MP, Leader of the Labour
Party, making a statement following the conclusion of the
investigation by Durham Police, said:
I've always said that no rules were broken when I was in Durham.
The police have now completed their investigation and found that
there is no case to answer.
People said to me I was taking a risk by saying I would step down
if I was fined.
But it was never about that.
For me, it was a matter of principle.
It shouldn’t be controversial to say that those who make the law
can't break the law.
But we have to set the bar far higher than that.
Our country is stuck in a dangerous rut.
Everywhere you look things are broken.
And nothing gets fixed.
People say to me when they look at those running the country,
they see a group of people totally detached from reality, whose
words mean nothing, and who put their own interest first.
Who could blame them for concluding that politics doesn’t matter
and doesn’t work.
This is not just about .
This feeling that politics has failed hasn’t emerged in the last
few months.
It's been bubbling away for years.
And people have completely lost faith that this can be changed.
That politics can be a force for good.
The reason I made the promise that I did was to change their
mind.
Because when politics is done well, when people can have faith
that politicians’ words mean something,
When the power of government sits in the hands of those
determined to serve the country,
Like when Labour created the NHS,
When we introduced the Equal Pay Act,
And when we brought people together to deliver peace in Northern
Ireland,
Politics can change lives.
And that is what I will do as Prime Minister.
It is vital that we reboot our economy, re-energise our
communities, revitalise our public services, and give Britain the
fresh start it needs.
In the coming days, I'll set out more about how a reforming
Labour government will achieve just that.
It’s no small project.
And I know I have to convince you to put your trust in me, and
believe that together we can build a better country.
I won’t get everything right.
I’m certainly not perfect, and I will make mistakes along the
way.
But what you will always get from me is someone who believes
honesty and integrity matter.
Someone who will work every day for the good of the country.
And someone who will not betray the faith that you place in me.
Thank you.
