“Obviously I am disappointed about the result. It was not what I believed was best for the future of our country and our economy. But people have spoken loud and clear. I heard and understood the concerns, indeed the anger, people had throughout this process (and before) and the local result was not unexpected.
Now my priority will be to focus on helping to get best deal for Britain from Brexit. Now we have made this decision, we have got to try and stabilise the economy and build one that works for our region. We need to make sure that Brexit truly does liberate us in this region, as people have voted for, not do us further damage. Britain is a great country. Teesside is a great area. We have to pull together now to get the best deal. I will be going back down to parliament on Monday and will redouble my efforts to make sure the decisions made work for us. Thank you everyone for voting.”