Norwich’s newest MP Clive Lewis vows to speak out for the city as he declares ‘New Labour is dead and buried and it needs to stay that way’

Clive Lewis taking the Norwich South vote . Photo: Steve Adams

Norwich’s new MP has vowed to be an outspoken voice for the city, declaring it will be a “tale of two cities” with Labour ruling the south and the Conservatives holding the north of Norwich.

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Former BBC journalist Clive Lewis won back the Norwich South seat for Labour from Liberal Democrat Simon Wright, with a large 7,654 majority, and said his priority now would be to stand up for Norwich’s most vulnerable members of society against an onslaught of Tory policies.

Having woken up to the news that Labour leader Ed Miliband had resigned and front-bencher Ed Balls had lost his seat, Mr Lewis was far from being in a celebratory mood following his own personal win.

The 43-year-old said: “It’s difficult because so many of the things I really wanted to change and challenge were things which would have been so much easier with a Labour Government and that’s now not going to happen.”

He added: “Knowing the Tories as I do, and their hubris, they will take this as carte blanche to demolish the NHS, dismantle social housing and cut welfare benefits.”

Mr Lewis said it was now his job to stand up for the people of Norwich, which he described as a city that likes to “do different”, break the mold and which has a radical past.

He said if there were “common areas” he would work with Chloe Smith and other MPs in Norfolk, but added: “It’s a tale of two cities now in many ways.

“Where I can find common ground I will work for the people of this city. Otherwise there are so many areas where we are going to disagree on the best way forward for this city.”

Mr Lewis said he felt the Labour Party now had to move away from the centre ground, taking a “bolder and more radical” stance to give people an alternative.

He said: “New Labour is dead and buried, and it needs to stay that way. We need something different that can offer an alternative to the politics of fear that’s at the core of what this Government represents.”