The election declaration is make for the Smethwick parliamentary seat in Sandwell
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00:00This is so cool.
00:30I would now like to declare the result of the Selective Constituencies.
00:40I, Shirkat Lal, being the Acting Returning Officer of the above election, do hereby give notice that the number of votes recorded for each candidate at the said election is as follows.
00:53Anandu J, Independent, 1,322.
01:00Bath, Rabaldy, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, 163.
01:08Donnell Peter Charles George, commonly known as Donnell Pete, Reform UK, 5,670.
01:19Fairhurst Kate Bowen, Conservative Party Candidate, 4,546.
01:28Graham Christopher Alexander, Independent, 348.
01:36Joseph Gurinder Singh, Labour Party, 16,800.
01:58Henry Roderick Patrick, Green Party, 2,741.
02:05Patrick Oliver James, Liberal Democrats, for a Fair Deal, 1,018.
02:13Rubani Amin, Workers' Party, 2,449.
02:20The number of ballot papers rejected was as follows.
02:23Want of an official mark, 0.
02:26Voting for more candidates than voter was entitled to, 85.
02:31Writing or mark by which voter will be identified, 0.
02:36Being unmarked or wholly void for uncertainty, 126.
02:42Rejected in part, 0.
02:44The total number of ballot papers rejected was 211.
02:49There was one vacant seat in this constituency with an electorate of 72,863.
02:57There were 35,329 ballot papers verified with a turnout of 48.49%.
03:07And I do hereby declare that Gurinder Singh Joseph is duly elected.
03:13CHEERING
03:33Ladies and gentlemen, what a night, what a challenge.
03:38Firstly, I want to say thank you to the returning officer and all of his staff who have run an excellent election.
03:45Democracy is so important in our society and to see the democracy being part of it is such a humbling experience.
03:52And in that vein, I also want to thank all the candidates for an excellent campaign.
03:57I want to thank the police for their support during this election.
04:01I also want to thank my agent, Axel Vester, who has been agent recently for 14 times.
04:08My understanding is this is the first time he has been agent in a general election, which is the year I was born.
04:14CHEERING
04:18And I want to thank my sub-agent, Alan Panton, who is doing it for the first time.
04:23I want to thank my predecessor, Don Spellar.
04:28CHEERING
04:34He is a phenomenal public servant, not just in Sandlot, in Smedwick, in Boreley, but in other parts of the country as well.
04:42And tonight he was elevated to appearance.
04:47Don Spellar has truly been vacillating such a bizarre time, and I'm particularly pleased about it.
04:55I don't think I have too many expectations of what is coming out of my mouth.
05:01I also want to thank my family, my wife, my mother, my brother, their families, my son and daughter,
05:09who I met today.
05:13Without their support over the last six weeks, and throughout, I don't know, my life,
05:20my political service, without their support I would not be here standing here today.
05:27Finally, I want to thank the voters for their trust in me, particularly those who voted Labour in 1935,
05:35and I was truly inspired to do what I did.
05:39It's clear that the British people, and voters in Smedwick, have sent a clear message
05:46of change and end to foreign unionism in this country.
05:50But in doing so, the voters not just rejected Tory parties, but they also voted for the Labour Party,
05:57that's focused on the White House and on the Union.
06:00And they voted for the Labour Party that's led by Joseph Starmer.
06:04And neither did the Trade Unions, the Labour Party, and Prudh and Barnard, all those who said that
06:09this magnificent victory in the United Kingdom trade could not be done on social security.
06:14The rejection of far-left faction and ideological politics in favour of the centre
06:20has been emphatically supported by the British people and by voters in Smedwick.
06:25And I'm proud to have played my part in that transition.
06:34I was born and raised in Smedwick. I've raised my family here, I've worked here, I've worshipped here.
06:40This is my community in Smedwick and in my heart.
06:43And it's particularly moving that I, a child and grandchild of immigrants,
06:50have today been elected as Member of Parliament for Smedwick.
07:00A speech in 1964 where a disgraceful racist campaign by the Conservative Party
07:07planned to backfire was successful, and that's particularly moving for me today.
07:12And that's shown to me how Smedwick and Sandbroke have changed remarkably
07:17to be a diverse, tolerant, modern, progressive place.
07:22And this is down to many people's work over many years.
07:27And many of those people are in this room today.
07:30Our councillors, our council officers, and the communities of Smedwick and Sandbroke make that happen.
07:39And that's something I want to support and continue with.
07:43Lastly, I would say to those people who did not lend their support to the Labour Party in this election,
07:49for whatever reason, whether it's international issues or whatever,
07:53I'm elected to be the MP for Smedwick, and I want to die to serve all of you,
08:01whether you vote for me or not.
08:03And I was truly moved to see that we can make Smedwick a better place for everybody,
08:11that we can make this country a better place for working people,
08:15and make sure that the change in Smedwick and Sandbroke communities is now about to come real.
08:23Thank you.
08:31Thank you.