Greg Mulholland MP Wins National Road Safety Award

Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, is the first Westminster MP to be given the accolade of Parliamentarian of the Month in 2016, by the road safety charity Brake and Direct Line Group. The award recognises Greg’s work fighting for improved justice for the families of people killed in road crashes by criminal driving.

The Leeds North West MP has been working on his Criminal Driving (Justice for Victims) Private Members’ Bill for some time now and finally got to read the Bill in the House of Commons on Tuesday 12 January under the 10-minute rule. Tireless work by Greg and his team ensured it was backed by 31 MPs and the bill now has the chance to be heard and possibly progress further on 11 March.

Greg Mulholland was spurred into action by the cases of two tragically bereaved families in his constituency and dozens more across the UK who feel badly let down by the overly lenient sentences often given to the drivers who killed their loved ones. The Criminal Driving Bill calls for longer and tougher sentences for those who kill, improvements to the way investigations into the crimes are carried out and better treatment and support for the victims of these crimes and their families.

There is no doubt Mr Mulholland’s campaigning work and refusal to let the subject drop is also informing and influencing the current government review into sentencing for criminal driving that could also mean some tangible change and better “justice for victims” in the next few years.

Accepting his award, Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, said: “I’m very pleased to have been awarded Brake’s Road Safety Parliamentarian of the Month. I want to pay tribute to the campaigning of families who have lost loved ones due to criminal driving; I want to keep campaigning for better justice for victims of criminal drivers and do all I can to ensure government takes up the measures in my Criminal Driving Bill. I also want to thank Brake and its staff for the support they have given to this vital campaign and I look forward to continuing to work with them.”