A SOUTH Essex MP welcome a Conservative colleague involved with the No to AV campaign to his constituency.

Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois hosted a visit of Mark Harper, the minister for constitutional reform, to the Constituency Women's Organisation annual lunch at Saxon Hall, in Aviation Way, Southend.

The MP for Forest of Dean acted as the guest speaker at the event for the constituency, which had the third highest no vote in the country earlier this year at 79 per cent.

Mr Francois said it was great having his fellow Tory MP come to the lunch and hopes another visit will follow.

He said: "Mark Harper is a rising star in the Government and we were lucky to have him, I hope that he will come back and visit us again in the future."