The Prime Minister (Mr David Cameron)
On behalf of the whole House, let me congratulate you, Mr Speaker-Elect, on your re-election. It is of course your second re-election this month. I noticed during the first that there was some confusion in the media about whether my party had won 330 or 331 seats in the general election. It seems the media were unsure about whether you are a Conservative. I am sure you find this as baffling as I did. It is a tribute to the inclusive way in which you have upheld this office always, as you have just said, putting Back Benchers first. I am sure you will do that in this Parliament, just as you did in the last.
I am sure the House will also want to join me in congratulating the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Sir Gerald Kaufman) on becoming the Father of the House. Those looking to benefit from his vast experience may wish to consider reading his book, “How to be a Minister”, copies of which have been known to disappear mysteriously from the House of Commons Library. It has chapters on how to work with No. 10 and how to work with the trade unions, so there is something in there for everybody. There is even some advice for a party leader who did not make it to this Chamber. The Father of the House writes in this book:
“If you are contemplating resigning…be entirely sure you want to go.”
Let me also welcome the right hon. and learned Member for Camberwell and Peckham (Ms Harman). We faced each other just like this five years ago. I think it is fair to say that since then I have lost a coalition partner but gained a number of new friends. In terms of her position, there seems to be a common pattern: a man comes along, does the job and makes a terrible mess of it, and she comes along and sorts it all out. She, like me, might be wondering why she is not given the job on a permanent basis.
I would also like to use this opportunity to welcome all the newly elected Members of Parliament on both sides of the House. I am particularly pleased to be able to say that the House is now more diverse and more representative than ever before. We have the largest number of women MPs and the largest number of MPs from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. We have the first MP of Chinese origin—my hon. Friend the Member for Havant (Alan Mak). Women Ministers now make up a third of those around the Cabinet Table, including for the first time a woman of Indian descent, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Priti Patel).
Mr Speaker-Elect, there is still further to go, and we must strive in the years ahead to do more to make our parties and our politics more representative, but I am pleased that my party has played its part in the progress we see today.
Mr Speaker-Elect, I have that said this will be a one nation Government. I know we have our differences across the House, but I hope this will also be a one nation Parliament. The task before us is to unite in making sure that our economy works for everyone in every part of our United Kingdom, and to unite in bringing our society together and strengthening the understanding between different faiths and communities so that we stand as one in defending our values and fighting prejudice, intolerance and extremism in all its forms.
I hope and believe that we can bring the countries of our United Kingdom together, implementing the devolution agreed for Wales and Northern Ireland; creating in Scotland the strongest devolved Government anywhere in the world; and delivering a constitutional settlement that offers real fairness to England, too.
Mr Speaker-Elect, whatever our disagreements across this House, we are here to serve the people of the whole of the United Kingdom—and that is exactly what we shall do.