Simon Danczuk: 'Campaigner of the Year'

Simon Danczuk accepting Campaigner of the Year award last night from Iain Watson of the BBC

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Simon Danczuk MP has been named Campaigner of the Year by the Political Studies Association at their annual awards dinner which took place on tonight (25 November) at Church House, Westminster.

Rochdale’s MP, who attended the event with his wife Councillor Karen Danczuk, was presented with the award by BBC Political Correspondent Iain Watson in front of a packed audience of high-profile academics, politicians, political campaigners and journalists.

Mr Danczuk said: “I feel very honoured and humbled to have received this award but tonight is not about my efforts. This award is recognition of the many survivors of abuse whose stories represent one of the worst social injustices of our times. Their voices are now finally beginning to be heard and I picked up this award on their behalf.

"In many respects our campaign has only just begun and there is a long way still to go to ensure children are safe from vile predators and powerful people can no longer abuse young people and remain above the law.”

The judging panel, made up of top political academics alongside Peter Kellner of YouGov, BBC’s Justin Webb and Jackie Ashley of The Guardian, chose Mr Danczuk as the winner of this award for leading the campaign to investigate historic child abuse and commended him for: “Taking on extremely difficult and sensitive issues and dragging them into the light, and particularly with his book, co-authored with Matthew Baker, for exposing the sordid case of Cyril Smith and the shocking cover-ups which went on.”