The comments made by Sam Rushworth, the Labour MP for Bishop Auckland, on 11 May 2026.
As the Labour MP elected for Bishop Auckland with a majority of just over 1,500 votes, I know something about the difficult political landscape facing Labour in the North East. I speak to constituents every week who are struggling with the cost of living, who are worried about public services, and who desperately want to see change after years of Conservative failure.
The Labour Government has already done important things in its first two years. We have delivered the biggest expansion of workers’ rights in a generation, taken serious steps to tackle child poverty, brought rail franchises back into public ownership, set up Great British Energy and started to rebuild the NHS. In County Durham, we have seen investment in our high streets, support for our schools, and a renewed focus on jobs and growth.
But I also know that many people feel impatient. They want change to come faster, and they want to feel that politics is on their side. That is why the message from last week’s elections must be taken seriously. Voters are not giving us a free pass. They are telling us to listen harder, move quicker and make sure that the benefits of a Labour Government are felt in every town and village.
I do not believe the answer is to turn inwards or to spend the next few months arguing with ourselves. The country needs a Labour Government that is focused on delivery, not division. Keir Starmer led our party from its worst defeat in modern times to a landslide general election victory, and he deserves the chance to finish the job of changing Britain.
There will be difficult conversations ahead, and there should be. Labour MPs have a duty to be honest about what is working and what is not. But those conversations must be rooted in the interests of the people we represent, not in Westminster speculation or personal ambition.
My focus remains on Bishop Auckland, the villages and communities across our constituency, and making sure that this Labour Government delivers the change people voted for.