The 2016 MP Christmas card round-up
Melanie May | 20 December 2016 | News
How many MPs have sent out charity Christmas cards this year? So far the roving eye of UK Fundraising has found just two that are raising funds for charity: from First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, and Martin Docherty-Hughes, MP for Clydebank.
Sturgeon has sent out an Oor Wullie card, the original illustration for which is being auctioned next year for charity with proceeds divided between The ARCHIE Foundation, SiMBA, Christine Witcutt Memorial Fund and The Dixon Community, while Docherty-Hughes ran the first of what he plans to be an annual charity Christmas card competition, which raised £400 for two local charities: Clydebank Women’s Aid, and Dumbarton District Women’s Aid.
A number of MPs, including Jeremy Hunt, George Osborne and Philip Dunne MP, Ludlow did at least visit charity card shops with Osborne paying his 15th annual visit to the Combined Charities Christmas card shop at Wilmslow Library:
Thanks to volunteers from @wearepreventBC at #christmas card shop in #wilmslow #library We had a famous visitor too! @George_Osborne pic.twitter.com/UEKY7Z6l9b
— charity xmas cards (@charitycards4U) November 3, 2016
Advertisement
Prime Minister Theresa May has chosen three designs, all by children in her constituency. May launched a competition back in September challenging children in her constituency of Maidenhead and Twyford to come up with a design on the theme of ‘Christmas at Downing Street’. It was open to children aged 11 and under. The competition is a tradition between the Prime Minister and the Maidenhead Advertiser.
The top 10 entries to Prime Minister Theresa May's Christmas card competition are now on display in Maidenhead Library. @MaidenheadAds @RBWM pic.twitter.com/aBSWLEsTiF
— Nicola Hine (@nicola_hine) December 15, 2016
Cards designed by children in the MP’s constituency seem to be a popular choice.
Jeff Smith MP, Manchester Withington also held a competition:
https://twitter.com/frostybutcher/status/810109713652350977
As did (amongst others):
Wales first minister Carwyn Jones, with card designed by a 9-year-old schoolboy in Cwmbran who won a competition entered by 700 schoolchildren:
Congratulations to Travis Carter for his winning Christmas Card and thank you @YGCwmbran for the warm welcome today https://t.co/kHewyg2PE6 pic.twitter.com/JCSkoANgTF
— Vaughan Gething 🏴 (@PrifWeinidog) December 5, 2016
Edward Timpson MP, Crewe & Nantwich:
https://twitter.com/edwardtimpson/status/809789740895666176
James Berry MP, Kingston & Surbiton:
https://twitter.com/JamesBerryMP/status/809461635555278848
And Lib Dem leader Tim Farron:
Tim Farron's Xmas card is rather sweet pic.twitter.com/aBIV9jy1KE
— Helena Horton (@horton_official) December 8, 2016
Labour leader Jeremy Corbin however has gone for a simple design of a white dove with a red background:
Jeremy Corbyn unveils his Christmas card https://t.co/eDIiZYwBAr pic.twitter.com/zkQ0nBwxs3
— Steerpike (@MrSteerpike) December 12, 2016
Other MPs went for the more humorous approach.
Chief Whip Nick Brown, MP:
Another hilarious card this year from Nick Brown MP. pic.twitter.com/dsQJ2Y6qn3
— Diana Johnson DBE MP 🇬🇧🇺🇦🌈 (@DianaJohnsonMP) December 16, 2016
Nigel Evans MP trumped that with his own:
Tory MP Nigel Evans' Christmas card is a picture of him holding a mug with a picture of him and Donald Trump on it. pic.twitter.com/uI4Ocw7rAr
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) December 12, 2016
We’re not too sure what UKIP’s Nigel Farage’s Christmas card design is, but this seems to get the popular vote:
Nigel Farage's Christmas card. Inside it reads: "Merry Christmas and here's to more fun in 2017" @Nigel_Farage pic.twitter.com/qpznJu7oUg
— Christopher Hope📝 (@christopherhope) December 15, 2016
Surely not….
Other MPs have sent charity Christmas cards in the past, including then Prime Minster Gordon Brown in 2007, and Charles Kennedy in 2004. If any of your MPs have sent out charity Christmas cards this year, do let us know.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.