Guardian journalist Amelia Gentlemen has won the prestigious Paul Foot award for investigative and campaigning for her reporting on the Windrush scandal.
Amelia’s tireless reporting exposed the immigration troubles wrongly forced upon Commonwealth-born British citizens. Her determination in pursuing the issue eventually led to the resignation of home secretary Amber Rudd and the government loosening its ‘hostile environment’ for migrants.
Run by Private Eye, the award was set up in memory of revered journalist Paul Foot to honour “the UK’s most brilliant, talented and determined journalists working in the fields of investigative and campaigning journalism”.
Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief, Guardian News & Media, said:
“Amelia Gentleman’s determined and empathetic reporting exposed a national scandal, and gave a voice to the Windrush generation. Amelia has shown brilliantly that independent, investigative journalism can hold power to account and change the world. I’m really delighted for her.”
Padraig Reidy, chair of the judges, said:
“The judges were impressed by the tenacity of Amelia Gentleman’s work, her determination to tell the stories of the victims of the government’s hostile environment policy, and the enormous impact her work had, proving that good reporting really can make a difference.”
Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye, said:
“Congratulations to Amelia Gentleman for a campaign that was revelatory, important and amazingly effective. This was the Windrush scandal – where a cabinet minister was thrown overboard and the ship of state nearly sank.”
More information on the awards can be found here.
