David Davies speech

David Davies speaks at the Monmouthshire declaration

Transcript

00:00I congratulate the new Member of Parliament and I realise that for some of us in the other parties

00:05of course it's a disappointing day but the reality is we live in a democracy and we absolutely accept

00:11the results that have come out across the country tonight including in Monmouthshire

00:14and we must all be proud to live in a democracy and in a country where we are happy

00:18to follow the will of the people and never ever to try and impose our wishes upon them.

00:23May I also thank the police and the returning officer Paul Matthews and his deputy who as

00:28always have done a superb job and we certainly wish you well in the future Paul. Very quickly

00:33may I thank my wife and family who have put up with rather a lot I have to say over the last 25

00:37years and may have slightly mixed feelings about all of this. To the Monmouthshire Conservative

00:42Association who have also put up with me for a very long time with my little foibles. Thank you

00:47very much to each and every one of you and all of those who are in the office and two other

00:53things I want to make actually which you may not hear from from many people in my position.

00:58Firstly to the journalists of Wales who I think I've complained about them so many times you know

01:04people like Will Heywood and Martin Shipton and Vaughan Roderick and all of them and I

01:08you know I have to say I think sometimes the complaints were justified but actually you do

01:12a superb job of holding each and every single one of us to account and I think we're

01:18lucky to have journalists of the calibre that we actually have in Wales. The other thanks I want

01:24to make actually is because oh sorry about that that's unprofessional the last the last thing

01:29should be pleased to note is to the Welsh office because there have been tensions I know in the

01:36past between ministers and civil servants I have no doubt that might happen again under a new

01:39government but I have to say from personal experience the civil servants in the Welsh office

01:44led by Glyn Jones and Sarah Jennings have been the most superb group of people who've always had

01:49the interests of our nation of Wales at their heart and have done a superb job for me and would

01:54continue under any government and I say diolch yn fawr iawn i bob un ohonynt. So ladies and gentlemen

01:59thank you very much indeed and thank you finally last but certainly not least the people of Monmouthshire

02:04who have voted for me this time and on other occasions over the years and have given me a

02:08wonderful experience and I hope I have returned the favour as best I can so thank you very much

02:12indeed diolch yn fawr iawn, diolch yn fawr iawn.