Rushanara Ali was returned to parliament in Bethnal Green and Bow, increasing her majority by nearly 11 per cent.
She received 42,969 votes – a 71.8pc share – to remain in the seat she has held since 2010.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this victory is an expression of hope over fear,” she said, referencing the London Bridge terror attacks of last Saturday. “It’s also an expression of solidarity and social cohesion,” she continued. “It’s about the desperate need for fairness, equality and justice.
She also made what appeared to be a pointed reference to an unnamed fellow candidate, remarking:
“I want to thank my fellow candidates who fought fair and hard and especially those who ran honourable, clean and responsible campaigns free from smears and misinformation.”
Ali is thought to have benefitted from the pro Corbyn vote nationally and among Muslims although she had previously called on the Labour leader to quit.
The Conservative’s general election first-timer Charlotte Chirico came second with 7,576 votes, while Independent Ajmal Masroor followed in third with 3,888 votes.
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Following his defeat Masroor said: “Many factors may have played a role and the most significant factor was the Corbyn appeal. The people of Bethnal Green and Bow were won over by Jeremy Corbyn’s policies. It is somewhat ironic that the Tower Hamlets Labour candidates had not been supportive of Jeremy Corbyn. Nonetheless, I also wanted a Corbyn election victory and can understand why people chose to vote for the official Labour candidates.
“A huge number of young people came out to vote as they saw in Corbyn the hope for a better and fairer future. They defied all the odds and voted for the local Labour candidate because they wanted Corbyn to form the next government…
“I fully understand the choice of local people and respect it. I genuinely would like to wish Rushanara Ali well in representing the people of Bethnal Green and Bow. In particular I would encourage her to place the interests of her constituents first – to focus on them and representing their views. They want their MP to back Jeremy Corbyn to the hilt. They have clearly spoken that they want to see a Jeremy Corbyn led Labour Party fight for social justice for the many, not the few.”
