Congratulations to our four brilliant award winners

The Albert Ingham Award

Albert was a legendary Liberal Party election agent from Yorkshire. So it is fitting that this time’s winner has masterminded, either as agent or campaign manager, a brilliant hattrick of by-election wins in East Yorkshire. 

Within the space of a year, these wins all came in previously unpromising territory for us. All secured huge swings taking the party to over 50% of the vote and all saw a Lib Dem gain.

The name of the election wizard who wrote all the literature and led the team to three great victories? Sarah Crooks.

Cllr Hannah Kitching accepted the award on behalf of Sarah.
 

The Bertha Bowness Fischer Award

Named after the first woman to become a formally qualified election agent in the country’s history, this award recognises the impact a new member has already had on our party.

This time’s winner, Rebecca Jones, has already made her mark in the Young Liberals. She got a policy motion submitted, debated and passed at her first YL conference, and has now gone on to the important, if often thankless, role of being a Young Liberals Regional Chair.

She’s also been active in the wider party too, standing as a council candidate and making so many colleagues happy that she has chosen us as her political home. Thank you, Rebecca.

Janey Little, Chair of Young Liberals accepted the award on behalf of Rebecca.

The Laura Grimmond Award

This award is one of a pair that we present, one in spring and one in autumn, to recognise the efforts of staff. The Laura Grimmond award is named after someone who never sought the political limelight herself, instead always seeking to help others.

This time’s winner is the Lib Dem HQ Media Team’s Sam Fisk. Sam is the maestro of sewage and the brains and brawn behind much of the research that has got sewage dumping into the headlines.

He’s carved out such an expert niche that journalists have been known to sidle up to him, rather like a dodgy drug dealer, to ask ‘got any good sewage stuff for me today?’

The Leader’s Award

Recognising outstanding leadership from one of our colleagues, the Leader’s Award this time went to Willie Wilson.

Until retiring last year, Willie was a councillor for a remarkable 42 years - since before even three of our current MPs were born. Currently President of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, he’s also twice been Depute Provost of his local council.

Willie is well known for his dedication to travelling right across Scotland to support and encourage others. He also has an indefatigable appetite for casework, often picked up on the bus to or from council meetings. True dedication!

Christine Jardine MP accepted the award on behalf of Willie.