Speakers from the G7 are coming to Chorley
The conference will be at Astley Hall in September
Speakers and presiding officers from the G7 are coming to Chorley this September.
Each year, the Speaker or Presiding Officer of the G7 host country holds a Conference, following the annual leaders’ summit.
This brings together the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the G7 and the President of the European Parliament, and is traditionally held in the host’s constituency or local area.
The gathering allows Speakers and Presiding Officers to come together and exchange experiences, opinions, and information, primarily on parliamentary matters.
This year’s conference will take place on 17-19 September 2021, at Astley Hall.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons and Chorley MP, said he wants to show them everything the town has to offer: "They may have had their Cornish pasties, but they certainly haven't had Lancashire crumbly cheese yet.
"Where better an experience can you have than going on Chorley Market, you know they may talk about it on Coronation Street, but people can come and see this, they can come and visit it.
"It's the friendliness of the people, it's the role that Chorley's played, the fact that William Shakespeare lived in Chorley, how many people know that? These are the stories I want to tell."
Sir Lindsay Hoyle also wants to show them the town's Youth Zone: "We've had a magnificent reduction in crime, 60% reduction in youth crime took place because of the youth zone.
"I want people to see that Youth Zone, I want people to replicate it...world leaders, you think you've got something...I've got something very special to show you."
The theme of the conference is ‘Secure versus Open Parliaments’, with further details to be shared later.
It will be one of the first major face-to-face gatherings of international figures since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Invitations have been sent to Speakers and Presiding Officers from the G7 countries; Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the USA.
The President of the EU Parliament is also invited. Details on confirmed attendees will be communicated in due course.