Words cannot fully express the deep gratitude I feel to more than 30,000 people who put their faith in me to again represent our community in Parliament – a record for a Labour candidate in Ilford North.

The outcome of the general election nationally is bad for Britain.

We have a weakened prime minister who sacrificed her majority in a general election that nobody wanted and which cost taxpayers £143million.

But that cost is set only to rise now we’ve got the details of the dodgy deal between the Tories and the Democratic Unionist Party – who have been promised over £1billion to keep Theresa May in Number 10.

That works out to £100million for each of the 10 votes the DUP has in Parliament.

Additional investment in public services will be welcomed by the people of Northern Ireland, but it is also badly needed here, too.

My priorities are to defeat the Tory school cuts, press the government to restore proper community policing, and to secure the investment our local NHS services need – including saving King George A&E.

As we negotiate our exit from the European Union I will continue to push for a deal that protects jobs, the economy and our public services.

As I said in my maiden speech in 2015, for as long as I continue to have the privilege of representing Ilford North in Parliament, I will never forget who sent me there and whose interests I serve.