I am not g oin g to27 let the haters win
MP Luciana on award for her prejudice fight
LABOUR’S Luciana Berger has vowed to keep fighting hate after being honoured for taking a stand against prejudice.
She said she felt mixed emotions as she received the Jo Cox Award at the No2H8 Crime Awards, backed by the Daily Mirror.
Ms Berger, 37, told of her pride at her relentless battle being recognised, but also the poignancy of the award being in memory of her murdered friend and colleague.
The Liverpool Wavertree MP said: “I feel honoured to receive the award, but at the same time wish it didn’t exist.”
She added of the awards ceremony, in Central London on Thursday night: “It was inspiring to hear so many stories of people across our country standing up to counter hate and promote tolerance.” Ms Berger is Jewish and has taken a strong stance against anti-Semitism, and in April won a standing ovation in the House of Commons. She told of enduring abuse from age 19, which escalated when she became an MP. Ms Berger received 2,500 hate tweets in a single day, and was sent death threats after a neo-Nazi killed Mrs Cox in 2016.
So far five trolls have been prosecuted. The MP said: “The easier option would be to take a step back, but I’m not going to let the vocal minority who channel hate win. “That’s why the awards are so important... it shows that when people do come forward they are taken seriously.”
Fiyaz Mughal OBE, awards founder, said: “This year we saw the best of Britain nominated for their work countering hatred. There’s so much that is good within our country, but we cannot be complacent against those who seek to divide us.” See no2h8crimeawards.org.