Corbyn critic Wes Streeting said it was time for Labour to unite and not open another leadership debate after increasing his majority in Ilford North by more than 9,000.
The young moderate won the seat from Conservative Lee Scott by just 589 votes in 2015, but defeated the same opponent by a majority of 9,639 this time.
Mr Streeting, 34, said: “We’ve seen Jeremy Corbyn at his best during this election and Theresa May at her worst. There’s a lot of cause for optimism for the party. Jeremy Corbyn is still Marmite with a lot of my voters. We need to come together. It’s not the time to be churlish and open another leadership debate. But we need to find a way to become the party of government rather than the biggest opposition. “
The hangdog expression of the Tory candidate and his supporters indicated the result early on even though the Labour victor did not make an appearance at the count at Redbridge leisure centre until 3.30am. In the end the result was not called until after 5am with turnout up by more 10 per cent.
Mr Scott, 61, who held the seat for more than a decade before he was ousted by Mr Streeting in 2015 said he had “seen him off for good”. Mr Scott had announced his retirement from frontline politics just weeks before the election, but said it was his “duty” to the party that made him stand again.
Labour’s Mike Gapes was re-elected in the neighbouring seat of Ilford South with an increased majority of 31,647.
Streeting said to jubilant supporters: “The people of Redbridge have sent a clear message to the strong and stable Theresa May who turned out to be soft and wobbly.”
