign but their efforts were matched by Labour and anti-racist campaigners. 

Hope Not Hate director Nick Lowles said Thursday’s result showed “that when the hard work is done then Ukip can be defeated.”

“The result is particularly heartening for the Hope Not Hate team as we have spent a lot of time on the ground there over the last couple of months,” he added. 

But the Tories’ troubles continued as Ukip picked up a Swale council seat — down the road from Rochester and Stood, where defector Mark Reckless hopes to win Ukip’s second parliamentary seat at next month’s by-election.

VICTORY at this council by-election in the bellwether Thurrock constituency will boost the morale of Labour supporters after recent disappointing results. 

Faith in Ed Miliband’s leadership was shaken after Ukip came within 600 votes of stealing the Heywood and Middleton seat last Thursday. 

The results of a Labour List poll released yesterday showed 39 per cent of members believed the result in Labour’s northern heartlands was “average” but a sizeable 35 per cent rated it “poor.”

Similar numbers expressed dissatisfaction with the result in Clacton, where Labour’s vote was squeezed by 13.8 per cent compared to the party’s performance at the general election, despite an energetic campaign from local councillor Tim Young. 

But Labour’s Thurrock council triumph will convince parliamentary candidate Polly Billington and local activists they can reclaim the crucial seat they lost to Tory Jackie Doyle-Price in 2010.

Ukip’s candidate is MEP and former Taxpayer’s Alliance co-ordinator Tim Aker.