On Tuesday 6 July, local Conservative MP for Carlisle John Stevenson was appointed as Chair of the Food and Drink Manufacturing All Party Parliamentary Group at the 2010 AGM.

The primary functions of this important Group are to consider the issues of concern to the food and drink manufacturing industry and to raise awareness of these matters in Parliament, to promote the interests of the industry ensuring Parliamentarians remain informed of key issues, and to provide a forum for debate and dialogue about issues related to food and drink manufacturing.

The food and drink industry is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, and its importance to the overall economy should not be underestimated. Within Carlisle itself, food manufacturers like Carr's Milling, United Biscuits and Nestlé are a significant source of employment and productivity. One of the roles of the APPG is to encourage the government to avoid increasing the burden of regulation that can directly impact a business's ability to remain competitive in a challenging economic environment.

Mr Stevenson said “I am looking forward to the opportunities presented by chairing the Food and Drink Manufacturing APPG, which I hope will enable me to generate significant legislative support for an industry which offers world class capabilities in production, logistics, sales, marketing and innovation. By supporting the industry nationally, we can expect to reap the benefits closer to home in Carlisle, which remains a regional centre for manufacturing excellence.”

Elected as the Conservative MP for Carlisle in May 2010 (with a majority of 853), John Stevenson is a partner in the law firm Bendles based in the centre of Carlisle. He had also been a Carlisle City Councillor since 1999.

Having been heavily involved in Carlisle and North Cumbrian politics for nearly fifteen years, Mr Stevenson has been chairman of the Carlisle Constituency Association as well as Penrith and the Border. He is currently the chairman of the North Cumbria Conservatives, a federation of the four North Cumbria Constituencies.

Mr Stevenson was educated in Aberdeen and graduated from Dundee University in History and Politics. He then studied at Chester Law College before qualifying as a Solicitor.