Mr Speaker-Elect (standing on the upper step)
Colleagues, before I take the Chair as Speaker-Elect, I wish to thank the House for the honour it has again bestowed upon me. I am aware that it is the greatest honour it can give to any of its Members. I pray that I shall justify its continuing confidence and I propose to do all within my power to preserve and cherish its best traditions.
I want, if I may, to say two other things. First—yes, it is a repetition, but I think it is a justified repetition—is it not marvellous to see the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke) as Father of the House, and back here in rude health?
Secondly, in welcoming the presence of all colleagues, and congratulating all those in all parties who have been re-elected, I hope that experienced Members will understand if I pay particular tribute to the 87 Members, I believe, who are newly elected for the first time. Whatever else you have done or will do in the course of your career, there will be no greater honour than that which you have just attained as elected Members of Parliament. I am sure that each and every one of you will be very conscious of your responsibility to your constituents. Rest assured: the Speaker will look out for you and be very keen, sooner rather than later, and more frequently rather than less frequently, to hear from you.
The Prime Minister (Mrs Theresa May)
rose—
The Speaker-Elect sat down in the Chair and the Mace was placed upon the Table.
The Prime Minister (Mrs Theresa May)
I was going to say, Mr Speaker-Elect, to all those who are new Members, that you can be in the House for 20 years and still not always know what the protocol is going to be.
Mr Speaker-Elect, on behalf of the whole House, may I congratulate you on your re-election? At least someone got a landslide. May I also congratulate you on becoming the first Speaker since the second world war to be re-elected three times? In your tenure so far, you have been a great champion of Back Benchers, ensuring that every Member of this House has the opportunity to speak and to be heard in representing the people they serve. This is such an important part of the way our democracy is upheld in the House, and I know that you will continue this vital role in the future, just as you have in the past.
Let me also thank my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke) for assuming the Chair for this election and welcome his return as the Father of the House. As you and others have said, Mr Speaker-Elect, he has had a long and distinguished career in his service to his constituents and to this country. It is very good to see him back here, where he belongs.
It may not surprise my right hon. and learned Friend that I intend to be difficult today and break with tradition by welcoming not only him as the Father of the House, but the returning Mother of the House. The right hon. and learned Member for Camberwell and Peckham (Ms Harman) has been a great advocate for increasing the number of women in Parliament. I am sure she will join me in celebrating the fact that there are now more women MPs than ever before.
As we welcome new Members on both sides of the House, we should also celebrate the fact that we now have a record number of MPs from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, including the first ever female Sikh MP, the hon. Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Preet Gill). We also have more disabled MPs and more LGBT MPs, and I hope that together we will continue to build on the progress we have made in previous Parliaments to fight against discrimination in all its forms and to make our politics more representative of all the people we serve. Although there is further to go, if there is one outcome from this election that we can all welcome, it is surely this: today we have the most diverse and representative Parliament in our history.
Members across the House will also want to pay tribute to their predecessors. We will all miss former Members not returned to this House, but we welcome our new colleagues. Being a Member of this House is a great privilege that requires dedication and often personal sacrifice, and everyone in this Chamber does it because they want to serve the public.
Whatever the result, general elections are above all an exercise in democracy and our values—the very democracy and values that the recent terror attacks sought to undermine. This is the first opportunity that Parliament has had to reflect on the despicable terrorist attacks in Manchester and at London Bridge. I am sure that Members on both sides will want to join me in sending our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of all those who lost their lives in the attacks. I know that the House will also want to express admiration for the extraordinary work of all our police and emergency services, whose courage and speed of response saved many lives.
As we begin this new Parliament, it is clear that our country faces some of the greatest challenges of our time: the challenge of keeping our nation safe, including by defeating the perverted ideology of Islamist extremism; the challenge of securing the best possible Brexit deal and delivering the will of the British people in taking the United Kingdom out of the European Union; and the challenge of spreading opportunity and prosperity to every part of our United Kingdom, so that no one and no community is left behind.
In meeting these challenges, what we have seen from the election is that parts of our country remain divided—divided between young and old, rich and poor, and those for whom the future offers a sense of opportunity and those for whom it brings worry and concern. Some people blame politics for these divisions or say there is too much politics. But politics can be an incredible force for good. Conducted in the right way, it can be how we resolve our differences, how we deal with injustices, and how we take, not shirk, the big decisions. It is not always glamorous or exciting but, at its best, the duty we share as politicians—to serve others in confronting these challenges—is a truly noble calling for us all.
The test for all of us is whether we choose to reflect divisions or to help the country overcome them. So let us choose in this Parliament to conduct ourselves in a manner fitting to this moment—to debate, to disagree, but in doing so to recognise that we all want to see a Britain that is stronger, fairer and safe and secure for our children and grandchildren; and that our shared values, interests and ambitions can, and must, bring us together.
As we face difficult challenges ahead, let us come together in a spirit of national unity to keep our country safe, and build a stronger, fairer and more prosperous future for everyone in every part of our United Kingdom.