Coventry East general election result and new MP Mary Creagh says it’s an ‘honour’ to serve the city

Coventry’s new MP Mary Creagh said it was the “honour of my life” to represent the city where she grew up. Ms Creagh is the new MP for Coventry East after winning more than 18,000 votes.

She stepped in to represent Labor at the 2024 general election after former MP Colleen Fletcher, who had been MP for the constituency since 2015, stood down.

Conservative candidate Sarah Lesadd came third behind Reform’s Iddrisu Sufyan after the party, led nationally by Nigel Farage, saw a surge in support in the city. Nationally, the Tory vote collapsed, with a number of high-profile names losing their seats in a bruising night for the party.

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Ms Creagh thanked Ms Fletcher for her dedication to serving the city over the years, along with her family, including her husband, children and mother, whom she described as “my inspiration and my role model”.

In an acceptance speech, she said: “Thank you to the people of Coventry East. After 14 years of Conservative failure, you called for change. Under Keir Starmer, the Labor Party has changed and is once again serving working people.

“I want to pay tribute to my predecessor, Colleen Fletcher, who, as a councilor and MP, gave decades of service to the people of this city – a level of dedication not often seen in any walk of life in Nowadays. Her constituency is safe in me. hands.

“I grew up in this town during the Thatcher years and experienced mass unemployment, deprivation and devastating knife crime. This experience led me to join the Labor Party in an effort to change things for the better. I am passionate about every child getting the best start.

“People here work harder, harder, harder for less. I am delighted to be part of a government that (…) will reduce people’s bills and create green jobs and tackle the climate crisis.

“Coventry is a young, welcoming and diverse city. For centuries people have come here, worked here and made Coventry their home. It is the honor of my life to come home and serve the people and place that made me who I am.”

Coventry East results in full

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