Ceredigion MP winner in MP of the Year Awards
Plaid Cymru MP Ben Lake has said he feels “honoured” to receive the Overall People’s Choice Newcomer MP of the Year presented by the Patchwork Foundation.
The award, voted for by the public, was organised as part of the Patchwork Foundation’s MP of the Year Awards 2019. The Patchwork Foundation is a non-partisan charity focused on promoting and encouraging the positive integration of disadvantaged and minority communities into democracy and civil society.
Mr Lake who entered Parliament in 2017, increased his majority at the 2019 General Election when he retained his Ceredigion seat.
Mr Lake is the youngest MP to represent a Welsh constituency and sits on the Welsh Affairs Committee, as well as acting as spokesperson for Plaid Cymru covering a number of portfolios including Treasury, Health and Environment & Rural Affairs.
As part of his nomination for the award his work 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 were all highlighted.
Following the 2019 election the BBC identified Mr Lake as one of the Ten lesser-known MPs to keep an eye on.
Ben Lake MP said:
“I am humbled and honoured to receive this People's Choice Award, but there is still a lot to be done to ensure that the concerns of every community are voiced in Parliament.
“For too 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.
"It is a privilege to serve the communities of Ceredigion, and the biggest honour of all is to be able to work on their behalf to ensure that their interests are represented in Parliament."