General Election 2024: Northampton North and South acceptance speeches

Northampton Chronicle

The winning Labour candidates make their acceptance speeches at Friday morning's count in Northampton

Transcript

00:00I am deeply honoured to stand here as your new Member of Parliament for Northampton South.

00:07I am grateful for the trust that the people of Northampton South have put in me.

00:14Whether you voted for me or not, I will represent you in Parliament to the best of my ability

00:19and I'll make sure I work tirelessly to champion our town in Westminster.

00:24Thank you to the returning officer for conducting this election with professionalism and integrity.

00:35And thank you to the police, staff and everyone involved in the smooth running of this process.

00:42To my fellow candidates, thank you for a spirited campaign.

00:46Each of you has contributed to an important dialogue on how we make our town a place to be proud of once again.

00:54And to Andrew particularly, thank you for your years of service and the kind offer of supporting me through the next transition.

01:08This election marks a significant shift in our political environment.

01:14Many of you have returned to Labour or voted for Labour for the first time.

01:19I will do all in my power to represent you and the trust you've put in me will not be taken lightly.

01:27We are a changed Labour Party and thank you for trusting us to change the country.

01:35We are realistic about the scale of the challenges ahead of us.

01:41There are no magic wands that can solve our problems overnight.

01:46But with laser focus on what Britain needs, guided by our five missions,

01:53we are prepared to tackle the issues facing our nation and deliver the growth and renewal that Great Britain desperately needs.

02:03We don't offer quick fixes. We don't offer empty rhetoric.

02:08We offer a serious, considered approach to governance.

02:13And I want to be clear, never again will we return to the chaotic politics and sticking plaster solutions that we've seen in recent years.

02:23The era of short term thinking is over and instead we move forward now as a united Britain.

02:31This election wasn't just about changing the party in power.

02:35It was all about changing the way that politics has to work for people.

02:41And in that vein, I promise to always be accessible, to always be accountable,

02:47and always to put your interests first when I'm in Parliament.

02:52I can promise you I'm going to get on with a job from Monday and start representing and championing our town.

02:59In closing, I'd like to thank my wife, my campaign team, my agent and my friends, families and our volunteers

03:08who've joined us from across the country to campaign in Northampton South.

03:13And of course, thank you to the voters for this incredible opportunity.

03:19The hard work starts here. Thank you.

03:23Northampton has voted for change. It's the honour of my life to be elected as our MP.

03:37I'm so proud of Northampton and I'm so grateful to everyone that put their faith in me.

03:44But whether you voted for me or not, I want to assure you that I know what public service means.

03:52The hard work and the commitment that it demands.

03:57I promise that I will represent us here in Northampton North to the very best of my ability.

04:04There are some people to thank.

04:07First, my opponents to the campaigns that they've run.

04:12It takes guts to stand, now more than ever.

04:16And I want to pay tribute to Sir Michael Ellis who served Northampton North for 14 years.

04:28Thank you also to everyone who made this process run smoothly.

04:32The returning officer, electoral services, council staff and our local police force.

04:39To my team and all our incredible volunteers who've knocked on doors with me through snow, heat waves and driving rain.

04:50You are the best of Northampton and this victory is yours.

04:55I want to say a particular thank you to my agent, Darren Ryland.

05:00To Molly Elliott, my organiser, and to my Labour predecessor, Sally Keeble,

05:05who served Northampton North so well for so many years and is still doing such important work in our community and elsewhere.

05:13And lastly, to my family.

05:21I can't mention you individually else, as you can tell, emotion will get the better of me.

05:26But needless to say, were it not for you, then I wouldn't be here.

05:30I'm under no illusion whatsoever as to the scale of the work that is needed.

05:35The scale of the change that people have told me that they want.

05:39That change has begun this evening and work, I know, will begin immediately under Keir Starmer

05:46with a focus on what it takes to give Britain and to give Northampton our future back.

05:52Thank you very much.

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