Town’s new MP bigs up ‘golden sands and stunning sunsets’ of Morecambe Bay during her maiden Commons speech

Referencing the natural beauty of the constituency alongside key issues for residents, Ms Collinge gave colleagues a tour of the constituency and a flavour of her priorities as an MP.

Ms Collinge paid tribute to her substantive predecessor David Morris.

She also included two other predecessors, Tim Farron and Cat Smith, from whom she inherited parts of Westmorland and Lower Lune Valley respectively.

Ms Collinge also celebrated the contribution of Geraldine Smith, who served Morecambe and Lunesdale from 1997 to 2010 saying she was “still extremely well regarded in the constituency”.

Ms Collinge credited her friend Cat Smith with her introduction to Labour Party politics joking that “When I joined the Labour party in 2014 after the birth of my first child, my hon. Friend invited me for a brew. I thought this was a very kind gesture. Little did I know what she had in store for me.”

Speaking of the constituency, Ms Collinge said: “Morecambe and Lunesdale is definitely the most beautiful constituency in the country. From the golden sands of Middleton, through the beautiful art deco buildings and stunning sunsets of Morecambe, up the lush Lune Valley, across the Arnside and Silverdale national landscape, and into the wild beauty of Westmorland, you would be hard pushed to find a better place to live or work.”

Ms Collinge also referenced her commitment to representing the whole of the large constituency saying: “My constituency has a diverse set of towns and villages, all with their own needs and fantastically strong communities… In constituencies such as Morecambe and Lunesdale, one size does not fit all, so as our new Government deliver their ambitious programme of national renewal, I will ensure that the voices of all my communities are heard.”

The new MP referenced key legislation to be introduced by the new Government, including bus system reforms, independent football regulation, support for farmers, action on water pollution and nature protection.

Ms Collinge also spoke of her longstanding interest in health and social care, paying tribute to health safety campaigners and indicating her desire to continue working on health matters.

Ms Collinge closed her speech with a moving and witty tribute to her family, including her late grandparents, and promising to work across the chamber to serve her constituents.

The speech can be watched at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3735130340079454&rdid=lJq9oYSwQX0Fz881