Mairead McGuinness, MEP and first Vice-President of the European Parliament, has thanked the electorate of Midlands North-West or the resounding mandate she has received in being re-elected.
“I am deeply honoured and humbled by the size of the mandate I have received,” she said.
“I feel a great sense of responsibility. I take it as a signal of approval for the work I have put in over the last five years, from agriculture and food, to the environment to my work on Brexit and a whole range of other issues.
“And I want to assure those who have voted for me, and the entire electorate, that there will be no let up on my efforts over the next five years.”
She said she was “quietly confident” that her colleague, Maria Walsh, would join her in the new Parliament. “That would mark a tremendous achievement for a new, energetic candidate who has a great political future ahead of her,” she said.
McGuinness said the new European Parliament now taking shape will determine how effectively the Parliament can be in the years ahead.
She said that Brexit has become more complicated and worrying in recent weeks.
“We remain committed to the withdrawal agreement and expect the incoming leadership of the Conservative Party to show real leadership and chart a course for the U.K. out of the current impasse.
“The art of compromise, an essential ingredient for successful politics, has unfortunately been downgraded and viewed as a sign of weakness rather than a sign of strength in the current disruptive political environment, and that will be an even deeper challenge than heretofore,” she said.
“And an early and critically important issue for the new Parliament will be to successfully complete negotiations for the new Common Agriculture Policy for the period beyond 2020.”