Keir Starmer: ‘It all starts here’
After securing the Holborn and St Pancras seat, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer pledged to “end the politics of performance”.
He said: “Tonight people here and around the country have spoken and they’re ready for change – to end the politics of performance and 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.”
Sir Keir said he had to thank his wife Vic and his family “more than anyone” for keeping him “grounded”.
He added: “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 people who hold the power of the vote. It all starts here.”
Sir Keir continued: “Whether you voted for me or not, I will serve every person in this constituency.
“The mothers I sat with who lost children to knife crime, the pensioners who can’t get the doctor’s appointments they desperately need, the local businesses who’ve struggled so hard to keep their head above water. I will speak out for you. Have your back. Fight your corner, every single day.”