He gave the first speech responding to the unanimous reelection of Sir Lindsay Hoyle as speaker, as he joined more than 600 other MPs being sworn into a new parliament that looked very different to the last.
The new Commons includes the largest number of women ever elected – 263, some 40 per cent of the total – and the most nonwhite MPs, at 90.
Sir Keir paid special tribute to Diane Abbott – the longest serving female MP – weeks after a row over her selection as a Labour candidate.
Ms Abbott, 70, was first elected in June 1987, becoming the first black woman elected to the House of Commons.
He said Ms Abbott has “done so much in her career over so many years to fight for a parliament that truly represents modern Britain”.
Sir Keir said the new parliament was “the most diverse by race and gender this country has ever seen”. He also reiterated his campaign pledge to “replace the politics of performance with the politics of service”.
In her own speech, Ms Abbott said: “When I was a new member in 1987, there were only 40 female members of parliament. Today we have 264, and some of us are glad that we have lived to see this.”
This story is from the July 10, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the July 10, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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