Beith honoured for work by Countryside Alliance

4.40.00pm GMT Thu 4th Feb 2010

Sir Alan Beith MP is "A worthy winner" of the Countryside Alliance's Grassroots Award for bringing the countryside to Parliament, said the judges.

The Countryside Alliance handed out its "Rural Oscars" at a Parliamentary reception on Wednesday 3rd February, and Sir Alan Beith MP received the Grassroots Award for "bringing the countryside to Parliament"..

The fifth annual Countryside Alliance Awards were launched in September and attracted a record 2,500 nominations from across Britain. Regional winners were declared in December and those winners went forward to the grand final, judged by Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Simon Hart along with Clarissa Dickson Wright, Farmers Guardian Editor Emma Penny, Daily Telegraph commentator Charlie Brooks and British Food Fortnight Director Alexia Robinson. Simon Hart announced the winners at a packed reception which was attended by all regional winners, keen to add a British title to their regional one. The winners of 2009 are:

In the Political Awards, the Grassroots Award went to Sir Alan Beith, Liberal Democrat MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Simon says:

"As a rural MP for more than 35 years Sir Alan understands the unique challenges facing some of our most rural communities; this is especially the case when you realise that his constituency is the most northerly and sparsely populated constituency in England.

"Sir Alan has a long track record of campaigning on a range of issues in his constituency, not least schools budgets, flooding, affordable housing, public transport, the problems of rural deprivation and, with the decline of more traditional industries, the importance of tourism to the rural economy.

"A busy, dedicated and, as we saw from the many nominations he received, a well-respected constituency MP, he is a worthy winner of the Grassroots Award."

Speaking after the ceremony, Sir Alan Beith said

"I am absolutely delighted to get this award. Focusing attention on the problems of the countryside is a key part of the work I do in Parliament.

"I was particularly pleased to have the regional winners from my constituency present; the Traditional Business Award was presented to R G Foreman's butchers from Norham, and the Rural Enterprise award went to the Country Barn from Widdrington."