The MP of the Year Awards celebrate the work of MPs from across the UK who actively work with underrepresented and disadvantaged communities across the UK. The awards will take place in December at the Speaker’s House in the House of Commons and are organised by the Patchwork Foundation.
The work that Ben Lake has been nominated for covers three areas: supporting disabled people; tackling inequalities and bringing communities together, including hosting a ‘Real Talk’ workshop aimed at young women; and supporting WASPI’s (Women Against State Pension Injustice) grassroots campaign in Ceredigion.
Mr Lake said: “I am humbled to be nominated for this award, but particularly so given that my nomination has been put forward by people from Ceredigion.”
“I am grateful for the nomination, but there is still a lot to be done to ensure that the concerns of every community are voiced in Parliament. For many people politics at Westminster can seem distant – and often disconnected – from the issues that concern them the most, and so I consider it my duty to engage with different age groups and communities to make the political process more accessible and meaningful to their daily lives.”
The Patchwork Foundation created the awards to promote and highlight best practice of MPs across the UK who work closely with diverse communities.
The MPs are nominated by the public or grassroots community organisations and selected by an independent panel of judges.