I am utterly gutted, to have come just 46 votes away, from being Elected a member of City of Wolverhampton Council for the ward of Penn.

I of course give my warm congratulations and best personal wishes, to Celia Hibbert, Stephanie Haynes and Paul Singh on there Re-Elections; not least to Paul of who now begins what will be a one year term.

I want to thank everyone in the Labour team across the City - not least my agent Henry Parry whose first Election helped signficiantly contribute towards our partal success with Celia topping the poll.

And most of all, I want to thank the 1,550 residents of Penn for placing there trust in me yesterday. It is a truly humbling feeling to have gained such support, but to be blunt I am heartbroken that it wasn't enough to be there champion in the Council Chamber.

For the record and for information, I declined the option of a recount or partal retallying, as a result of the length of time this would have taken - particuarly for the outstanding Counting team who spared a day to support our democratic processes and with 46 votes being a substanial enough tally not to be overturned.

I will have much more to say about my campaign in Penn, my views on a hugely encourging set of Elections for my party and my thinking for May 2nd 2024, when I feel ready in the coming few weeks after such a narrow loss which has almost litterally kung-fu kicked me in the gut.

But in the words of the wonderful Jacqui Smith, after her defeat in Redditch at the 2010 General Election: "It's a good thing in politics, to take part in an election where you fear you're going to lose, but you hope you're going to win."

Such a quote sums up my overriding feeling and with it, I again give congratulations to the Councillors on there Re-Election and my wholehearted thanks to the 1,550 residents of Penn who wanted me to serve them.

For that, I am forever grateful.