SME4Labour held its first annual gala, sponsored by Galliard Homes with drinks provided by Cobra Beer and Bira London, and hosted by Councillor Abena Oppong- Asare. The event was attended by over 400 guests including over two dozen MPs and a number of Labour’s other elected politicians and peers. The gala, which took place at the Park Lane Sheraton Hotel in Piccadilly, also saw the launch of the first ever Labour Excellence Awards.
Winners of these prestigious awards, recognising for contributions to the party and to the country, included Yvette Cooper for ‘MP of the Year’, John McDonnell for ‘Shadow Cabinet Member of the Year’, Unite the Union for ‘Trade Union of the Year’, and Lord Dubs for ‘Peer of the Year’. (For the winners of each category, please see below.)
As well as presenting an award, Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Labour Party, delivered a speech praising SME4Labour’s work, underlining the importance of SMEs to communities. Without SMEs, Mr. Corbyn said, our high streets would be bland clones of one another. He commended Ibrahim Dogus, co-chair of SME4Labour, on his eff orts and thanked him for what he had achieved. Mr. Corbyn added that it was important that smalls SMEs be able to have access to government contracts. Other speakers, including Yvette Cooper MP and John McDonnell MP, also praised the organisation’s work to raise the profile of entrepreneurs and the self-employed in the party.
Cooper said that SMEs shake things up and this is what the Labour Party is all about. She commended Ibrahim Dogus and Sonny Leong, co-chairs of SME4Labour, on what they had done and said their energy and those working with them in SME4Labour exemplifies the energy and drive of small businesses. Mr. McDonnell said that Labour can protect people and communities by investing in skills and supporting risk-taking entrepreneurs, adding that no community should be left behind. Ibrahim Dogus said that the Labour Party and SMEs are perfect partners. Mr. Dogus noted social justice cannot happen unless there is a growing economy. He said that Labour must be the party for all of those who want to be better off , to see their families get on, and that SMEs are the perfect engine for this. Sonny Leong said that we must never allow people to divide our country and that the Labour Party is the best way to make sure this does not hap-pen. Mr. Leong said that SME4Labour is here to represent the views of small and micro businesses. Martin Howe, a member of SME4La-bour’s executive committee, said that aspiration is a Labour value. Other guests and speakers included Dawn Butler MP, Clive Lewis MP, Baroness Angela Smith, Stephen Timms MP, Sharon Hodgson MP, Claude Moraes MEP, Jennette Arnold AM, and Rajesh Agrawal, the Deputy Mayor of London for Business.
Labour MEP of the year
Claude Moraes MEP
Trade Union of the Year
Unite the Union
Labour MP of the year
Yvette Cooper MP
Shadow Cabinet member of the year
John Mcdonnell MP
Labour Councillor of the year
Cllr Pat Cooper
Cllr Ali Ozbek
Labour MSP of the year
Daniel Johnson MSP
Labour Council of the Year
Cardiff Council
Labour Welsh Assembly of the year
Baroness Eluned Morgan AM
Labour CLP of the year
Tooting CLP
Labour elected Mayor of the year
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan
Labour PPC of the year
Andrew Pakes
Labour Parliamentary assistant of the year
Nicolette Petersen
Socialist society of the year
Chinese for Labour
Friends group of the year
Labour Friends of Bangladesh
Labour Peer of the Year
Lord Roy Kennedy
Baron Alf Dubs
Labour London Assembly Member of the year
Jennette Arnold AM