Last week Jeff Smith, MP for Manchester Withington, met with Greater Manchester Night Tsar Sacha Lord.

The Parklife and Warehouse Project boss was named Greater Manchester’s Night Tsar earlier last month, a role in which he will act as an official champion of the region’s nightlife. The creation of his role sees Manchester follow in the footsteps of London, Berlin and Amsterdam in having a full time adviser on the night-time economy.

When he agreed to take on the role, he said he would be “taking a look at what is missing from our night-time economy, what we need to improve on and developing what is working well.” Jeff, a former DJ and events producer, has spoken publicly about the importance of the night-time economy in Manchester.

Following the meeting, Jeff said:

“ The night-time economy is the fifth biggest industry in the country, employing more than 8% of the UK’s workforce.

We’ve always recognised that in Manchester, so it was great to meet with Sacha to discuss how to continue Manchester’s long tradition as a night-time economy hub.

I’m delighted Andy Burnham created this role and I look forward to working closely with Sacha in the future.”