MP gives maiden speech on last day of Parliament

Chris Webb will now be campaigning for re-election to the seat he won less than a month ago

England's newest MP gave his maiden speech on the last day of Parliament before the general election campaign.

Labour's Chris Webb was elected in Blackpool South on 2 May, in a by-election triggered by the resignation of his scandal-hit predecessor Scott Benton.

Mr Webb was sworn in only 15 days before Prime Minister Rishi Sunak surprised the nation on Wednesday by announcing polling day would fall on 4 July.

He told the House of Commons he chose to give his speech on Friday to avoid becoming "the answer to an obscure pub quiz question".

'Child of tourism'

MPs will return to their constituencies until 30 May, when parliament is officially dissolved.

He told the house: "I hadn’t expected to be getting back out on the campaign trail quite so soon.”

Mr Webb thanked his wife Portia and three-month-old son Cillian - and also paid tribute to his predecessor Mr Benton for his "work and support of local residents".

In a personal speech, the Blackpool native described himself as “a child of tourism”, his mother having moved to the seaside town to become a Butlins Redcoat.

He also singled out two teachers, Stephen Conway and Kate Winstanley, who supported him as "a young student with undiagnosed dyslexia".

Mr Webb revealed he had traced his family roots back 500 years.

Chris Webb delivering his maiden speech

“I discovered that in 1535, my 14th great grandfather, Edmund Moody, saved the life of Henry VIII," he said.

"On October 6 1541, the 32-year-old King was out hunting with his hawk when he tried to leap over a ditch with a pole that broke.

“Edmund Moody was a footman of the King who leapt into the water and saved him from drowning.”

He described his constituency as "alive with grassroots creativity, culture and a wealth of fascinating lives that could only have been lived in Blackpool.

"And it’s one of community, resilience and of people with very little who are always willing to help someone who has less.”

Mr Webb rounded off his speech by paying tribute to his “good friend and mentor” Tony Lloyd, the Labour parliamentarian and minister who died in January this year.

He recalled advice from Mr Lloyd who told him: "If it's not about making people's lives better, don't be a politician.’

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey responded by congratulating Mr Webb on an "excellent speech".

He said: "Although I am sure that those in Conservative central office will have other ideas, I hope it is the first of many speeches he gives in this House."