Former Rochdale Lib Dem chairman to visit Commons and Lords as guest of Parliament

Reggie Lane (centre) will visit the Houses of Parliament

Lib Dem activist Reggie Lane will be visiting the Houses of Parliament this week as a guest of former Rochdale Councillor Wera Hobhouse MP.

Mr Lane, who served as the Rochdale party chairman in 2016-17, is an active disability rights campaigner and has held as long time ambition to visit Parliament. He said: “I’ve always wanted to visit the Palace of Westminster so this is big tick off my bucket list. I would personally like to thank Wera for organising the tour and I can’t wait to see the place.”

Wera Hobhouse was a Lib Dem councillor for Norden before becoming the Member of Parliament for Bath in 2017. She was the guest speaker at the Rochdale Lib Dem annual dinner in April this year when the idea was mooted.

She said: “It will be an honour to take Reggie and his family around the Houses of Parliament. We will be having lunch together when they arrive and I’m sure Reggie will have some suggestions on how we can make Parliament more wheelchair friendly too”

As an added bonus Ms Hobhouse has arranged for Baroness Sal Brinton, the president of the Liberal Democrats and also a wheelchair user, to host a tour of House of Lords.

The travel costs for Mr Lane, his mum and step dad have been sponsored by Rochdale Liberal Democrat members.

Councillor Andy Kelly said “It was the least we could do to show our appreciation for all the work Reggie has done over the years. Let’s hope it’s a memorable trip for him, I’ll be expecting an update on how the renovations are going too!”

Ms Hobhouse, who had a Private Members bill to outlaw 'upskirting' blocked in the House this month, added: “‘I hope Reggie won’t get too distracted by ‘Chope spotting’. Sir Christopher has not been seen around Westminster last week and is certainly avoiding me.”