Caroline was awarded in recognition of her work with minority and deprived communities
Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion, has been named UK MP of the year. The prestigious award was announced at a ceremony in the Speaker’s House and presented by House of Commons Speaker, John Bercow MP.
More than 90 MPs from across the country were nominated for the award, and the winners were selected by an independent panel of judges.
Caroline took MP of the Year 2014. She said: “I’m honoured to have been nominated for this Patchwork Foundation award, and delighted to have won. Sadly there is still a long way to go in terms of addressing the huge underrepresentation of minority and deprived communities, both in society and in parliament itself. As MP for Brighton Pavilion, I am committed to continuing to do all I can to support and engage with those communities and to prevent people from being excluded from the political process.”
The award is backed by leading cross party figures, including Prime Minister David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Boris Johnson Nick Clegg, Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan and Speaker John Bercow. It is presented in association with Mosaic Associates, Three Faiths Forum, UpRising and The National Union of Students.
The Patchwork Foundation award was presented to Caroline in recognition of her work for minority and deprived communities and those often excluded from the political process.
Sadiq Khan MP said: “We live in a fantastically diverse society, and we need MPs who stand up for the communities and cultures we represent.”
Simon Woolley, Patchwork National Advisory Board Member said: “The MP of the Year Awards not only highlight the work MPs are doing to better understand their diverse communities, it also applauds those MPs 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 MPs that we expect them to give voice to those unheard, and in doing so the whole of society benefits.”
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I am proud to support the ground-breaking work of the Patchwork Foundation. The organisation has helped thousands of young people from under-represented communities engage in the political process. From holding community engagement events attended by thousands of people, to small master classes with senior political figures, the Foundation is leading the way in making politics more accessible to all, regardless of where you live, where you come from, your age, ethnicity or background.”