Voters across Havering delivered an even more resounding ‘No’ than the rest of the UK over the question of changing the system used to elect MPs to Westminster last week.

Residents voted 77 per cent (49,691) against the proposed Alternative Vote system, with only 23 per cent (14,592 people) voting in favour.

Nationally 68 per cent of voters opposed the question, with 32 per cent backing it.

Romford MP Andrew Rosindell, who campaigned for a No vote, said: “I think it was an excellent result, a clear and overwhelming victory in the sense that a vast majority of people not only in Havering but across the country rejected electoral reform.

“It puts to bed the idea that reform should be on the agenda for years to come. It means we can get on with the serious job of sorting out the country.”

On the issue of Havering being more strongly against the change than the national average, he added: “It doesn’t surprise me, Havering has been ahead of the game for years, it was the first part of the UK to go back to the Conservatives after 1997.”

Dagenham and Rainham MP Jon Cruddas supported the Yes campaign as he believed it would be a step towards re-engaging people with politics.

But he said: “The referendum (result) was very clear, the case for AV was not put and the link with the Liberals killed it. Also people asked why when they are struggling economically and worry about their job and the health service were we bothering with this proposal.”

The turnout in Havering was slightly above the London average, with 35.9 per cent of residents voting, compared to 35.4 per cent across the capital.