General election 2024: Jim Allister's full victory speech after beating Ian Paisley in North Antrim

News Letter

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00:00is returned to serve in Parliament for the North Antrim constituency.

00:17I thank you and your staff for the diligent conduct of this count

00:22and for all the staff who worked so hard yesterday.

00:27There is no escaping the fact that there has been a political earthquake

00:34in North Antrim of seismic proportions.

00:39Today we mark an occasion when after 54 years of DUP and Ian Paisley dynasty

00:53North Antrim has taken an alternative course.

00:59That is an alternative course which signals a number of things.

01:06Amongst those is a very clear indication that the unionist people of North Antrim

01:15will not be taken for granted.

01:20And certainly will not be taken for fools.

01:26Because the DUP just a few weeks ago sought to hoodwink every unionist in this province

01:36when they pretended that the Doug Donaldson deal had got rid of the RAC border

01:43and restored our place in the United Kingdom.

01:46Those were brazen falsehoods.

01:49And the people of North Antrim called them out as such in this campaign.

01:56And therein is the reason why I am now the Member of Parliament for North Antrim.

02:04My commitment to the pledge going forward is to never lose focus of the issues

02:16that caused me to be elected.

02:19The partitioning of our nation by a foreign EU border.

02:25The imposition upon Northern Ireland and 300 areas of law

02:31of foreign sovereignty by a foreign parliament.

02:36Those are issues which at every opportunity in the Parliament of the United Kingdom

02:42I will call attention to and hold government to account for.

02:47Because it is beyond shameful that in this part of the United Kingdom

02:52there has been that subjugation of sovereignty

02:57whereby that foreign institution holds sway and control in our lives.

03:04And I look forward not just to doing that but to repaying the confidence of the people of North Antrim

03:12bestowed upon me by working for them on all the constituency issues.

03:20And I do make mention and pay tribute to my predecessor for his constituency efforts down the years.

03:29And I also want to say this. Politics aside, losing an election is not easy.

03:37I know that. I've experienced that.

03:41And we're all human in that regard.

03:45And I think it is important that we all respect and remember that.

03:51But above all, this is a new starting point in North Antrim.

03:58We move forward refreshed in our unionism, renewed in our determination

04:06that this is a constituency whose voice will not wilt or falter

04:12in the House of Commons, in opposing the iniquitous protocol

04:18which brings us to this situation.

04:22I want of course to thank all who worked so hard.

04:26My election agent, Councillor Timothy Gaston

04:31and all his band of workers who put heart and soul

04:38who fought many's election and didn't succeed but undaunted

04:44put in the determination that brought this victory this time.

04:51And I say a big thank you to them.

04:54And of course to my long-suffering wife and to my family.

05:01And I think as politicians we often forget the sacrifice

05:09paid by our spouses in respect of public service.

05:14And together as a team we go forward

05:19certain in the knowledge that we will seek to deliver the mandate delivered to us.

05:27I said a few weeks ago in a particular circumstance

05:31that the endorsement I sought in this election

05:35was the endorsement of the people of North Antrim.

05:39And I'm humbled and delighted to have that endorsement today.

05:44Thank you very much.

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