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Ian McCartney wins Citizens Advice Parliamentarian of the Year award

11 June 2009

Labour MP Ian McCartney has been named Citizens Advice Parliamentarian of the year 2009 at a reception in the House of Commons on 10 June.

The MP for Makerfield was selected for his strong record of working on local issues affecting CAB clients, most recently supporting his local bureau in Wigan on their work on immigration and tax credit overpayments. He has also demonstrated commitment to supporting Citizens Advice nationally in its work to improve employment practice, in particular its recent campaign to highlight flaws in the Employment Tribunal system.

This is the third year that Citizens Advice, the national member organisation of Citizens Advice Bureaux, has made such an award. Previous winners were Vince Cable, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor and MP for Twickenham in 2008, and Treasury Select Committee Chairman Right Hon John McFall MP in 2007.

Citizens Advice Chief Executive David Harker said:

“This award acknowledges either a Peer or an MP who we have worked closely with in Westminster, and in the case of MP’s their constituency, to deliver real change. Ian has a close working relationship with his local bureau in Wigan; his constituency office is in the same building. Ian takes on board the issues and experiences of his local constituents and pursues them passionately.

“He was also instrumental in raising the profile of our Justice Denied campaign, which highlighted flaws in the Employment Tribunal system which mean that 1 in 4 successful claimants don’t receive the money to which they are entitled. Ian raised the issue with Ministers at BERR (the dept for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, now the dept for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)).This resulted in a recent success for Citizens Advice when the Ministry of Justice announced last month it would toughen the enforcement measures for those employers who fail to pay up.”

The Right Hon Ian McCartney MP said:

"It is an honour and a privilege to have received this award, not because it’s for me, but because it comes from Citizens Advice, an organisation that I have had the greatest admiration for all of my public life.

“The Justice Denied Campaign has been won and as a result, thousands of workers who have been badly treated will now receive justice and financial compensation previously denied them. Well done Citizens Advice!”

Two staff members from Wigan bureau also attended the reception in recognition of the local work Ian has done.

Notes to editors

  1. Citizens Advice first highlighted the shameful loophole in the Employment Tribunal system eight years ago. Justice Denied, published in October 2008, was the charity’s third report on the subject since 2001. The passage of an Employment Bill through Parliament provided a key opportunity to press for a change in the law. Citizens Advice obtained the support first of selected peers in the House of Lords, and then of selected MPs, including Ian McCartney, who put forward an amendment to the Bill.
  2. The Citizens Advice service is a network of independent charities that helps people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more information in England and Wales www.citizensadvice.org.uk
  3. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.
  4. Most Citizens Advice service staff are trained volunteers, working at over 3,300 locations across England and Wales.
  5. Advice and information New windowwww.adviceguide.org.uk
  6. Volunteer hotline 08451 264264 (local rate)
  7. Citizens Advice Guide to your rights, second edition: January 2008 - over 600 pages of practical, independent CAB advice. An invaluable resource for any bookshelf - available from all good bookshops; price £11.99; ISBN: 9780141034089
  8. Follow Citizens Advice on Twitter: twitter.com/CitizensAdvice
  9. Subscribe to Citizens Advice press releases via RSS news feed: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/pressoffice