Labour narrowly clung on to power in Brexit voting Dagenham and Rainham in an otherwise devastating night for the party.
After the result was declared Jon Crudass, who has been Labour MP for the area since 2001, said there needed to be a "frank discussion about the direction of the party".
Mr Cruddas, who beat Conservative Damian White by just 293 votes in a tense count, said Barking and Dagenham was the "only area in the country" which had voted overwhelming to leave and where Labour candidates managed to keep their seats.
After his win he told the Standard: "It’s devastating, an absolutely terrible night. We need to take a long, hard look at who the Labour Party represents and who it thinks it represents.
"How could we have gone through such an epically bad result after a decade of austerity? But nowhere else in the country did people vote for Brexit to such an extent and Labour have held onto their seats.
"That can be celebrated here. But it's obvious that we need a very frank discussion about the direction of the party.”
Mr Crudas' fought off six rivals, including the Brexit Party which gained almost seven per cent of the vote likely helping Labour to victory.
He added: "The win is down to the hard work of our campaigners and of party members and nothing more."
Conservative candidate and Havering council leader Mr White said: "Brexit was such a huge issue here on the doorstep. The only thing that people wanted to talk about at the start of the campaign. I think we are seeing that Boris’ message has resonated across the country.”
Dagenham & Rainham results: Labour hold
Jon Cruddas (Labour) - 19,468
Damian White (Conservatives) - 19,175
Tom Bewick (Brexit Party) - 2,887
Sam Fisk (Liberal Democrats) - 1,182
Azzees Minott (Green) - 602
Ron Emin (Independent) - 212
Terry London (Independent) - 209
Majority - 293
