00:00I didn't grow up wanting to be a politician. I'm a plumber.
00:04And two weeks ago, during all this, I also qualified as a plasterer.
00:09Because even in chaos, even under pressure, I get things done.
00:15I am no different to every single person here in this constituency.
00:19I work hard. That is what we do.
00:23Except things have changed a lot over the last few decades.
00:25Because working hard used to get you something.
00:28It got you a house. A nice life. Holidays. It got you somewhere.
00:34But now, working hard, what does that get you?
00:38Because talk to anyone here and they will tell you.
00:41The people who work hard but can't put food on the table.
00:45Can't get their kids school uniforms. Can't put their heating on.
00:49Can't live off the pension they worked hard to save for.
00:53Can't even begin to dream about ever having a holiday. Ever.
00:57Because life has changed. Instead of working for a nice life, we're working to line the pockets of billionaires.
01:04We are being bled dry.
01:06And I don't think it's extreme or radical to think working hard should get you a nice life.
01:12And I don't think that if you're not able to work, that you should still have a nice life.
01:16I think that absolutely everybody should get a nice life.
01:20And clearly, I'm not the only person who thinks that.
01:24Because I've made clear my position and my commitment to working class communities, the community that I am from.
01:30People in their thousands told me on the doorsteps and at the ballot box that what we are sick of
01:35is being let down and looked down on.
01:38That we are sick of our hard work making other people rich.
01:42I lived in this constituency at one of the most difficult and challenging periods of my life.
01:48I saw how strong the community was at holding things together.
01:53But I saw how much harder life is when the things around you are broken.
01:57The litter, the fly tipping, the dirty air.
02:00And when I moved, it became even clearer.
02:03And this is why I am fighting.
02:05For the community that I lived in and that I still work in.
02:09Because I absolutely refuse to accept that we should ever have to move.
02:14And leave our communities for good schools, a thriving high street and clean air.
02:20And I will not accept a society where having more money gets you a longer life expectancy.
02:27And so when it came to fighting for people here, to stand in this election, well how could I not
02:32fight?
02:33Because here, this is what we do.
02:34We fight for each other in this very diverse constituency.
02:38Where our struggles might not always be the same, but where we know how hard life can be.
02:43And we stick together.
02:44Whatever our beliefs, our backgrounds, our colour or our level of education, we stick up for each other.
02:51And to those who voted for me, I know that earning your trust starts now.
02:55One vote on one night is not something I will take for granted or assume will happen again.
03:00I will earn your trust.
03:02And to those who didn't vote for me, I will always work hard for you.
03:07And I will always be honest.
03:08And I will always be decent.
03:11To our Muslim communities who this week suffered an attempted attack during Ramadan.
03:17Whilst I was being welcomed by women at a mosque in Longside.
03:21Someone just down the road walked into a mosque carrying an axe.
03:25And whilst we were gathered and eating together, an act of terror could easily have taken place.
03:30And I can't and won't accept this victory tonight without calling out the politicians and divisive figures
03:36who constantly scapegoat and blame our communities for all the problems in society.
03:42My Muslim friends and neighbours are just like me, human.
03:47And of course, to our white working class communities, the background that I have become so proud to be from.
03:54We know how it feels to be looked down on.
03:57Maybe because we didn't do well at school.
03:59Maybe because we do dirty manual jobs.
04:02Because we are shut out of places we should be in.
04:05To people here in Gorton and Denton who feel left behind and isolated, I see you and I will fight
04:12for you.
04:13Because whilst our communities may sometimes be labelled in different ways,
04:17the thing everyone seems to have underestimated here, especially over the last few weeks,
04:22is how similar we all actually are.
04:24How we have common ground, how we get along, how we stand up for each other.
04:30The cracks that we're starting to show can be healed.
04:33And I believe that it is through offering people hope and a chance to do things differently and do things
04:38better.
04:39Now to my customers, I'm sorry, but I think I might have to cancel the work that you had booked
04:45in.
04:45Because I'm heading to Parliament.
04:47And when I get there, I will make space for everyone doing jobs like mine.
04:51We will finally get a seat at the table.
04:55And to Leila, the little girl who I had the pleasure of meeting and holding this week.
05:01I promised you I would try and improve the world that you are growing up in.
05:05I told you that I am not perfect, but that I always try my best.
05:09I always try and do the right thing.
05:12Now something exciting is definitely happening.
05:15And I invite you all to be part of it.
05:17Come and join the Green Party so that we can spread hope
05:20and win everywhere across the country.
05:23Our strength will grow as more and more of us come together.
05:26We have shown that we don't have to accept being turned against each other.
05:32We can demand better without hating each other.
05:35We can do that together.
05:37We ran a hopeful campaign backed by thousands of volunteers and activists.
05:43We defeated the parties of billionaire donors.
05:49We have shown that we don't have to accept being turned against each other at all.
05:55And we did this with the people who live here, side by side, shoulder to shoulder,
06:01just as we have always done in this constituency and in the whole of Greater Manchester.
06:08Because this is Greater Manchester.
06:11And we do things differently here.
06:14Thank you so, so much to everybody.
06:18APPLAUSE
06:19You're welcome.
06:22Congratulations!
06:23You're welcome.
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