A TIRELESS champion of Carlisle has been awarded with an honour from the King in the 2024 New Year's Day Honours List.

Elsie Martlew has been awarded an MBE for political and public service, saying her work over the years ‘stems from a love’ for Carlisle.

Mrs Martlew, who is married to former Carlisle MP Eric Martlew, first joined Carlisle City Council at the age of 22 and served for a time as deputy leader of Carlisle City Council.

She retired as a councillor in March 2016, but later took over as chair of the Carlisle Constituency Labour Party, before standing down in 2019.

Speaking about when she found out she was to receive the honour, Elsie said: “I was dumbfounded, I was gobsmacked.

"Never in the memory of man would have I of anticipated anything like this so I was really taken aback to say the least.

“In a way I just wish my parents were here because they would be really chuffed to bits. I am just really touched to have been given this award.”

Elsie has said that her political life has all been about doing what’s best for Carlisle, something she is proud to have had the opportunity to do throughout her life.

She said: “It stems from a love for my home city and everything I have done in my career has hopefully been to enhance Carlisle in whatever way I can, through politics and the Labour party.

“I joined the Labour party when I was 19 and I have been a member ever since. I was a member of the city council when I was 22. I just think making things happen is a good thing, and that’s what me and my colleagues have been able to do.

“You take decisions, and some people approve, some don’t, but you take them in good faith and do what you think is best and that’s all you ever do in politics.

“I’m really quite humbled in a way, I have always done what I wanted to do, and I have been lucky to have the opportunities to do what I think is right for Carlisle.

“To get an honour for doing something you like doing is lovely.

“The recognition I like is folk out there... even now they will say, 'are you getting back on the council' or something like that.”

ALL 2024 HONOURS

The final decision as to who receives an honour is first decided by an Honours Committee and their recommendations go to the Prime Minister and finally to The King for approval.

The process can take up to 18 months with recipients of honours announced in HM The King’s New Year’s Honours List and Birthday Honours List.