A cross-party group of MPs have teamed up to champion Lancashire’s interests, highlight its economic potential and ensure the county has a stronger voice in Parliament.
The Lancashire All-Party Parliamentary Group has been re-established to drive investment, improve infrastructure and secure growth opportunities.
I re-constituted the APPG, which was last registered in 2022, and will chair the group after being voted in by fellow MPs. Lord Khan of Burnley, Andrew Snowden, MP for Fylde, and Oliver Ryan, MP for Burnley, will be vice-chairs.
The group will explore mutual priorities including implementing the Lancashire Growth Plan, harnessing recent government investment of the National Cyber Force and promoting the region’s highest projected concentration of green jobs.
Other focuses will be looking at the challenges and opportunities of a Mayoral Strategic Authority for Lancashire and wider policy changes such as community cohesion, local government funding and SEND provision.
The first meeting was attended by Alison McGovern, the Minister for Local Government, who said she was pleased to see Lancashire MPs convening in this way.
Lancashire is a county with a proud history and a dynamic future, yet we do face challenges that require focused attention and support from government.
It was great to see colleagues come together from different parties and from across both houses, with a clear ambition to promote more investment into Lancashire, tackle our challenges collectively, and tell the Lancashire story proudly in parliament, and to the world.
While individually myself and colleagues are relentless in championing our areas, this forum will allow us to align on key big asks for Lancashire and plan campaigns to lobby for them at the highest level.
I was grateful that Alison McGovern was able to join the meeting and assure us that she was keen to make Lancashire’s voice heard around the Cabinet table.
We hope the APPG will play a key role in a wider parliamentary campaign and offer an important link between MPs, peers, local authorities, businesses and wider partners across Lancashire, to make best use of the county’s MPs to champion the needs of Lancashire in Westminster.
