‘My constituents feel empowered’

POLITICS: Conservative MP for Rother Valley Alexander Stafford said his constituents “do not feel left behind – instead they feel empowered”, in his maiden speech in the Commons.

Mr Stafford said: “Although I know these are testing times, I know that everyone, especially those in Rother Valley will all pull through stronger.”

CONSERVATIVE MP for Rother Valley Alexander Stafford has said his constituents “do not feel left behind – instead they feel empowered”, in his maiden speech in the House of Commons.

A maiden speech is the first substantive speech made by a new MP in the House, although they may take part in other debates before the speech is made.

Mr Stafford, who was elected in December, said: “Although I know these are testing times for our country and our communities, I know that everyone, especially those in Rother Valley will all pull through stronger than ever before.”

Mr Stafford said the constituency, which elected a Tory for the first time in December amid a crumbling of the so-called ‘red wall’, was a “selection of beautiful small towns and villages, proudly situated in Yorkshire, that are all wrapped up in their love for our country and their home”.

He said: “Coal mining has played an important part in our area’s development, with some of the country’s most important mines situated at Maltby, Kiveton, Thurcroft and Treeton. Many of our areas have a long history of mining, but in Whiston, the mining of white stone was recorded in the Domesday Book.”

He added: “And of course, in more recent times it was in Rother Valley, outside a coking plant in 1984 where the infamous Battle of Orgreave took place.”

Mr Stafford also pointed to the farming areas in the constituency, and paid tribute to family, friends, and his predecessor.

“My predecessor Kevin Barron, formerly ‘Red Kev’ as he was known and more recently, Sir Kevin, was first elected four years before I was born and though I’m sure we would disagree on many things, his love for our area, and his championing of anti-smoking is to be much applauded,” he said.

“But one thing that surely separates me from my predecessors is the collieries. Whereas all of them had close ties to the mining community, either working in or for those that did, mine are more in the steel community – also key to our local prosperity. But times have changed.

“And as times have changed so have the people of Rother Valley.

Conservative MP Alexander Stafford.

We look to a better, brighter future for our children and our children’s children.”

He added: “You will never find a more industrious, hard-working, family loving, patriotic people than those across Rother Valley. We are rightly proud of our history, heritage and our culture. We are not a people to tear things down – we would rather raise them up. It is these attributes that have driven the wealth of South Yorkshire and ultimately the wealth of this great nation.

“In this House we often hear reference to the places that turned blue for the first time as being left behind. Well, I can tell you that the men and women of

Rother Valley do not feel left behind – instead they feel empowered.

“Rather than being told what their lives are going to be like, or should be like, we have chosen a different path.

“A path where we will no longer be taken for granted – where our voices and our votes do matter. We do matter!

“And last December we spoke with one voice and just like outside Jericho, we blew the horn of hope and the red wall came tumbling down.”

But he said: “I know that some voters lent me their vote for the first time – and I say to them, that I will not let you down.”

The men and women of Rother Valley do not feel left behind.