SME4Labour held its first annual gala, sponsored by Galliard Homes with drinks provided by Cobra Beer and Bira London, and hosted by Councillor Abena Oppong-Asare. The event was attended by over 400 guests including over two dozen MPs and a number of Labour’s other elected politicians and peers.

The gala, which took place at the Park Lane Sheraton Hotel in Piccadilly, also saw the launch of the first ever Labour Excellence Awards. Winners of these prestigious awards, recognising contributions to the party and to the country, included Yvette Cooper for ‘MP of the Year’, John McDonnell for ‘Shadow Cabinet Member of the Year’, Unite the Union for ‘Trade Union of the Year’, and Lord Dubs for ‘Peer of the Year’. (For the winners of each category, please see below.)

As well as presenting an award, Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Labour Party, delivered a speech praising SME4Labour’s work, underlining the importance of SMEs to communities. Without SMEs, Mr. Corbyn said, our high streets would be bland clones of one another. He commended Ibrahim Dogus, co-chair of SME4Labour, on his efforts and thanked him for what he had achieved. Mr. Corbyn added that it was important that small SMEs be able to have access to government contracts.

Other speakers, including Yvette Cooper MP and John McDonnell MP, also praised the organisation’s work to raise the profile of entrepreneurs and the self-employed in the party. Cooper said that SMEs shake things up and this is what the Labour Party is all about. She commended Ibrahim Dogus and Sonny Leong, co-chairs of SME4Labour, on what they had done and said their energy and those working with them in SME4Labour exemplify the energy and drive of small businesses.

Mr. McDonnell said that Labour can protect people and communities by investing in skills and supporting risk-taking entrepreneurs, adding that no community should be left behind.

Ibrahim Dogus said that the Labour Party and SMEs are perfect partners. Mr. Dogus noted social justice cannot happen unless there is a growing economy. He said that Labour must be the party for all of those who want to be better off, to see their families get on, and that SMEs are the perfect engine for this.

Sonny Leong said that we must never allow people to divide our country and that the Labour Party is the best way to make sure this does not happen. Mr. Leong said that SME4Labour is here to represent the views of small and micro businesses.

Martin Howe, a member of SME4Labour’s executive committee, said that aspiration is a Labour value.

Other guests and speakers included Dawn Butler MP, Clive Lewis MP, Baroness Angela Smith, Stephen Timms MP, Sharon Hodgson MP, Claude Moraes MEP, Jennette Arnold AM, and Rajesh Agrawal, the Deputy Mayor of London for Business.

Labour Excellence Awards

• Labour MEP of the Year: Claude Moraes MEP

• Trade Union of the Year: Unite the Union

• Labour MP of the Year: Yvette Cooper MP

• Shadow Cabinet Member of the Year: John McDonnell MP

• Labour Councillor of the Year: Cllr Pat Cooper, Cllr Ali Ozbek

• Labour MSP of the Year: Daniel Johnson MSP

• Labour Council of the Year: Cardiff Council

• Labour Welsh Assembly of the Year: Baroness Eluned Morgan AM

• Labour CLP of the Year: Tooting CLP

• Labour Elected Mayor of the Year: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan

• Labour PPC of the Year: Andrew Pakes

• Labour Parliamentary Assistant of the Year: Nicolette Petersen

• Socialist Society of the Year: Chinese for Labour

• Friends Group of the Year: Labour Friends of Bangladesh

• Labour Peer of the Year: Lord Roy Kennedy, Baron Alf Dubs

• Labour London Assembly Member of the Year: Jennette Arnold AM