A poem posted on Write Out Loud after the death of Queen Elizabeth II has been read out in the House of Commons by the poet’s MP. ‘Our Lily’ by Stephen Atkinson was read out in its entirely by Sedgefield MP Paul Howell on Saturday at Westminster during tributes to the late Queen.

Stepehen shared the news on Write Out Loud, saying: "I've had the honour of having it read out in Parliament by local MP Paul Howell today! So quite a proud moment."

He later told Write Out Loud: "To hear your own words read out in the House of Commons on such an historic occasion was indeed an honour."

It happened after Stephen, pictured, posted the poem on a local community group website. MP Howell read it and contacted him. 

The poem begins: “Our lily of the valley / Has shed her petals free / To drift upon the winds of time /In her own sweet Galilee.”

And its penultimate stanza reads: “You'll always be our true foundation / The soil of our scepter'd Isle / A constant in our thoughts & hearts / Great Britain's brightest smile.”

You can watch Paul Howell reading Stephen’s poem here