John’s double award win
John has won two Parliamentary awards, including one for campaigning on behalf of constituents.
He was named ‘constituency campaigner of the year’ in the Dods Parliamentary Awards last night.
The category recognises the MP who has shown the strongest commitment to campaigning on behalf of constituents, whether on a local or national issue.
He also won ‘written contribution of the year’, for an article about his opposition to David Cameron re-calling Parliament to stage a tribute to Margaret Thatcher and his reasons for boycotting the ‘debate’.
He is the first MP to win two Dods awards in one year.
John has secured a number of recent wins on campaigns started in the constituency, including:
• Winning a change in the law to give leave and pay rights to mums who have babies through surrogates, after the loophole was raised by Rotherham cousins Jane Kassim and Amy Bellamy
• Stopping the government using high-charging 084 numbers
• Persuading ministers to abandon plans for a long delay in changes in regulation of nurses and midwives, after being alerted to the problem by the Duggan family who lived in Goldthorpe
He said: “Helping people in the constituency who might otherwise not have a voice is the most important part of my job.
“I hope the successes I have had show people in Rotherham and Barnsley that they can get things done through their MP.
“These changes came about because local people recognised an injustice and were determined to see something done, so they deserve credit too.”
Anyone could nominate Parliamentarians for the awards, but only MPs and Peers were able to vote on the shortlists.
The winners were announced at a ceremony in London yesterday (January 28).