Stephen Kinnock can't contain joy after Aberavon victory

The son of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock could not hide his joy after being elected an MP.

Stephen Kinnock stormed to victory in the Aberavon constituency in south Wales - beating nearest rivals the Tories by more than 10,000 votes.

The 45-year-old beamed with delight after hearing the news in Neath Sports Centre - and hugged wife Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who is the prime minister of Denmark.

Mr Kinnock said he was proud to be following in his father's footsteps in becoming an MP - but wanted to be known for his own achievements.

He said: "I've said all the way through this campaign, don't vote for me because I'm a Kinnock and don't vote against me because I'm a Kinnock. Judge me on the basis of what I can bring and my values.

"It's so important that we turn things around because the last five years have really seen the country going backwards, and we need to turn that around.

"I will be a strong voice and work hard to secure a better future for so many working families who have suffered so much."

Lord Kinnock believes his son, who won more than 48% of the vote, can play a key role in bringing new investment to South Wales.

Stephen Kinnock, who has worked for the British Council and the World Economic Forum, will make a name for himself as well as doing party and constituents proud.

His father said: "He is a skilled negotiator and is also multi-lingual. He understands business. Business has high respect for him, so he will play a leading role in attracting new investment in this area.

"It does need renewal through investment and he will play a very substantial part - he's built for it. Both in terms of experience - and in terms of commitment and zeal and determination to be a strong voice for the constituency."

Father-of-two Mr Kinnock managed to win 15,416 seats in total in a constituency described as a "safe Labour seat".

Trailing behind in second place was Ukip with 4,971 while the fifth-placed Liberal Democrats were spared any further embarrassment after narrowly coming ahead of novelty candidate Captain Beany.

Tredegar-born Mr Kinnock, who succeeds outgoing Labour MP Hywel Francis, said he could not wait to roll up his sleeves and get on with the job - something he had waited years to do.

Before deciding to enter the race to become an MP, the Cambridge University graduate had stints with the British Council and the World Economic Forum as well as becoming the husband of Danish PM Ms Thorning-Schmidt and a father of two.

"I think we have a few too many politicians who have not been outside the Westminster bubble, who end up becoming an MP after stints in local government or through being a special adviser," he said.

"I've long been a member of the Labour Party, and believed in its values, but what made me want to get actively involved is how unequal the UK has now become. We now live in a country where the wealthiest five families are richer than the entire bottom 20%.

"Then there's also Tory policies which have hit ordinary people hard, such as the bedroom tax.

"That little voice in the back of my head telling me to go into politics got louder and louder in recent years, especially with the Tories in power."

In his victory speech, Mr Kinnock said he hoped the rest of the country would chime with Labour's values.

"We choose to build a Britain that is truly fair and free," told the watching crowd, which included mother and former MEP Glenys. "We choose to build a society that places compassion and generosity ahead of selfishness and greed."

But despite the demands of the campaign trail, likely to be dwarfed by his work in the House of Commons, Mr Kinnock said he was not daunted by the prospect of living hundreds of miles away from his wife, who also facing elections in Denmark later this year.

He added: "People go away and spend time apart and in some relationships that really work. For Helle and I, we are fortunate that it works for us."

Mr Kinnock, who is fluent in French, Russian, Spanish and Danish, also said that his previous globe-trotting experience has stood him in good stead, as has his upbringing.

Read: Captain Beany loses out to Stephen Kinnock in Aberavon