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Labour leadership: Stephen Morgan MP welcomes news that Keir Starmer has stormed contest

By 4 April 2020No Comments

This morning the Labour Party announced that Keir Starmer has won the Labour leadership contest, securing him as official Leader of the Opposition.

The new party leader won on the first round of ballots with an impressive 56.2% of the vote. Angela Rayner was also elected as Deputy Party Leader.

Portsmouth South MP and Shadow Minister Stephen Morgan has been supporting and campaigning for Starmer and Rayner throughout the long campaign, nominating both candidates back in January.

Welcoming Keir Starmer as the new leader of the party, Stephen Morgan MP said:

“This leadership election has been long and it is fair to say it hasn’t ended in the way that any of us in the Labour Party expected because of the coronavirus crisis. It has been a huge privilege to be part of a campaign where the party has come out of it better, more united and ready to build another future.

Labour is at it’s best when it is a force for good and a force for change.

It is fantastic to have a Labour Leader who has invested so much time coming to Portsmouth to hear our city’s concerns, understand the challenges our communities face, and campaigned alongside us.

I am excited about working with Keir and the party as we build the path back to power and to transform our city and our country for the better”.

On Portsmouth, Keir Starmer MP has said:

“This is a great city and I’m beginning to really get a grip of what we need to do here. We also have to understand how the likes of Stephen Morgan MP increased his majority.

To win more seats we need people like him who are well-known and liked around the place; there’s a real sense of engagement.”

Commenting on the challenge ahead for the new party leadership, Stephen Morgan MP said:

“We are in an unprecedented time for our country where checks and balances on the Government’s actions are needed more than ever. There is no doubt in my mind that Keir’s strategic mind, forensic analysis and commitment to social justice, will be greatly needed not just by Labour, but by the nation amidst this crisis.

For now, Labour’s focus must be on supporting people to get through this pandemic, and as Britain recovers from this crisis, being a strong and effective party with the ideas and drive to build a fairer, more just society where no one is ever left behind”

Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner were both nominated by Portsmouth Labour Party. Local activists joined phone banking sessions helping to contact over 300,000 party members and supporters across the country.

A packed rally in the city in late February hosted by the city MP saw guest speaker and Pompey footballer Christian Burgess warm up the crowd before Keir Starmer addressed the audience.