McGuinness is Slugger politician of the year
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has been named Politician of the Year at the second annual Slugger O'Toole Political Awards in Belfast.
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
The ceremony organised by the Slugger O'Toole website took place at the Black Box in the city's Cathedral Quarter on Tuesday night.
The blog is a news and research portal and a forum where people share their views and dialogue on controversial issues. Its awards aim at rewarding good local governance at all levels.
"It was a way of looking at the political game and trying to give some due respect to people who work very hard but often take the sharp end of the stick from the public," blog founder and editor Mick Fealty explained.
Slugger O'Toole was founded in 2002 and has already become something of an institution.
"It started as a research tool and within a year we had around 1,000 users. Now there are about 30,000 to 40,000 users a month," Fealty said.
DUP MLA Simon Hamilton won the award for Up-and-Coming Politician of the year.
Sinn Fein's Cara McShane was named Councillor of the Year, while PUP leader Dawn Purvis won MLA of the Year.
"Some people think politics is very boring and often it is very boring and our assembly can be, but it's very important in a democratic society to share views", said comedian Tim Garry who compered the event.
Winners were voted for by a panel of judges including senior politicians, academics, political analysts and journalists from Britain and Ireland.
They received a caricature of themselves drawn by Guardian cartoonist Martin Rowson.
Slugger O'Toole political awards 2009:
- Up-and-Coming Politician of the Year: Simon Hamilton MLA
- Local Newspaper of the Year: Dungannon News and Tyrone Courier
- Local Council of the Year: Down District Council
- Local Councillor of the Year: Cllr Cara McShane
- MLA of the Year: Dawn Purvis MLA
- Campaign of the Year: Employers for Childcare Vouchers campaign
- Participation and Involvement Award: Public Achievement
- Journalist of the Year: Julia Paul
- Political Blogger of the Year: Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast)
- Committee Chair of the Year: Fred Cobain MLA
- Politician of the Year: Martin McGuinness MP MLA
© UTV News