The MP for Finchley and Golders Green has been appointed vice chairman of the Conservative Party.

Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps confirmed Mike Freer has been appointed to the position this week.

The MP’s main remit will be equalities, and he will serve this role in addition to acting as parliamentary private secretary to Eric Pickles.

Mr Freer said: “Obviously I’m delighted to have been appointed as vice chair. The nomination is in a large part due to the work I have undertaken in representing the diverse constituency of Finchley and Golders Green.

“The role will also allow me to take what I hear on the doorstep in my constituency and feed that back into the policy making process.”