The winning Labour candidates make their acceptance speeches at Friday morning's count in Northampton
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00:00I am deeply honoured to stand here as your new Member of Parliament for Northampton South.
00:07I am grateful for the trust that the people of Northampton South have put in me.
00:14Whether you voted for me or not, I will represent you in Parliament to the best of my ability
00:19and I'll make sure I work tirelessly to champion our town in Westminster.
00:24Thank you to the returning officer for conducting this election with professionalism and integrity.
00:35And thank you to the police, staff and everyone involved in the smooth running of this process.
00:42To my fellow candidates, thank you for a spirited campaign.
00:46Each of you has contributed to an important dialogue on how we make our town a place to be proud of once again.
00:54And to Andrew particularly, thank you for your years of service and the kind offer of supporting me through the next transition.
01:08This election marks a significant shift in our political environment.
01:14Many of you have returned to Labour or voted for Labour for the first time.
01:19I will do all in my power to represent you and the trust you've put in me will not be taken lightly.
01:27We are a changed Labour Party and thank you for trusting us to change the country.
01:35We are realistic about the scale of the challenges ahead of us.
01:41There are no magic wands that can solve our problems overnight.
01:46But with laser focus on what Britain needs, guided by our five missions,
01:53we are prepared to tackle the issues facing our nation and deliver the growth and renewal that Great Britain desperately needs.
02:03We don't offer quick fixes. We don't offer empty rhetoric.
02:08We offer a serious, considered approach to governance.
02:13And I want to be clear, never again will we return to the chaotic politics and sticking plaster solutions that we've seen in recent years.
02:23The era of short term thinking is over and instead we move forward now as a united Britain.
02:31This election wasn't just about changing the party in power.
02:35It was all about changing the way that politics has to work for people.
02:41And in that vein, I promise to always be accessible, to always be accountable,
02:47and always to put your interests first when I'm in Parliament.
02:52I can promise you I'm going to get on with a job from Monday and start representing and championing our town.
02:59In closing, I'd like to thank my wife, my campaign team, my agent and my friends, families and our volunteers
03:08who've joined us from across the country to campaign in Northampton South.
03:13And of course, thank you to the voters for this incredible opportunity.
03:19The hard work starts here. Thank you.
03:23Northampton has voted for change. It's the honour of my life to be elected as our MP.
03:37I'm so proud of Northampton and I'm so grateful to everyone that put their faith in me.
03:44But whether you voted for me or not, I want to assure you that I know what public service means.
03:52The hard work and the commitment that it demands.
03:57I promise that I will represent us here in Northampton North to the very best of my ability.
04:04There are some people to thank.
04:07First, my opponents to the campaigns that they've run.
04:12It takes guts to stand, now more than ever.
04:16And I want to pay tribute to Sir Michael Ellis who served Northampton North for 14 years.
04:28Thank you also to everyone who made this process run smoothly.
04:32The returning officer, electoral services, council staff and our local police force.
04:39To my team and all our incredible volunteers who've knocked on doors with me through snow, heat waves and driving rain.
04:50You are the best of Northampton and this victory is yours.
04:55I want to say a particular thank you to my agent, Darren Ryland.
05:00To Molly Elliott, my organiser, and to my Labour predecessor, Sally Keeble,
05:05who served Northampton North so well for so many years and is still doing such important work in our community and elsewhere.
05:13And lastly, to my family.
05:21I can't mention you individually else, as you can tell, emotion will get the better of me.
05:26But needless to say, were it not for you, then I wouldn't be here.
05:30I'm under no illusion whatsoever as to the scale of the work that is needed.
05:35The scale of the change that people have told me that they want.
05:39That change has begun this evening and work, I know, will begin immediately under Keir Starmer
05:46with a focus on what it takes to give Britain and to give Northampton our future back.
05:52Thank you very much.