I will make sure that no one is left behind

Last week, Ashton-under-Lyne MP Angela Rayner became deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for the re-named Ministry of Housing, Local Government and Communities - as Labour snatched power from the Conservatives. Here, the Stockport-raised politician writes for the M.E.N. on her priorities in government and her hopes for Britain...

STEPPING foot into a government department as deputy Prime Minister is not an experience I ever imagined growing up. People from my estate back home in Stockport weren't dreaming about the corridors of power.

But for families across Britain today, Westminster feels so far away and detached from their day-to-day lives. I want to change that. On my first day in government, the voices of the people I met throughout the election campaign were ringing in my ears.

Families stuck in cramped temporary accommodation. Couples priced out of the housing ladder, and unable to get good jobs close to home. Young workers denied a decent wage. The foundations of a good life – home, work, community – are all crumbling after 14 years of neglect.

People on the doorstep asked me: “Angela, what are you going to do to improve my life?” My answer was always the same: “A Labour government will serve you, respect you and unlock your potential. Just give us the chance.”

And Britain voted decisively for change last week. For a return to the politics of public service. And change is what this government will deliver, with Keir’s leadership.

I know what a government can achieve when it listens and serves working people. It was a Labour government that changed my life when I was growing up. I am proud to be part of a government with a plan to change Britain and give people the opportunities I had.