Thank you – now the hard work of delivery begins

It was the greatest honour and privilege of my life to be elected as your first Labour MP for the new constituency of Whitehaven and Workington in the early hours of Friday morning.

Not only did we win the seat but we secured the largest majority in the history of the former constituency of Copeland from which the majority of the new seat is formed, and the highest percentage share of the vote of any seat which Labour gained across the UK.

This gives me a strong mandate to deliver the plan I laid out to the people of West Cumbria ahead of the election – to back new nuclear and industry, fix our broken NHS, bring down bills, get more police on our streets and push forward regeneration of our towns.

Here’s my acceptance speech from the count, which you can also watch on Facebook here.

I’d like to start by thanking the returning officer, our counters, and the police who have overseen a smooth and successful polling day. For your sake I’ll keep these remarks short!

I’d like to pay tribute to my fellow candidates – our democracy rests on people putting themselves into the arena. It can be demanding for candidates and their families. I’d also like to thank Trudy Harrison, the outgoing MP who has served the community since 2017.

To my campaign manager, agent, volunteer team and Labour party staff – I owe an enormous debt for the dedication and support you’ve provided to me since we launched our campaign a year ago. This result validates your tremendous efforts.

And to my friends and family – and especially to my husband. Thank you for supporting me through a campaign that asks a lot of your loved ones!

The most important thanks goes to those who voted. Thank you for placing your trust in me and in the Labour party.

Since 2019, Labour listened, we changed and in turn we have been given the chance to serve.

As the first MP for the new constituency of Whitehaven and Workington, I will work tirelessly to serve you in our parliament. Labour’s task is to serve the country, in return for the trust you have placed in us.

There are no quick fixes or easy answers to the problems our country faces. Big problems necessitate bigger politics, that meet the moment. We can get our country back on its feet with practical answers, determination and humility.

We can now turn the page on 14 years of decline and rebuild our country together.

Thank you.