Simon Lightwood's victory speech after winning in Wakefield and Rothwell in 2024 general election

Transcript

00:00Thank you. Thank you so, so much. I want to thank of course the returning officer and

00:10the calling agents, the count staff and the police and security teams who have made tonight

00:15possible. It is the honour of my life to be re-elected as the Member of Parliament for

00:22Wakefield and Rothwell. Two years ago, I stood here at this very podium when I was elected

00:29in the Wakefield by-election and I said that our win back then was the first step in a

00:35changed Labour Party. One that is back in the service of working people. Tonight, we

00:43see the proof that our hard work has paid off. Across the country tonight, millions

00:50of people have put their faith in a changed Labour Party. They have put their faith in

00:56us because they know they deserve better. They know they deserve better than the chaos

01:04and decline of the last 14 years of the Conservative Party. Their cronyism, their lies, their scapegoating,

01:14their claims that we're all in this together, their trips to the bookies. With Keir Starmer

01:22now forming, we hope the country's next government, we have finally won the chance to serve. We

01:32have won the chance to deliver for the hard working families who have suffered so much

01:38under this Conservative government. To turn the page on 14 years of sorry Tory rule. Since

01:47I was first elected, I've always said that the path to a Labour government runs right

01:53through here. In the past six weeks, I've campaigned for every single vote in this election

02:01and I'm deeply humbled, beyond words tonight, that we've achieved this historic result.

02:08And that the people of Wakefield and Rothwell have helped us achieve what looks to be a

02:13monumental mandate for change. Wakefield and Rothwell, you have put your trust in me

02:20tonight and it is my solemn promise that I will continue to stand up for all of you every

02:28single working day. I look across our wonderful constituency and I see so much potential,

02:36so much to be proud of. We've been so badly let down by the Conservatives. They've disgraced

02:43every morsel of what it means to serve, of duty, of responsibility, of governing in the

02:51interests of the whole nation, not just ourselves. I know from the thousands of conversations

02:58that I've had during this election that people have decisively voted to reject the vision,

03:05the lies and the cronyism after 14 years. They have voted to rebuild Britain. The duty

03:11and responsibility that has been entrusted to this changed Labour body tonight will be

03:17a defining chapter in our nation's history. I know the scale of the challenge that lies

03:23before us cannot be understated. But we have been elected to take our country forward,

03:30to get Britain's future back. And this Labour government, under Keir Starmer, will meet

03:36that challenge. That is our pledge to the British people. We will build an NHS fit for

03:42the future. We will deliver public services that we can rely on, opportunity for our children,

03:48safer streets, lower bills, cleaner energy and an economy that works for working people,

03:54not one that holds people back. I owe a massive debt of gratitude to all of my incredible

04:01team who have made tonight possible. To my incredible superhuman campaign manager, Ellie James.

04:09And of course, my agent, David Pickerskill.

04:16And of course, to all the local activists, the volunteers and councillors who moved like lightning

04:25to assemble a small army to make all of this possible, knocking on thousands upon thousands

04:30of doors. To all of my team who have helped deliver so much for Wakefield in just two years,

04:37thank you. And to my husband, Mike, and my two wonderful children, thank you for putting hope

04:44with me over the last six weeks and for being with me every step of the way. Thank you.