Like much of the UK, last night was a good night for Conservatives across Havering as the Tories held their seats in Romford and Hornchurch & Upminster, with Dagenham and Rainham staying with Labour by just 293 votes.

In Romford, incumbent MP Andrew Rosindell - who has held the seat for 18 years - was able to increase his majority to 17,893 as he received 30,494 votes for a total share of 64.6pc, up 5.2pc on 2017's results.

Labour's Angelina Leatherbarrow earned 26.7pc of the vote share for a total of 12,601 votes, while Liberal Democrat Ian Sanderson earned 2,708 votes and Green candidate David Hughes received 1,428.

The turnout in Romford sat at 65.3pc, down from 68pc in 2017.

In Hornchurch and Upminster, it was a good night for Julia Lopez, who returned 35,495 votes - up from 33,750 two years ago.

She was followed by Labour's Tele Lawal on 12,187, the Lib Dem's Thomas Clarke on 3,862, Green Party candidate Peter Caton with 1,920 and the BNP's David Furness with 510.

Voter turnout was 66.8pc - again down from 2017's 69.4pc.

But much of last night's drama in Havering centred on Dagenham & Rainham, where Havering Council's Conservative leader Damian White was attempting to oust Labour incumbent Jon Cruddas.

After a batch recount because of how close it appeared to be, it was eventually determined that Mr Cruddas had held his seat by just 293 votes.

Mr Cruddas received 19,468 votes, while Mr White returned 19,175.

The Brexit Party came in third with 2,887, the Lib Dems' Sam Fisk fourth on 1,182 and fifth went to the Green's Azzees Minott.

Two independent candidates, Ron Emin and Terry London, returned 212 and 209 votes respectively.

Nationally, Boris Johnson has hailed a political "earthquake" which saw Labour support crumble in its heartlands in the face of a Tory landslide.

The Prime Minister was set to visit the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Friday with a comfortable majority after gambling on a snap election and winning big.

In his victory speech after retaining his own seat, he claimed a "powerful new mandate to get Brexit done" as his party headed for its biggest Commons majority since the Thatcher era.

Mr Johnson later told jubilant aides in Conservative HQ: "We must understand now what an earthquake we have created.

"The way in which we have changed the political map of this country.

"We have to grapple with the consequences of that, we have to change our own party, we have to rise to the level of events, we must, we just answer the challenge that the British people have given us."

The Tory landslide prompted Jeremy Corbyn to announce he will not lead Labour into another election after his party suffered humiliation.

Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson also lost her seat to the SNP and quit as party leader. Sir Ed Davey and Baroness Sal Brinton will become joint acting leaders ahead of a leadership contest next year.

The success of the Scottish nationalists and of nationalist parties in Northern Ireland could provide Mr Johnson with another challenge on top of Brexit as it suggests opposition to leaving the EU is hardening there.

But Tory supporters are unlikely to be worrying about that on Friday after witnessing their party take seat after seat in Labour's heartlands, including some they had never held before.