[A]llerdale councillors honoured M-Sport’s managing director Malcolm Wilson, OBE last night [Wednesday 17 January 2018] with a unanimous cross-party vote to make him a Freeman of the Borough.
The motion was presented by Council Leader Alan Smith, and seconded by Conservative group leader Tony Markley. The honour came in recognition of Mr Wilson’s recent success at the World Rally Championships as well as the contribution his business makes to the local economy.
Speaking about the honour, Cllr Smith said: “It is with great pleasure that I present this motion to Council. What Malcolm has achieved from his base in Dovenby is incredible and a real inspiration to many people. I’ve watched as Malcolm’s business has grown and grown, bringing jobs and investment to our area. And to win the World Rally Championship is a fantastic achievement and a credit to him and his team.”
Malcolm Wilson, added: “I feel extremely honoured to be awarded with the title of Freeman of the Borough and would like to thank all involved. I have received many awards over the years but the fact that this recognition comes from my local council really does mean a lot. I have fought extremely hard to keep our business in Cumbria over the years and it’s fantastic that all that hard work has put the region high up there on the world motorsport stage.”
Other people who have been honoured in the past include Lord Campbell-Savours and Mr Bill Lowther.
The honour was agreed by a unanimous vote of all Councillors present at the extraordinary Council meeting held at the Council’s headquarters in Workington.
