Portsmouth Election - North declarations - video Dailymotion

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Portsmouth Election - North declarations

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00:00Firstly, I'd like to say a huge thank you to the returning officers, the people counting,

00:09staff at polling stations, the police and the staff here this evening, and to my amazing

00:15campaign team and beautiful family, of whom there are far too many to thank personally,

00:24but without whom it wouldn't be possible to have this journey, and also a thank you to my agent.

00:31I would also like to thank the other candidates. It's never easy putting yourself forward for

00:36public office. I would also like to thank Penny Mordaunt for her 14 years of service

00:42and the amazing role she played in the correlation of our King.

00:54My campaign was one of positivity, change and hope for the people of Portsmouth North,

00:59so I thank you from the bottom of my heart for those who went out and voted for that change.

01:05Whether you voted for Labour or not in this election, I want to say that as your MP,

01:12I will work for you. Portsmouth is my home, it's where everybody I love lives, and being your MP

01:30is the privilege of a lifetime, and I will not take it for granted. Tonight is historic.

01:38We have returned in the bellwether seat a Labour MP, and we hopefully return a Labour government.

01:48And if my friend and colleague Stephen Morgan is returned, it will be the first time

01:54we have two Labour MPs in the home of the Royal Navy.

01:59I look forward to working together and will champion Portsmouth in the heart

02:09of a Labour government, starting from now. Thank you very much.

02:18To those disappointed at the result tonight, let me cheer you up. Democracy is never wrong.

02:27I want to add my thanks to all those who have facilitated this election, the camp,

02:33the police, those who ran polling stations, the electoral team at Portsmouth City Council,

02:39and also to all candidates who run in North and South, and in particular my running mate in the

02:46South, Sina Biddle. Congratulations, Amanda. You have my assurance that I and my team

02:55will do everything we can to assist you in setting up your office and having a smooth transfer

03:02of our casework so that the people of Portsmouth have a good service throughout that period.

03:12Amanda, you will know that you are now working for the best employer ever. The people of Portsmouth

03:20are wonderful, hard-working, big-hearted, and anything that I ever achieved was made

03:27possible by them, and I thank them for the opportunities they have given me.

03:33I will never stop caring for these people or this place, and in all things I've been guided by them

03:43their common sense, their determination, their ambitions and hopes, their pride in our city

03:50and our nation. Tonight the Conservative Party has taken a battering because it failed to honour

04:00the trust that people have placed in it. You can speak all you like of security and freedom,

04:09but you can't have either if you are afraid. Afraid about the cost of living or accessing

04:17healthcare, or whether the responsibility you shoulder will be recognised and rewarded.

04:25That fear steals the future and it only makes the present matter, and that is why we lost.

04:34Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice

04:42of ourselves, but by being guided by the people of this country. And if we want again to be the

04:51natural party of government, then our values must be the people's. I've lost many good colleagues

05:00tonight, but I hope that like me they intend to carry on serving their communities

05:07with even stronger heart. Our country needs all of us. And finally I want to thank my campaigners,

05:18my team here in Portsmouth led by Rob New, my parliamentary team, those who supported me

05:27including other political parties, particularly the independent group under George Madgwick,

05:33but also the thousands of activists across the country who in the darkest of times,

05:40not of their making, fought like hell for what they believed in and a better future.

05:46I've never been prouder of you all. And now each of us has even more reason to fight on,

05:54so we must. Good luck to all of you, in particular Amanda, and thank you Portsmouth.

Portsmouth Election - North declarations

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