It’s been a real privilege to serve as your MP.

Coming from the background I do, I’ve learned to take nothing for granted.

I didn’t imagine I’d enter Parliament in 2005, and never dreamt I’d be standing here for a second time tonight.

I’m thrilled, excited, delighted and energized, but above all I feel a sense of humility and gratitude.

So I’d like to thank the returning office, the police and the council staff for a well-run count.

I want to thank the hundreds of activists who’ve worked with me on thousands of doorsteps.

My appreciation, of course, goes to the other candidates for fighting a fair campaign. It’s a credit to politics.

And I’d like to thank former Labour and LibDem voters for putting aside historic worries, and lending your support.

No political party will ever be perfect.  I will do my best.

Politics can be a painful and consuming vocation.

And I really wouldn’t be here tonight without the support of my wife and family. 

I love you very much, and thank you so much for your enthusiastic backing over many years.

Now I’d particularly like to welcome to the constituency the residents of Binfield & Warfield and Warfield Harvest Ride.

Success is not down to me alone,

It’s down to you, all of you, who chose to exercise your vote.

And you have my commitment.

You have my commitment that, locally, I’ll continue to work hard on the issues that concern us and, in Parliament, I’ll put the national interest first, before personal gain and beyond partisan politics.

In closing I want to say this.

There’s no doubt we’re living in difficult times with record debt & deficit, recession, unemployment and reduced social mobility.

Our country’s been led from the top of the world league tables to the bottom, in so many areas.

We entered this election with our country on its knees.

But I believe, with the right government, we can enter the next election with our heads held high.

In this age of celebrity, it’s all too easy for politicians to pull the wool over our eyes.

But good governance is about the quiet graft at the back of the shop.

And when it comes to repairing our economy, our society and our politics;

It’s not about popular gimmicks,

It’s not about manipulating people with vacuous public announcements,

It’s about quietly and effectively delivering sound, practical policies that work.

And I have a dream that we’ll look back in years to come and say: this, this was the day the rebuilding began.

Now I certainly hope we’re witnessing a change tonight – a change for the better.

But whatever the final result, you have my commitment that I’ll do all I can to play my part in putting Britain back on track.

Thank you for giving me the chance.

Tonight, the hard work begins.