Working with political intelligence service Dods, we have sought nominations from MPs, Parliamentary staff and the general public to help us celebrate the excellent work of Parliamentarians in the last year.
The finalists for our ‘Constituency MP of the Year’ award are individuals who put their constituents first in 2023.
From campaigning passionately on local issues that are a priority in the constituency and making a tangible difference to individual constituents’ lives, to standing up for a policy their constituents believe in, the actions of these MPs showcase parliamentary democracy at its best.
Alberto Costa (Conservative, South Leicestershire)
In 2023 South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa campaigned against the release of convicted child-murderer and rapist Colin Pitchfork, leading the Parole Board to reconsider its initial decision and initiate a fresh Parole Board hearing.
Mr Costa has campaigned tirelessly to ensure Colin Pitchfork remains in prison due to the appalling nature of his crimes in the 1980s. He said: “Colin Pitchfork has caused untold trauma, and his crimes live long in the memory of my constituents.”
Florence Eshalomi (Labour, Vauxhall)
In 2023 Vauxhall MP Florence Eshalomi highlighted the impact of knife crime in her constituency, including as co-chair of the APPG on child criminal exploitation and knife crime, and has campaigned on the issue of girls who are exploited by gangs.
She also criticised government plans to ramp up the use of stop and search, arguing that we need to work with communities to “understand the core issues around the root cause of crime and why some of our young people feel they need to carry a knife.”
Alistair Strathern (Labour, Mid Bedfordshire)
Mid Bedfordshire MP Alistair Strathern won a high-profile by-election in 2023 and hit the ground running – securing a Westminster Hall debate to raise the inadequate state of service accommodation for armed forces in his constituency and raising numerous local concerns related to transport, health and education.
His nominator said: “I’ve never seen an MP work so hard”.
Sara Britcliffe (Conservative, Hyndburn)
Hyndburn MP Sara Britcliffe successfully campaigned in 2023 for action from Health Minister Maria Caulfield to improve NHS care for pregnant women affected by hyperemesis gravidarum following the tragic death of a constituent – a primary school teacher called Jessica – and her infant child.
Britcliffe hosted a Westminster Hall debate which was attended by members of Jessica’s family, to help raise awareness of her story.
Carolyn Harris (Labour, Swansea East)
Swansea East MP Carolyn Harris’ 2023 ‘Everyone Deserves a Christmas’ campaign saw 2,000 hampers delivered to households in Swansea, reaching more households than ever before.
Harris personally worked with a small team to cook dinners for elderly and vulnerable constituents who would be on their own at Christmas. The project also provided festive treats to local schools, community groups, children’s charities and hospitals, as well as to the emergency services across Swansea who would be working over the Christmas period.
Jess Phillips (Labour, Birmingham Yardley)
In 2023 Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Phillips resigned her shadow domestic violence frontbench role so she could vote in favour of a ceasefire on behalf of her constituents.
She said at the time: “I must vote with my constituents, my head, and my heart which has felt as if it were breaking over the last four weeks with the horror of the situation in Israel and Palestine.”
Many constituents, a number of which said they had emailed Phillips personally asking her to back the ceasefire amendment, said they were pleased to see their MP taking a stand over the issue.
The winners of the ‘Constituency MP of the Year’ award will be decided from a final shortlist judged by our panel of leading political journalists, and will be announced during a Pagefield reception on 23rd April.
