Press and Blog
Sadiq Khan, Oliver Dowden and Angela Rayner top the poll at Political & Public Life Awards
LONDON, 7 March: Global advisory firm EPG’s Political and Public Life Awards sought to honour outstanding and capable leaders from across political and public life at the House of Commons.
This year’s roll call of outstanding winners includes two of our country’s most senior political figures – Rt Hon Oliver Dowden MP, the Deputy Prime Minister and Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, the Deputy Leader of His Majesty’s Opposition. Both received the Parliamentarian of the Year Award.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was the other big winner on the night, winning the Local Government Award.
Political leaders from across the world flew into London especially for these Awards, including Suresh Prabhu (former Union Minister of India and Chair of the Governing Council at the India Foundation), Renu Dahal (Mayor of Bharatpur, Nepal), and Her Excellency Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the first female President of Mauritius.
After a stellar few years of rapid growth in the UK market, the Bank of the Year award went to SBI (UK), while British Iraqi billionaire businesswomen and philanthropist Lady Ibtisam Auchi won the Humanitarian of the Year award.
The last few years have seen an unprecedented set of challenges for the UK. Steering the UK and the wider world through these crises, and a turbulent political climate, have been some outstanding and capable leaders from political and public life.
The evening saw over 200 guests including Parliamentarians, business and community leaders from the UK and abroad.
Mayor London Sadiq Khan said to the audience: “It’s a real privilege to receive this Award. You show tonight why London is the greatest city in the world and why this country is the greatest country in the world. Our diversity is a strength not a weakness, makes us richer not poorer, makes us stronger not weaker.”
Former Union Minister of India Suresh Prabhu commended the ethos of the Awards, saying: “We have to focus on how to bring people together, so we can fight the bigger issues like climate change, issues which remove inequality, make the world a peaceful place. For this, we have to have different people to work together. … I am very happy to lend my full support to this cause.”
Liji George, Director of EPG, said: “Our Awards seek to honour outstanding individuals from across public life that have faced some of the most pressing challenges facing us head-on, and created a positive impact over the preceding year. They are a modest effort from EPG to thank outstanding individuals who have made Britain better.”
Rt Hon Valerie Vaz, Member of Parliament for Walsall South, said: “These Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of those who have made a special contribution to our political and public life over the last 12 months by breaking the glass ceiling and making us incredibly proud. No matter where we were born or grew up, we are all now proud of being citizens of the most multicultural country in the world.”
Winners of the Awards in earlier years have included Sir Keir Starmer, Sajid Javid, MP, William Hague, Andy Burnham, Priti Patel MP, Layla Moran MP and Jonathan Ashworth MP.
The full list of winners is:
Parliamentarian of the Year (Conservative): Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office
Parliamentarian of the year (Labour): Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Shadow Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of the Year: Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP, Minister of State (Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education)
Shadow Cabinet Minister of the year: Gareth Thomas MP, Shadow Minister for International Trade
Lifetime Achievement Award: Suresh Prabhu, former Union Minister of India; Chairman, Governing Council, India Foundation
International Mayor Award: Renu Dahal, Mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City in Chitwan, Nepal
Local Government Award: Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
Lawyer of the Year: Harish Salve KC
Conservative Devolved MP of the Year: Natasha Asghar MS, Shadow Minister for Transport and technology, Senedd Cymru
International Woman of the Year: Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Sixth President and first female President of the Republic of Mauritius
Entrepreneur of the Year: Mitesh Vekaria, Managing Director, Vascroft Contractors
Public and Community Service Award: Navin Shah CBE
Bank of the Year: SBI (UK)
Humanitarian of the Year: Lady Ibtisam Auchi, British Iraqi businesswoman and philanthropist
Journalist of the Year: Barnie Choudhury