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00:00Good morning everyone, and it is indeed a very good morning here in Bracken, Radnor and Kuntawy.
00:06It's an absolute privilege to have been elected as the Liberal Democrat MP for Bracken, Radnor and Kuntawy.
00:12I'm extremely grateful to everyone who came out to vote to make this happen.
00:17I'm truly humbled.
00:19Yesterday, this constituency voted in its droves.
00:22And when it voted, people from every kind of community, from every part of our enormous constituency
00:29voted decisively to reject the sleaze, scandal and neglect of the outgoing Conservative Government.
00:37Decades of mismanagement have damaged the public's trust in politicians across Wales and across the country.
00:44I intend to restore that trust across our communities.
00:49That starts today with the Welsh Liberal Democrats regaining their presence in Westminster.
00:55Wales will once again have a Liberal voice face fighting its corner.
00:59And that voice is unique.
01:02It is one that is strongly rooted in community, believes in putting power as close to the people as possible.
01:09Liberalism's roots are here in Wales, and Mid Wales in particular.
01:14And it's fitting that our party's Welsh revival starts here in Bracken, Radnor and Kuntawy,
01:20where Richard Livesy once kicked off a previous revival of our party's fortunes.
01:25And while the north of this constituency has a long history of liberalism,
01:30some parts of Kuntawy and the Upper Swansea Valley haven't had a Liberal MP since 1922.
01:36Which only goes to demonstrate what a seismic result this is.
01:41My message to these communities is thank you.
01:45And I intend to show you how hard-working Liberal Democrats are,
01:49and to provide you with a voice to demand better for your communities.
01:53I'll be a voice for all of our communities, from the rural hills of Raerdyn in the far north,
01:58to the post-industrial valley community of Pontarderry in the south.
02:02The people of this constituency may face different challenges,
02:05but they are united by belief that things can be better than they currently are.
02:10We are campaigning for fairer funding for Wales,
02:13ending the sewage-damping scandal,
02:15and standing up for our world-class farmers attacking child poverty.
02:20These are all the issues we've been campaigning on.
02:23I'll work hand-in-hand with our Senate Member, Jane Dodds,
02:27to tackle NHS waiting times and dental shortages, and fight for better public transport.
02:33Our party and Liberalism have so much to offer a Wales
02:37that is faced with a stagnant Welsh Labour government,
02:40and a Conservative party in decline.
02:42And our victory here is just the start of our revival,
02:46as we head towards the Senate elections in 2026.
02:50I'd like to thank the police, the returning officer,
02:54and the staff for ensuring that our democracy has run smoothly into night,
02:58and to the other candidates standing in this election,
03:00and for running a hard-fought campaign.
03:02This includes the departing MP Faye Jones,
03:05for her dedicated service to the community.
03:08I'd like to say an enormous thank you to my campaign team,
03:11and my agent Mitch, for the enormous amount of effort they've put into this election.
03:16Democracy simply wouldn't function without those dedicated volunteers
03:21who put in the work to fight for something they believe in.
03:25Our campaign was the best type of campaign,
03:28full of great, enthusiastic people,
03:31and run locally with volunteers from every corner of this constituency.
03:36A special thanks to our Welsh leader and Senate Member, Jane Dodds,
03:40and the former Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon and Radisher, Roger Williams,
03:44for their constant advice and support.
03:47Thank you very much.