Conor McGinn MP elected as new Chair of All–Party Parliamentary Group on Irish in Britain.
Jennie McShannon, CEO of Irish in Britain has congratulated Conor McGinn on his election as the new Chair of the All–Party Parliamentary Group on Irish in Britain (APPG). She said that “Conor is a very talented leader with a depth of understanding about the Irish community through his previous community roles and his own lived experiences. He will be a great representative for the Irish in Westminster and we are very much looking forward to working with Conor to build on the successes of the previous APPG”. Mr McGinn, an Armagh–born politician is well–known in Irish community circles, was elected as the MP for St Helens North; a Merseyside constituency with a strong Irish heritage. He achieved over 26,000 votes on 7th May, securing success for his party with an increased majority in the Labour–held seat.
Mr McGinn said:
“It is a great honour to take over as Chair of the All–Party Parliamentary Group on the Irish in Britain at an exciting time for the community and when the relationship between the UK and Ireland has never been stronger. My appointment is, however, tinged with sadness in that I am taking over from Chris Ruane, the former MP for the Vale of Clwyd who lost his seat in the General Election last month. Chris was a good friend and a true champion of the Irish in Britain and he will be sorely missed in Westminster. I look forward to working with the Irish in Britain organisation, who provide the Group’s secretariat, and with Irish business, industry and media networks and the many community, cultural and sporting organisations across the country.”
Conor is well–known in the Irish community and has also been heavily involved in the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Britain for over a decade. He was elected to the position with unanimous support from Labour, Conservative, SNP and Liberal Democrat MPs and Members of the House of Lords.