Time to 'end chaotic sticking plaster politics of the populist right'

It's time to put an end to the "chaotic sticking plaster politics of the populous right" and tackle Cornwall's problems and rebuild the UK together. That's the ambitious message of the newly elected Labour MP for St Austell and Newquay Noah Law who snatched the seat for Labour from the Conservatives at the General Election.

The 29-year-old is one of four Labour MPs to now represent Cornwall in Parliament along with two Lib Dem MPs after the Conservatives were wiped out from the Duchy. Mr Law said he is under no illusion that the job at hand will be tough and the challenges Cornwall and the UK face, from the housing crisis to a health service on its knees to crime on our streets, will not be fixed overnight.

But the new Labour MP said Cornwall's voice would be strongly represented in Parliament and in Keir Starmer's new government to come. Following the count at Truro College throughout the night, Mr Law, whose voice crackled and shook with emotion, said: "I'm under no illusions how hard the fight ahead will be but this has been a vote for the Labour party that's resolutely focused on the priorities of working people.

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"We're fighting for economic security, cheaper bills, safer streets, the NHS back on its feet, secure borders, and better opportunities for the next generation in Cornwall.

"I will stand up and be a voice that we seldom had in Westminster with Cornish Labour MPs in a Labour government. We ran this election as a changed Labour party, and thank you for putting your trust in us to change the country."

Noah Law secured some 15,958 votes 34.1 per cent ahead of outgoing Tory MP Steve Double who won 13,488 votes (28.9 percent). Stephen Beal from Reform came third with 9,212 votes (19.71 per cent) ahead of Joanna Kenny (Liberal Democrats) and her 4,805 votes (10.28 per cent), Amanda Pennington (Green) - 2,337 (five per cent), Jay Latham (Liberal) - 490 votes (1.05 per cent) and Angie Rayner (Independent) - 442 votes (0.95 per cent).

Labour now has a 2,470 vote majority (or 5.29 per cent). Turnout at the general election in the constituency was 46,732 (61.38 percent). By comparison, in 2019, Mr Double was re-elected with a 15,942-strong majority (28.93 per cent) for a turnout of 55,098 (73.87 per cent).

Mr Law added: "Kier Starmer is realistic about the challenges we face and the practical ways we need to tackle them. I ran this campaign on three clear pledges. Drafted from the thousands of conversations I have had on the doorsteps and the many more I have had in this community in my 29 years.

"I have been given a mandate to fight for jobs and prosperity, to tackle the Cornish housing crisis and to revitalise our towns and infrastructure. And I am realistic about the immense scale of those challenges, but also the first step that I will take to address them.

"There are no quick fixes but the Labour party is focused on what it will take to get Britain's future back and provide an incredible set of policy tools to get to work here in Cornwall. Never again will we go back to the chaotic sticking plaster politics of the populist right. Politicians and politics should serve the public. It's time to end the chaos and dysfunction in Westminster and rebuild our country together."