Morecambe MP's first speech in House of Commons

Lancaster Guardian

Transcript

00:00Maiden Speech, Lizzie Collins.

00:04Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I have been preceded by many wonderful first speeches,

00:10particularly from the Honourable Member for Huntington and my fellow Cumbrian

00:14representative, the Honourable Member for Whitehaven and Workington, to whom I say,

00:19all right, Mara. I would like to start my first speech by paying tribute to my predecessor,

00:26David Morris. I know he knocked on a lot of ministers' doors to get funding for Eden Project

00:31Morecambe and I thank him for it. I made a solemn promise to him that I would deliver

00:37Eden Project Morecambe and make it work for local people. And thanks to boundary changes,

00:43I actually have two other predecessors. Morecambe and Lunesdale has gained a tract of beautiful

00:48Westmoreland, which was formerly represented by the Honourable Member for Westmoreland and

00:53Lunesdale. I know from speaking to his former constituents that the Honourable Member is highly

00:59regarded and leaves some big boots to fill. I also gained Lower Loon Valley Ward from my good friend

01:06and mentor, the Honourable Member for Lancaster and Wyre. When I joined the Labour Party in 2014,

01:13after the birth of my first child, my Honourable Friend invited me for a brew. I thought this was

01:20a very kind gesture. Little did I know what she had in store for me. I hope she now feels that the

01:27aching arms she got from my particularly enormous newborn were well worth it. I would also like to

01:33pay tribute to the tireless work of the Labour Women's Network and the 5050 Parliament campaign

01:39in their collective efforts to see more women members elected. I would also be remiss if I

01:46did not mention my predecessor, Geraldine Smith, who is extremely well regarded in the constituency.

01:54And what a constituency it is. Morecambe and Lunesdale is definitely the most beautiful

02:00constituency in the country. From the golden sands of Middleton, through the beautiful

02:07Art Deco buildings and stunning sunsets of Morecambe, up the lush Loon Valley,

02:13across the national landscape of Arnside and Silverdale, and into the wild beauty of Westmoreland.

02:21You would be hard pushed to find a better place to live or work. My constituency has a diverse

02:28set of towns and villages, all with their own needs, and also all with fantastically strong

02:34communities. Their difference should be respected and celebrated, and where their needs do overlap,

02:42often the solutions need to be tailored to their specific circumstances. In constituencies such as

02:49Morecambe and Lunesdale, one size does not fit all. So as our new government delivers its ambitious

02:56programme of national renewal, I will ensure that the voices of all my communities are heard.

03:03My aim is to be a good constituency MP. For me, there is no more honourable ambition,

03:10and I am extremely grateful to all the people who supported me and enabled me to have that honour.

03:16In His Majesty's most gracious speech, we heard about the government's plan to reform our bus

03:21systems, and as a proud member of Lancaster and District Bus Users Group, I welcome this warmly.

03:28As I also warmly welcome the new government's dedication to farming and rural communities,

03:34with the Secretary of State's contribution in this place last week setting out a new deal

03:39for farmers, action on water pollution and plans to tackle the nature emergency.

03:46Speaking of nature, in Morecambe the shrimps are not only part of the local fauna

03:51and a local delicacy that comes highly recommended, but they are also the local football team.

03:57I look forward to delivering on my promise to them of a new independent football regulator.

04:05Before joining this Chamber, I served as a Lancashire County Councillor for eight years,

04:09and in that time I have specialised in health and social care and served on our health scrutiny

04:14committee. I am sure Members across the Chamber will agree with me that we expect the highest

04:20standards of care for our constituents, so I pay tribute here to the many patients and health

04:26campaigners who have worked so hard to ensure safe, equitable care for all. Many a health and

04:32care leader in Lancashire and South Cumbria has met me across the committee table. I hope they

04:38found me a fair, if sometimes firm, scrutineer. I am a humanist. Humanists are people who shape

04:46our lives in the here and now, because we believe it is the only life we have. What is politics if

04:52not shaping lives in the here and now? Humanists try to treat everyone we come across with warmth,

04:59understanding and respect. We believe that we as humans have everything we need—logic, reason,

05:06evidence and empathy—to make good, ethical decisions. It is these values that I hope to

05:13bring to my role in decision-making here in this place, and so I welcome our Government's focus on

05:18service, integrity and honesty. If we are to rebuild trust in politics, we must adhere to

05:25these principles rigorously, and I am sure Members across the Chamber will do so.

05:31Finally, I would like to dedicate this speech to my family—my mum and dad, who brought up me and

05:38my sister Hannah with good morals and lots of love, my husband Miles for always having my back

05:45and taking on an unfair share of the family duties alongside a full-time role with the NHS,

05:52my kids for putting up with mummy being away so often, and my grandma and grandad,

05:57who we lost in 2022. Grandma, remembering her parents' hard upbringing where they experienced

06:05sometimes abject poverty, always voted Labour. Much to the annoyance of my working-class Tory

06:12grandad, when I was first elected to the county council, grandad told me,

06:18Liz, I am right proud of you. It is a pity you are on the wrong side.

06:24My grandad might not have been a Labour supporter, but he did believe in service,

06:29and I look forward to working with Members across the House to serve our country

06:34and to serve my people in Morecambe and Lunesdale.

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