Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer has been appointed a vice-chairman of the Conservative Party.

Mr Freer joins a team of vice-chairmen supporting party chairman Grant Shapps, with a specific remit for equalities.

He has been a vocal campaigner on equality issues such as equal marriage, winning the coveted Spectator Speech of the Year Award for his parliamentary speech in support of equal marriage at February’s second reading of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act.

The politician joins the party chairman team in addition to his role as parliamentary private secretary to cabinet minister Eric Pickles.

He 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.”