RETIRING St Helens North MP John Evans will be returning to Westminster following the General Election after all - as a Life Peer in the House of Lords!

The 66-year old who served as an MP for 23 years before announcing his decision to step down last month, pronounced himself "overwhelmed" by his elevation to the Lords in the Honours List made by the Queen to mark next month's re-opening of Parliament.

A former member of the Labour Party National Executive and party chairman, Mr Evans told the Star: "I am delighted to be able to continue to serve both St Helens and the Labour Party's interests, albeit in the House of Lords instead of the Commons. If Labour win the next election, I will be very busy in the next few years with reforms such as the abolition of hereditary peers."

He added: "I am very grateful to the people of St Helens and Newton who have supported me over the last 23 years and they can rest assured that I will continue to serve their best interests."

Mr Evans also denied reports in the national press that he had been forced out to make way for a younger candidate. "That is totally untrue. No pressure was put on me to stand down, it was a decision I myself made to make way for a younger candidate and I am delighted that Dave Watts, a close friend of many years standing, has been selected."

Council leader Dave Watts said: "John has been an outstanding MP for St Helens North and Newton. It is not widely known that John played a key role in modernising the Labour Party. The Labour Party now has a much improved financial base as a result of John's work and is now a far more effective campaigning party. We can rely on him to continue to work for this borough."

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