Norfolk MP scoops political awards

16 November 2006 20:12

Norfolk MP Richard Bacon has won three more political awards for his role in the downfall of former home secretary Charles Clarke.

He was presented with the Parliamentarian of the Year award given by the Spectator political magazine in a ceremony in Claridge's Hotel in London.

The citation referred to his questioning that led to the exposure of the scandal of foreign prisoners being released without their deportation being considered.

Earlier this week, the South Norfolk Tory MP was similarly declared the “outstanding parliamentarian of the year” by the Conservativehome website for “leading the exposure of Charles Clarke's prisoner release scandal” and for “fashioning the news event that has come to define Labour incompetence”.

Next week he will be named Politician of the Year by the Political Studies Association. And these three new awards come on top of the Backbencher of the Year award he received in July following a ballot by fellow MPs.

The removal of Mr Clarke from the post of home secretary in May began with questioning by Mr Bacon of the top official in the Home Office the previous October in the Commons public accounts committee.

He asked how many failed asylum applicants had been released from prison into the community because their removal could not be arranged.

He refused to be fobbed off with partial answers and non answers, and six months later it was admitted that more than 1,000 foreign prisoners had been released without consideration of deportation or removal action. Just over a week later, Mr Clarke ceased to be home secretary.

Having received his Spectator award - and before setting off for a meeting of the Norfolk Pig Discussion Group in Taverham - Mr Bacon expressed regret that his diligence had had such a serious consequence for Mr Clarke, a fellow Norfolk MP. He had always liked him, he said, and his questioning had been “business, not pleasure”.

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