Leicester East MP Keith Vaz named Labour MP of the Year 2014
Mr Keith Vaz, Britain’s the longest-serving Asian MP, has been named as the Labour MP of the Year 2014.
Speaker John Bercow MP announced the Patchwork Foundation MPs of the Year 2014 at Speakers House for those MPs who have represented and work well with underrepresented, deprived and minority communities across the country.
Announcing the winners from the State Rooms, in the Speaker’s House, the speaker said: “I would like to give my best wishes to the Patchwork Foundation and congratulate them for their work over the last 12 months”
Mr Keith Vaz MP said: “I am honoured to have been chosen for this award. The Patchwork Foundation undertakes vital work in engaging under represented communities in the political process. In my constituency of Leicester East, I work with individuals and groups of all backgrounds, faiths and races. For all groups to be better represented in Parliament, and the wider political process, is a positive and necessary aim in our multicultural society. I am very proud to be viewed as positively contributing to this process.”
Keith Vaz is Britain’s most popular British-Asian politician and is the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee since July 2007.
Ed Miliband, Leader of the Labour Party said: “I am proud to support the work of the Patchwork Foundation. They have helped thousands of young people from under represented communities from across the country to engage in the political process and I was particularly happy to welcome their youth delegation to our party conference earlier this year. I offer my warmest congratulate to Keith Vaz on his awards this evening. Keith broke the glass ceiling when he entered into Parliament as one of the four first BAME MPs in 1987.Every time I visit him in Leicester East I see just how hard he works, and just how big a difference he makes to his city. But I also know how big an impact Keith makes on the national stage. For over 32 years Keith has been a political pioneer and has consistently championed the diversity that makes Britain great and he is well deserved of your award for ‘Labour MP of the year’.”
Simon Woolley, OBV Founder and Patchwork National Advisory Board Member said: “The MP of the Year Awards not only highlights the work MPs are doing to better understand their diverse communities, it also applauds those MP’s who are encouraging greater civic and political engagement. With many young people, particularly from BME communities feeling a huge disconnect from our elected representatives, the MP of the year awards should be a reminder to all MP’s that we expect them to give voice to those unheard, and in doing so the whole of society benefits.”
Jonathan Holt KPMG Partner said: ““We are delighted to sponsor these awards and help Patchwork encouraging under represented communities connect with the political process. The work done by their volunteers and the time they commit will hopefully inspire young people in all communities to fulfil their true potential. How organisations work with, and within, their local communities is a critical part of inspiring young people. That’s why KPMG pioneered a School Leaver Programme, a Business Support Academy and why, only last month KPMG hosted a series of events promoting the importance of inclusion in the workplace. We committed ourselves to ambitions which are quantifiable and against we can be judged – and these targets span across the four areas of gender, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation. The fact is, everyone has the right to feel safe from discrimination and bring their whole self to work so that they can fulfil their own potential.”