I am immensely grateful to the voters of Wallasey for returning me to Parliament for the sixth time with a doubled majority, and for giving me the opportunity to serve my constituents for a further five years.

It’s fantastic to welcome 53 new Labour MPs to Parliament. I am particularly proud that 65% of these new MPs are women, and 15% are from BAME communities. It speaks to the inclusivity of our Party which has led the way with all-women shortlists and encouraging BAME candidates.

Now, more than ever, we need a strong Labour Party to fight for those most vulnerable in our society and to counter the worst excesses of a Tory government. Our Parliamentary Party needs to be active and robust in defending hard-won workplace rights, as well as fighting for our embattled NHS.

In these rapidly changing times, it is clear that we as a Party need to reflect on the result last Thursday, and to conduct an honest, open debate about how we chart a course back to Government. There are hard lessons to be learnt, but I firmly believe that Labour can rebuild, and that we can once again provide compelling answers to the challenges our country faces.