'I'm ready to hit the ground running' - more reaction from new Blackpool South MP Chris Webb

Blackpool's new MP Chris Webb plans to hit the ground running as he sets about taking up his seat in Parliament.

He will have only a short window before going to the polls again after his victory in the Blackpool South by-election but is confident he has the backing of constituents to win again when the General Election is called.

And he said he was delighted to be elected to represent the town he was born in and grew up in. He said: "I feel incredibly proud and incredibly humbled. It is an honour and when the returning officer told us the result I was astounded."

Mr Webb was elected with a majority of 7,607 and secured almost 59 per cent of the vote. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "It has sunk in, but not the scale of the victory. We won every single polling district in Blackpool South. We felt positive on the doors that our message resounded with people.

"We think the Tory vote turned to Labour. Every day people were saying that to me because they want change. I am confident we will keep the seat at the General Election with an even greater majority. We knew this was a turning point. I thought we would get around 50 per cent of the vote but never to a high of nearly 60 per cent. We ran an incredibly positive campaign."

But Mr Webb knows he must deliver on the mandate given to him right from his first day in office.

He said: "It is a lot of pressure but I am ready to hit the ground running with my plans for my first 100 days representing Blackpool South. I am going to be holding my first surgery on Friday."

In the meantime, there are also practical matters to be attended to such as finding office space and attending his formal induction into Parliament on Tuesday. He added: "I am already setting up meetings with people including Amanda Thompson from the Pleasure Beach about how we can get people into jobs and get my plans for Blackpool underway."