“To those people who expressed their great concerns to me about the plight of the Palestinian people, I promise that I will do everything I can to ensure that our country recognises the Palestinian state at the earliest possible opportunity alongside Israel.”
By Andy McDonald MP
The below text is the acceptance speech delivered by Andy McDonald MP following the announcement of his re-election as the MP for Middlesbrough.
As well as condemning Conservative austerity and the impact of their approach on people’s incomes, he set out a commitment to work for the recognition of the Palestinian state and an end to UK arms sales to Israel under a Labour Government. You can read it in full below:
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Tonight, it appears that Labour has won an historic victory. The party will form the next government with Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.
The voters of this country decided to turn a page on the Conservative misrule and misguided policies, their pork-barrel politics and sheer raw corruption.
Over fourteen years, the Conservatives unnecessary and ideological austerity agenda has crushed public services and during a cost of living crisis has held down people’s incomes whilst holding down their employment rights.
The voters of this country decided to turn a page on the Conservative misrule and misguided policies.
— Andy McDonald MP for Middlesbrough & Thornaby East (@AndyMcDonaldMP) July 6, 2024
The Conservatives unnecessary and ideological austerity agenda has crushed public servics and held down people&39;s incomes.
• acceptance speech 1/4 pic.twitter.com/NLoIZjqeK0
Here in Middlesbrough and Thornaby, our councils have suffered nearly fifteen years of budget cuts, decimating the services our communities rely on.
And all the while, workers suffer the indignity of in-work poverty under Conservative rule, as evidenced in disputes in just recent days. At our wonderful James Cook University Hospital, I was delighted to be of service to our wonderful healthcare assistants working with their union Unison to ensure that they received the pay that they’ve lost out on for years. And at our Job Centre, I stood with the GMB union and the DWP security guards in their campaign against the poverty wages paid by G4S.
The Tory offer of yet more division has been roundly rejected by the electorates. But the hard work for the Labour Party starts tonight. Politics can transform lives and life chances. Labour has done it before and we’ll do it again. And our manifesto sets out some of those possibilities.
After years of fire-and-rehire of zero-hours contracts, we now have the prospects of dignity and work with our new deal for working people. And after years of rip-off energy bills, we will deliver security and low bills with the new public sector, Great British Energy. And after years of eye-watering rail fares and unreliable train rimetables, we will take back control and restore rail to public ownership.
And on foreign policy. we must establish a human rights agenda and the immediate concern is Palestine – and Gaza. To those people who expressed their great concerns to me about the plight of the Palestinian people, I promise that I will do everything I can to ensure that our country recognises the Palestinian state at the earliest possible opportunity alongside Israel, holds to account those responsible for their war crimes, that full humanitarian aid is delivered and that our country observes its responsibilities and puts an end to the supply of arms to Israel.
On foreign policy, we must establish a human rights agenda and the immediate concern is Palestine – and Gaza.
— Andy McDonald MP for Middlesbrough & Thornaby East (@AndyMcDonaldMP) July 6, 2024
I will do everything I can to ensure that our country recognises the Palestinian state at the earliest possible opportunity.
• acceptance speech 3/4 pic.twitter.com/7xXCljmNlV
We inherit a country damaged beyond recognition by the Conservatives. And the tasks that Labour faces to rebuild our communities are immense. Today, Britain has voted for change. It has rejected the disgraced Conservative Party.
But this is no time for triumphalism. Now, Labour in government must get on with the task in hand and deliver change. And as John Smith said, all we ask is for the opportunity to serve. We now have that opportunity. Let’s get to it.
- Andy McDonald is the MP for Middlesbrough & Thornaby East
- You can follow him on x/twitter here and facebook here.
So clearly you have no business bing in British politics then.