News from Southampton Labour

Southampton MP honoured with renewable energy lifetime contribution award

Dr Alan Whitehead, Labour MP for Southampton Test, was honoured on Wednesday night by the renewable energy community with a Special Parliamentary Lifetime Contribution Award from the Parliamentary Renewable And Sustainable Energy Group (PRASEG).

Dr Whitehead was presented with the surprise award by Energy Minister Lord Hunt of Kings Heath at a ceremony which took place at the Commonwealth Club in London in front of a large audience of renewable energy professionals.

As a long-term and respected climate change campaigner Dr Whitehead, who is the chair of PRASEG, was both surprised and pleased to receive the accolade:

“I am very moved to have been given this award. I am proud to have been associated with PRASEG for many years and proud of what the organisation has achieved in terms of raising awareness of the importance of sustainability.”

He added:

“I recall as a new Member of Parliament in 1997 that other Members would cross to the other side of the hallway if renewable energy was mentioned – now it is at the forefront of the Government’s legislative agenda, with the Energy Bill currently making its way though Parliament and the world’s first Climate Change Act which received Royal Assent in 2008. An enormous amount has been achieved in the last decade and I am honoured to be associated with that achievement.”

Senior PRASEG judge David Green said:

“Alan has had a commitment to sustainable energy that stretches back to his time as a Councillor and then Leader of Southampton City Council. His ability to really understand the challenges that developers of Sustainable Energy face and his commitment to the achievement of a dynamic and expanding industry is widely recognised across Parliament. This award recognises Alan’s unique and vital contribution – a role in which we hope he will continue.”

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