To be elected to any public office is an honour. Last week, I was entrusted by the people of Crawley for the fourth time to be our town's Member of Parliament.
As I have done for the last nine and a half years, I will continue to put the interests of Crawley and our United Kingdom first in the House of Commons. The issues raised by local residents with me on the campaign trail – support for our schools, more funding for our NHS, and getting Brexit done – will be just a few of the causes I will continue to pursue.
I am delighted to have received more than half of the votes cast in Crawley, and to have more than trebled my majority. It is not lost on me that this is the first time since the creation of the Crawley parliamentary constituency in 1983 that our town's representative has been elected for a fourth time.
Of course, as the local Member of Parliament my role is to represent all in our town. I reiterate my commitment to do so, and to seek to assist local residents regardless of their political affiliation.
Having been on the losing side of parliamentary elections in Crawley in the past; my commiserations and thanks to my three opponents, Peter, Khalil and Iain. I am grateful to Crawley Borough Council staff and the police who all ensured the smooth running of polling day and the count at K2.
For the fourth time in four years, the people have spoken in favour of the UK leaving the European Union. I stood on a general election manifesto which also pledged to support our NHS, level up school funding, and provide security in work and retirement.
From improving our infrastructure through expansion of superfast broadband and 5G, recruiting more police officers and supporting the wealth creators and our employers, there is much to do as we head towards the new decade. These will be just some of the topics I will focus on in the weeks, months and years ahead.
Henry Smith MP