Banbury’s MP gives his maiden speech in parliament

“I promise you that I will work hard every day to deliver for you”

Banbury’s MP has given his maiden speech in the House of Commons.

Speaking during a debate on Thursday lunchtime Sean Woodcock took the opportunity to thank those who had given him the role he had always aspired to, to proudly talk about our area and to pay tribute to his predecessor Victoria Prentis.

Mr Woodcock opened by telling fellow MPs what an honour it was to be there as the Member of Parliament for Banbury.   He said: “As a Banbury lad who has never sought to represent anywhere else, I want to repeat what I told residents on the doorstep during the campaign: this is the job that I’ve always wanted.   To everyone who helped make that happen I can only say thank you.

“To those residents I also want you to know that now I have this job I promise you that I will work hard every day to deliver for you, whether you voted for me or not.”

As Banbury’s first ever Labour Member of Parliament, Mr Woodcock highlighted that the constituency had remained in the hands of the Conservatives for 102 years before July’s election, but noted in recent years the area had got used to change.

Mr Woodcock went on to proudly tell the House about the history of our area, touching on the landmarks of previous times which are still visible, including Broughton Castle, Bliss Mill, Tooley’s Boatyard and the Oxford Canal.  He also painted the picture of Banbury’s part in the Civil War with Banbury people being on the side of the Roundheads, despite the castle in its midst being on the side of the Cavaliers.   

MPs heard of the changes our area had seen with old industries such as cloth making in Chipping Norton and aluminium manufacturing in Banbury making way for new ones such as logistics, food processing and high-end mechanical engineering, such as the Haas Formula One team and Prodrive.

Mr Woodcock noted how the M40 had permanently changed Banbury from a small semi-industrial market town into something completely different.  He noted that despite thousands of new homes being built the Council housing waiting list has quadrupled in a decade and vital infrastructure had failed to meet local demand.

Despite the changes Mr Woodcock noted our area had not lost its sense of community.   He said: “The community has united across political divides and none in defence of our Horton General Hospital when faced with downgrading, successfully fighting it off in 2008, and less successfully in 2016.

“As the use of food banks grew in the years after 2010, people across the area came together to help them to support those who are in need.”

Arguably the country’s most famous farmer, and resident of the constituency, Jeremy Clarkson was highlighted for the light the programme shone on the huge challenges faced by farmers, locally and throughout the UK.

Mr Woodcock highlighted how many Polish citizens in the area were joined by local people to gather supplies for Ukrainian civilians fleeing that conflict, while welcoming others into their homes.   He noted that whilst Labour and Conservative politicians didn’t often agree they were united in their support for Ukraine, and praised his predecessor Victoria Prentis, saying: “I want to pay tribute to Victoria’s decency and her clear compassion for humanity as exemplified in her taking a Ukrainian refugee into her home, as much as for her nine year service to the community.”

Finishing his speech Mr Woodcock pledged his support to government and thanked his  family for their support, adding “in particular my wife, who despite having multiple sclerosis, remains the strongest, most steady and most stable woman that I’ve ever met.

“I stand here as one Banbury born and bred, ready to build a better Britain and a better Banbury and I’m determined to do it.”

You can watch the speech here.

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Published: 17/10/2024 04:37pm by Banbury FM Newsteam

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