Bolton MP Phil Brickell appointed to Ministry of Justice

This comes after Bolton West MP Phil Brickell was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Ministry of Justice.

The former financial crime investigator says he intends to focus on several key areas across the justice system as part of his new position.

Mr Brickell said: “I’m honoured to have been appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Ministry of Justice.

“This means I’ll be working closely with the Justice Secretary and Ministers to deliver vital government reforms, including the Hillsborough Law, which will put a stop to government cover-ups, and the Courts and Tribunals Bill, which will fix the broken court system left by the Tories and deliver timely justice for victims.

Phil Brickell was elected MP for Bolton West in 2024 (Image: Office of Phil Brickell MP)

“I’ll continue being a strong voice for Bolton West in Parliament and look forward to supporting the government as we deliver on our manifesto commitments.”

Before becoming an MP, Mr Brickell had worked for NatWest as a financial crime investigator, and since his election, he has continued to be vocal on the subject.

He has frequently spoken about the impacts of money laundering, “dark money”, corruption and the use of some shops on the high street as fronts.

Mr Brickell’s roles since his election have included chairing the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax.

During a Westminster Hall debate, Mr Brickell said shop laundering criminal money represents one of the biggest threats to high streets like those in Bolton, Horwich and Westhoughton.

Mr Brickell said there had been an “explosion” of cash-intensive businesses laundering dirty money on high streets in recent years.

He said that criminal activity like this is used to fuel the drugs trade, drain the public finances and drive law-abiding businesses out.

Mr Brickell has previously proposed creating an Economic Crime Fighting Fund to try to tackle offences like these.

His new role will see him work as part of a team at the Ministry of Justice led by Secretary of State David Lammy MP.