00:00I'm blown away by the result and the support that the people in Mid Sussex have given me tonight.
00:07It's like beyond my wildest dreams in some ways to become the Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex.
00:12It's been a journey of growth for me and the large team of volunteers over a number of years now.
00:18And yeah, I'm just absolutely delighted and very thankful.
00:22So I want to be the strong local champion that Mid Sussex needs.
00:26We need to get the NHS back on its feet and we can only do that by fixing the care system.
00:31So those are two big priorities for me.
00:33We want to work towards ending the sewage dumping scandal and help people with cost of living.
00:39I think it's just worth saying that for Mid Sussex this is an absolute historic result.
00:44It's always been conservative, but when you look across the country,
00:48Mid Sussex is just one part of a really good story for the Liberal Democrats across the country
00:54and winning seats all over the place, which is, you know, absolutely delightful.
00:58So I do hereby declare that Alison Elizabeth Bennett is duly elected to serve as the Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex consistently.
01:16Thank you.
01:18First of all, thank you to the Attorney Officer and everyone here who has worked through the night and into the morning.
01:26And to my fellow candidates for making this campaign what we can all be proud of, thank you very much.
01:34I need to give a special thank you to my family, to my election agent Paul Newcraft,
01:40to my incredible campaign team and to all the Liberal Democrat volunteers who have helped us win here in Mid Sussex.
01:49This is your victory and this is a historic moment for the Liberal Democrats.
01:55And thank you most of all to the wonderful people of Mid Sussex.
02:00This is a place that I'm proud to call home.
02:04It's a place where people are made to feel welcome and it's a place where we care,
02:09both about where we live and about each other.
02:14It is a privilege to knock on a door and have a stranger share the details of their life with me.
02:19I've learnt so much from you and become a better person and a better politician as a result.
02:25You have told me about your struggles to make ends meet,
02:29wondering how you will ever be able to afford to start a family,
02:33or worried sick about how you can pay for the care of a loved one.
02:38You have told me how you have struggled to see a doctor,
02:44failed to find an NHS dentist or fought for years to get your child the extra help they may need.
02:51And those of you who work in our vital public services,
02:55I hear you, I know that you are being asked to do more and more with less and less
03:01and the strain can be unbearable.
03:04People from all walks of life have been let down and taken for granted,
03:08again and again by this out of touch Conservative government.
03:13And to everyone here in Mid Sussex, no matter how you vote at this election,
03:18I hear you and I will fight for you all year round.
03:23And I promise to be your local champion in Parliament.
03:27I am truly humbled by the faith that people from Mid Sussex have put in me tonight.
03:32To be elected to represent you in Parliament is truly the honour of my life.
03:36I won't let you down.
03:38You have taught me the change you want to see,
03:41tackling the cost of living,
03:43ending the appalling sewage scandal
03:46and most of all, fixing the health and care crisis.
03:51So, I will work hard every day to make it happen.
03:57I will be a strong voice for our local community,
04:00our local environment and our local health services.
04:04And I will fight for the fair deal you deserve.
04:08Thank you.
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