Cumbria Vision leader to enter House of Lords

Roger Liddle, chairman of economic development partnership Cumbria Vision, has been appointed a working peer.

The announcement that Liddle will take a place on the Labour benches of the House of Lords was made on Friday from 10 Downing Street. He will assume the title Lord once he is formally introduced to the House of Lords.

He has been chairman of Cumbria Vision since October 2007, a role which the organisation said 'involves galvanising the public and private sectors behind Cumbria's regeneration agenda and acting as an ambassador for the County to regional and national audiences'.

Born and educated in Carlisle, he also sits on the boards of regeneration bodies Britain's Energy Coast West Cumbria and Carlisle Renaissance and is also a member of the University of Cumbria board.

Liddle said: "It is a great privilege to have been nominated to the House of Lords. I intend as a peer to take a special interest in issues affecting Cumbria and the north of England more generally, especially to do with regional economic development, transport and energy. I also would like to continue with my existing work in Cumbria to ensure the momentum which has gathered behind our regeneration effort continues."

From 1997 to 2004 Roger worked in 10 Downing Street as Tony Blair's special adviser on Europe. He was a member of Peter Mandelson's cabinet when he was European Trade Commissioner between 2004 and 2006 and also worked as an economic adviser to the President of the Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso.