PENDLE MP Andrew Stephenson has received a CBE in the King's first New Year’s Honours List.

Mr Stephenson, who has a constituency office in Barnoldswick, said he was 'surprised and delighted' to be made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his public and political service.

He said “This is an honour not just for me but for everyone who has supported me, especially my hardworking team who have helped me resolve thousands of issues for Pendle residents over the last 12 years.”

Mr Stephenson, 41, who lives in Colne, was first elected to represent Pendle in the 2010 General Election and was re-elected in 2015, 2017 and 2019, building on his majority each time.

He has served as a government minister since 2017, serving continuously under the last four Prime Ministers including a period as Conservative Party Chairman.

Away from politics, he is a Community First Responder with the North West Ambulance Service and worked as a volunteer vaccinator at Blackburn Cathedral during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Stephenson served as a vice-chairman of the Conservative Party and then Parliamentary Private Secretary to several ministers during David Cameron’s time as Prime Minister.

Under Prime Minister Theresa May he was appointed to the Government's whips office, and was also the vice chamberlain of HM Household, a role which involved him having regular audiences with the late Queen Elizabeth. In 2019 he was appointed business and industry minister, responsible for sectors including aerospace, infrastructure, and construction.

Under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he served as a Foreign Office minister and a transport minister before joining the cabinet as a minister without portfolio. He was made Conservative Party chairman in July, 2022. As a cabinet minister, he was sworn in as a member of Queen Elizabeth II's Privy Council, becoming the 1,336th, and final, person to be sworn into the late Queen's Privy Council.

In this role he oversaw the Conservative leadership election, which saw Liz Truss elected Prime Minister. Following this he was made Minister for Housing and Communities, in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Since October, under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, he has served as Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury.

Mr Stephenson said: “To serve as a member of parliament is the greatest privilege of my life, but alongside that to have been able to serve as a minister continuously under four successive Prime Ministers has been a tremendous honour.

"From working to keep critical freight moving during the pandemic, to overseeing the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which has provided safety for over 100,000 people, it has been incredibly rewarding to help shape government policy."

He added: “At all times I have worked hard to put the people of Pendle first, continuing to champion local issues within government. I am proud that in the past three years we’ve secured £25 million to help regenerate Nelson and £6.5 million for projects in Colne from central government. I’m delighted that we’ve secured more funding for the outstanding Nelson and Colne college and that the transformation of the derelict Brierfield Mills into ‘Northlight’ is almost complete.”

“I’d like to dedicate this honour to all the incredible Pendle residents and groups I have the privilege to serve. From remarkable individuals to our local businesses, charities and community groups who do so much. They all help inspire me and keep pushing to secure further improvements for our area.”