Andy Burnham slammed five years of Conservative government in his acceptance speech as MP for Leigh, and promised to fight for constituency and country.
He secured his fourth term as MP for Leigh with 53.65% of the vote – up from the 48% he received in 2010.
The Shadow Secretary of State for Health rallied against dependency on food banks, zero-hours contracts, ‘bedroom tax’, and the privatisation of the NHS, and vowed to ‘fight’ for Leigh and for Britain over the next five years.
“It is wrong that any child in this constituency is fed by a food bank because their parents can’t get enough hours to work,” he said.
“It is wrong that any vulnerable person in this constituency goes into debt because they happen to have a spare room in their house.
“It is wrong that young people in Leigh are having their dream of university snatched away from them because of the £30,000 cost.
“It is wrong that our ambulance services here have been privatised without anybody asking the permission of the people of this town.
“It is wrong that the generation who built the National Health Service after the War are now deemed only worthy of a 15-minute visit.”
Mr Burnham is already being talked of as a potential successor for Ed Miliband if the current Labour leader steps down.
“I will fight to put these things right in the next Parliament,” he said.
“I believe in Leigh, but I believe in Britain too. I will be fighting for both in the next five years as your Member of Parliament.”
