Patrick Hurley: King’s Speech will take brakes off Britain and get Southport moving again

17th July 2024

Welcoming today’s King’s Speech, Labour’s MP for Southport, Patrick Hurley MP, said: “Today’s King’s Speech will help deliver the change that families and businesses in Southport have been crying out for.

“It’s a plan that will mean more jobs, better transport, new homes and investment in the infrastructure we need – ultimately, it’s an agenda to take the brakes off Britain and get Southport moving again.

“Towns and villages in this country have seen better days over the past years. Southport is no different. Whereas other areas have had, for instance, hospitals not built or transport links not implemented, Southport’s problems have manifested in the temporary closure of the town’s much-loved pier and a town centre whose main streets need more than their fair share of love and attention.

“I will do my best to ensure Southport’s best days lie ahead of it. I will work with colleagues in parliament and regularly meet with constituents across the new constituency to address these issues and bring about the change Southport needs.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This will be a government of service.

“My government will be committed to uniting the country in our shared mission of national renewal. We will serve every person, regardless of how they voted, to fix the foundations of this nation for the long term. The era of politics as performance and self-interest above service is over.

“The fight for trust is the battle that defines our political era. It is only by serving the interests of working people, and delivering real change that transforms lives, that we can begin to restore people’s faith that politics can be a force for good.

“Rebuilding our country will not happen overnight. The challenges we face require determined, patient work and serious solutions, rather than the temptation of the easy answer. The snake oil charm of populism may sound seductive, but it drives us into the dead end of further division and greater disappointment.”