MP's Award for supporting KEY103 campaign
MP for Heywood and Middleton Liz McInnes has been given a National award for her support in calling for stiffer sentences for those who kill on the roads.
Liz McInnes, MP for Heywood and Middleton, has been given the accolade of Parliamentarian of the Month for August, by the road safety charity Brake and Direct Line Group.
The award recognises Liz’s involvement in Key103's 'Justice for Joseph' campaign and the work she has also done supporting Brake’s Roads to Justice campaign.
Joseph Brown-Lartey was killed instantly on his drive home by Addil Haroon who smashed into Jospeh’s Audi cutting it in two.
Haroon was unlicensed, uninsured, ran a red light and was travelling at 80mph in a 30 mph zone when he killed Joseph. The collision was described by police officers who attended the scene as the worst they had ever seen on an urban street
Addil Haroon received a six year sentence after he pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and will serve three of those years behind bars before he is automatically released.
Liz McInnes has been extremely supportive of the family and their campaign ‘Justice for Joseph’. In April she joined the family in presenting a petition at 10 Downing Street which had been signed by more than 20,000 people.
Liz also brought the case to the attention of then Prime Minister David Cameron in Prime Minister Questions. And in July she was one of several MPs who attended the launch of Brake’s Roads to Justice campaign which is calling for stronger sentences for those that kill and severely injure people.
Mike Carr, Public affairs advisor, for Brake, said: “Liz fully deserves recognition for her outstanding work. Her determination to address the injustice of current sentencing practice and her dedication to supporting her constituents put her in a very special category – she is the kind of MP we would all like to have on our side.”
Accepting her award, Liz McInnes, MP for Heywood and Middleton, said: ‘I am very humbled to be given this award. There are many others both inside and outside parliament who work tirelessly to champion this cause and I accept it on their behalf. Victims of dangerous driving and their families deserve justice, and sentencing laws for these crimes urgently need to be reviewed. I will continue to apply pressure on the government and to do all I can to promote Brake and the Justice for Joseph campaign.’
Brake is campaigning for better justice for both the victims of road crashes and the families of those killed by criminal driving. Tweet us: @Brakecharity, #roadstojustice