Speaker of the House of Commons to receive UCLan academic fellowship

The Right Honourable Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Vice-Chancellor Dr Malcolm McVicar. Pics: UK Parliament/UCLan

Sir Lindsay Hoyle is this month receiving an honorary award from the University of Central Lancashire.

The Right Honourable Sir Lindsay Hoyle will swap his Parliamentary robe for an academic one when he receives his Honorary Fellowship at the Preston Campus on Friday 17 December.

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“Sir Lindsay has served the people of Chorley with distinction during nearly 25 years as the town’s MP, and he is now bringing order to the House of Commons in his prestigious role as Speaker.

“I was fortunate to be a Deputy Vice-Chancellor for a number of years when Malcolm was at the helm, and it was great to work alongside him and see how passionate he was about giving every student, no matter their background, an opportunity to succeed.”

Vice-Chancellor Baldwin said his determination to make UCLan a name on the national and international stage is why the university is respected globally.

Sir Lindsay served as a Labour Councillor on Chorley Borough Council between 1980 and 1998, including spells as Deputy Leader and Mayor of Chorley.

He was elected as the town’s MP in 1997 and has won Chorley’s General Election seat seven times. He was elected to the highest authority of Speaker of the House of Commons in 2019.

He will receive recognition for his significant contribution to politics and the UK Parliament.

Former UCLan Vice-Chancellor Dr Malcom McVicar, who was at the institution helm between 1998 and 2013, will also be acknowledged.

He will receive an Honorary Doctorate on Wednesday, 15 December, to recognise his outstanding achievements in the higher education sector.

During his 15 years in charge, Malcolm accelerated the growth of student numbers. He oversaw the expansion of the Preston Campus and created Burnley and Cyprus Campuses.

He oversaw the development of medicine, dentistry and architecture programmes.

They will join around 2,500 students in the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre, between 13 and 17 December. The post-event celebrations will take place inside the new multi-million-pound student centre.