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Published at 01:00, Thursday, 30 June 2005

By Colin Edgar

NEW MP Jamie Reed raised just about every part of Copeland in his first speech in the Commons – and raised a few eyebrows when he said he was a Jedi knight.

The MP took the opportunity of backing the Bill to ban religious hatred to tell Parliament about his home area... and his “religion”.

“As the first Jedi member of this place, I look forward to the protection under the law that will be provided to me by the Bill,” he told the Commons.

That is a reference to the last census, in which more than 1,000 Cumbrians claimed to be followers of the Jedi religion after an email campaign which falsely claimed that a big vote would make the fictional faith from the Star Wars movies an officially-recognised religion.

Mr Reed’s revelation even earned a rebuke from outspoken Tory MP Boris Johnson. “No-one was sure whether to take him seriously,” he said. “There were embarrassed grins on the faces of Labour members. How do they know that he is not in earnest when he says that he is a Jedi knight and that his faith deserves respect?”

Mr Reed paid warm tribute to Dr Jack Cunningham, who Mr Reed said “served Copeland with dedication, diligence, foresight and no small amount of flair.”

The new MP also told how the people of Copeland have served the nation in so many ways over the years, latterly through the nuclear industry.

“There will soon come a time when my constituency will ask for its service to the nation be recognised and rewarded. When that time arrives, I will work to secure the support of the House to ensure that that voice is heard and the debt honoured.”

He also described Copeland as the most beautiful constituency in England, mentioning Wastwater, Scafell Pike, a whole host of towns and villages, gurning, local food and drink, the world’s biggest liar competition, the Maritime Festival, the armed forces.

He might have gone even further... but the Deputy Speaker warned him his 10 minutes had run out.

Published by http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk