COMMONS Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has accepted the position of honorary president of the new Lancashire All Party Parliamentary Group.

And his deputy at Westminster, Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, has agreed to be his number two.

Chorley MP Sir Lindsay said: “Born and raised in the county it gives me great pleasure to accept the position. I look forward to hearing about the issues the group is involved in.”

Mr Evans said: “"I am delighted to take on this role, as a Lancashire MP for nearly 30 years, in the heart of the county, it is a pleasure to be part of this important all party parliamentary group."

Its chairman David Morris MP said: “We are delighted to have Sir Lindsay as our President. Obviously, the county means a lot to Lindsay and we look forward to showing him what we can achieve as a cross-party group.”

“With Parliamentarians like Nigel and Sir Lindsay involved in Lancashire APPG I am convinced we can achieve even more for our county in the months and years ahead.”

The group aims to bring MPs and peers together with leaders of government to promote Lancashire and maximise investment in the county.