Joe Morris has addressed the House of Commons for the first time to deliver the traditional maiden speech as a first-time Member of Parliament.

Mr Morris, who was elected on July 4 as the first ever Labour MP for the Hexham constituency, opened his speech on July 19 by thanking his constituents for placing their faith in him and sending him to Parliament while recognising that for many, it would have been the first time they had voted for a Labour representative.

Mr Morris further paid tribute to his predecessor, Guy Opperman, noting the former Member of Parliament’s public service and work for the constituency.

Further, during his remarks, Mr Morris welcomed those areas new to his constituency after the boundary review while paying tribute to those Members of Parliament who had represented those areas previously.

Mr Morris said: "It was a great honour to be able to address the House of Commons and speak with pride about our area. I am so proud to be the Member of Parliament for my and my family’s home. I spoke about our brilliant constituency and shed light for my colleagues about the character of where we live. 

“We live in the most beautiful part of our country, and I invited fellow Members of Parliament to come to our area and explore it in all its glory. Whether that be to walk the awe-inspiring Hadrian’s Wall, enjoy the wonders of our dark skies at the Kielder Observatory, gaze at the beautiful Tyne Valley from the comfort of the train or take in the joys of community life at events such as the annual Ovingham Goose Fair and Northumberland County Show.

“I further spoke about how glad I am to see that the new Labour government is already at work to deliver that change in areas such as the cleaning up of our great but heavily polluted rivers.

"I finished my maiden speech by recognising that we cannot work miracles in the House of Commons. But that I know as the first ever Labour MP for this constituency, I was elected on a mandate of change.

"I was not sent to Parliament with an expectation of overnight success, but to work as hard as I can to deliver the change my constituents need."

At the closing of yesterday’s debate on the King’s speech Mr Morris said: "I was pleased to hear from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs an acknowledgement of the anger and frustration around the neglect the countryside saw under the Tory government, a topic that many in our most rural communities spoke to me about during the course of the election, as well as the Secretary of State’s pledge to put rural Britain at the heart of the new Labour Government’s plans to change our country."