Labour leader Keir Starmer said ‘the change begins right here… you have voted, it is now time for us to deliver’ as he was re-elected as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras
Election 2024: Keir Starmer makes speech after securing seat
Keir Starmer has declared that the country “has spoken and is ready for change”.
The Labour leader will formally be appointed as Prime Minister today after he secured a landslide election victory. The Conservatives are on course for their worst result in history with scores of the party’s MPs losing their seats.
Speaking his count in Camden after he was re-elected as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras. Here is his speech in full:
“It is a huge privilege to be re-elected to serve this constituency. The incredible community of Holborn and St Pancras. My home, where my kids have grown up, where my wife was born. I have to thank Vic and my family more than anyone for their love and support and for keeping me totally grounded.
“Thank you so much to the police and the returning officer for making sure every voice is heard and every vote is counted. Thank you to Andy White, a fantastic agent, the campaign team, the local party and all the volunteers who’ve worked so hard over the last six weeks and beyond. Every door knock, every leaflet delivered, every conversation. It makes a massive difference.
“And lastly, I’d like to pay tribute to my fellow candidates who put themselves forward for public service. Because in this room right here beats the heart of our democracy. Not in Westminster or Whitehall, but in town halls and community centres up and down the country, in polling stations and voting booths and most of all in the hands of the people who hold the power of the vote.
“It all starts here. And it starts with you. Change begins in this community, with the people who came together to make life better, like the fantastic councillors who worked so hard for our area. Service starts in this neighborhood. The groups, the faith communities, the local organisations who serve week in, week out. And hope starts with that one kid in Somers Town who dares to believe that the future belongs to her.
“And with Labour it will. Because I promise this, whether you voted for me or not, I will support every person in this constituency. The mothers I sat with who’ve lost children to knife crime, the pensioners who can’t get the doctors appointments they desperately need, the local businesses who have struggled so hard to keep their head above water. I will speak out for you, have your back, fight your corner every single day.
“Tonight, people here and around the country have spoken and they’re ready for change, to end the politics of performance, a return to politics as public service. The change begins right here, because this is your democracy, your community, and your future. You have voted. It is now time for us to deliver.”
