‘There is a lot of hurt and anger’ in Enfield North, according to returning MP Joan Ryan.

Ms Ryan, the Labour candidate, took back the seat from Nick de Bois, which she lost in 2010 after representing it since 1997.

Talking to the Enfield Independent after her marginal victory, the Labour MP revealed she has “more to give” for the area.

She said: “I am elated; it is something that is very important to me. I said when I lost, thank you to the people of Enfield North, thank you for letting me to the best job in the world for 13 years.

“I feel I have more to give. I am really pleased to have won tonight, it has been a tense night, but the campaign felt positive.”

It was touch-and-go throughout the night as rumour flew around the Lee Valley Athletics Centre where the votes were counted, with many earlier in the evening predicting a possible hold for de Bois.

Ms Ryan said: “It was hard to tell, I think it was the Labour vote on the west and east has improved immeasurably, we won most of the wards. There has been a move across the board.

She added that there had been a ‘betrayal’ over Chase Farm Hospital, which saw its accident and emergency close in 2013, and unleashed a scathing attack on de Bois.

She said: “I think there is a hurt and anger and betrayal over the Chase Farm issue, I think people know they have had a tough time, living standards have been an issue and people are worse off.

 “I think Nick ran a very negative campaign and he is not above smears and I think this is a real victory for good, positive campaigning. Attack leaflets are common but these were continued smears and I don’t want our politics to go down to that level.

“I think it was a very important issue because we have a major problem with the NHS service provided in Enfield North. We are massively short on GPs so I am going to campaign very hard in Enfield North.”