Ian Murray addressed the crowd at the Edinburgh count, held at the Royal Highland Centre, after he held the seat with almost 25,000 votes.
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00:00We're going to need a bigger boat. Paul, thank you very much to you and congratulations on
00:12being Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council. Thank you to the police, all the
00:17council teams, council staff and all that have helped make this run smoothly here in
00:22Edinburgh. Thank you to all the other candidates who have stood in the election for Edinburgh
00:26South. We obviously have political disagreements but anyone who puts themselves forward on
00:30the ballot paper and asks the community to support them deserves our huge respect. Thank
00:35you to them. And thank you to my brilliant team in Edinburgh South. I learned over the
00:48years that surrounding yourself with the very best is how you succeed and they are the very
00:54best, especially my agent, Sheila Gilmore, my campaign manager, Albie Biltz, Saurabh,
01:00Pat Sinclair, Justin, Ian, Kevin and everyone who's helped me over the last 14 years. And
01:08a special thank you to my wife, Marion, who makes me the luckiest man in the world. This
01:15job relies on the huge support of the voters and their support has been unwavering and
01:22I thank you for that. I've had the honour of representing Edinburgh South for 14 years
01:27now and the reason why I've had that privilege is the brilliant team who've supported me
01:32in the work in the constituency. People in Edinburgh South and across Scotland are crying
01:36out for a change of government. They might get an answer tonight and after 14 years,
01:41we're on the verge of replacing this Conservative government with a Labour government.
01:47So, from my own personal view, the greatest time in this country we've ever had,
01:57the opportunity to serve, that is all we ask. John Smith said those words 30 years ago.
02:03For the past six weeks, we've asked the Scottish people to give us the chance to
02:07sit. Whether you have voted Labour all your life, deciding you were the best choice this time,
02:12or you voted Labour for the very first time, we will work hard and, with humility,
02:17deliver the trust you placed in us. Because Keir Starmer and Nath Starmer have worked hard to
02:22change our Labour council and put it back in the service of local people and not to
02:27lose the money the Scottish people need. For much of my time as MP for Edinburgh South,
02:36I've been Scotland's sole Labour MP. It's been sometimes lonely, often hard,
02:42but always hopeful. Hopeful that one day the Labour values will again be recognised as Scotland's
02:49values. The values of ordinary Scots that put this wonderful country at first.
02:54Being the sole Labour MP ends tonight with a bang.
02:59The voters have given you and the Labour Party the future privilege of the opportunity to serve.
03:12I can assure you that's the change Scotland needs and we certainly won't let you down.