People of Blackpool have 'spoken for Britain' - Labour's newest MP says

Labour's newest MP said the people of Blackpool South have "spoken for Britain" as the party secured a resounding by-election victory.

On Friday, Chris Webb became the first locally-born MP to represent the constituency in 60 years as Labour achieved its third biggest swing from a Conservative-held seat in a by-election since the Second World War.

Labour won Blackpool South with 10,825 votes as the Tories were adrift in second with 3,218 votes, closely followed by the Reform UK party on 3,101.

The election was called after Conservative MP Scott Benton resigned in the wake of a lobbying scandal. Mr Benton won the seat in December 2019 with a majority of 3,690.

The constituency was created in 1945 and was held by the Conservatives until 1997 when Gordon Marsden took the seat and retained it for 22 years.

In his victory speech, Mr Webb said: "The people of Blackpool South have spoken for Britain. They have said to Rishi Sunak and to the Conservatives they have had enough.

"They have had enough of 14 years of Conservatives being in power. They have lost the trust of the British people and Blackpool has had enough of this failed Government which has crashed the economy, destroyed our public services and put up taxes.

"They have said that it is time for change and that change started here in Blackpool tonight. Only Labour offer new hope for towns like Blackpool. We need change and we will get it under a Labour government.

"I will put the priorities of this town first and fight for residents in Westminster, and challenge this Government to get a better deal for Blackpool. People are fed up because nothing seems to work any more.

"People in Blackpool South and across the country are sick of the Government's failure to tackle the big issues facing our country.

"In this election we offered a plan for Blackpool that was positive, a plan to have more police on the street, deliver the regeneration our town needs and help hard-working families through the cost-of-living crisis.

"The message to the Prime Minister is that we need a general election, the sooner the better. People no longer trust the Conservatives.

"Prime Minister, do the decent thing - admit you have failed and call a general election.

"Give the people the same opportunity that people in Blackpool South had, a Labour member of Parliament and Keir Starmer in Downing Street, and let Labour get on with delivering the change the people of Britain want and deserve."

Reform UK candidate Mark Butcher said: "It's fantastic to see so much support and it's obvious that the people really have something to say here.

"We have done more than give the Conservatives a bloody nose, I think we have made a massive statement that nobody can doubt at all.

"I think the message is clear that we have got common sense policies for common sense people and I think people really want change, that's obvious."

Reform UK party leader Richard Tice, who attended the count at Blackpool Sports Centre, said: "Here we have had a brilliant local candidate, very well-known in the area.

"So while we have not had the historic data that the main parties have had and the ground game, we have made up in other ways.

"I think also because we just tell it how is. Our common sense policies, whether it's making work pay, lifting income tax thresholds to £20,000 to get people back in work.

"Whether it's the ambition to get to zero waiting lists on health care in just two years, whether it's freezing immigration, stopping the boats and actually stopping this mad gender ideology - people just appreciate the courage with which we just tell it how it is.

"The country is in a terrible state. The country needs reform. Britain needs reform and that's what we offer."

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