Stephen Crabb, Conservative Member of Parliament for Preseli Pembrokeshire, has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission by Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague.

The outgoing Chairman, Gary Streeter MP, announced his decision to step down from the role yesterday, although he will remain an active member of the Commission. Gary Streeter has chaired the Commission since it was established in 2005.

Stephen Crabb was elected to Parliament in 2005 at the age of 32. He is currently the youngest Conservative MP, and has made international human rights and the promotion of democracy around the world a key priority. In October 2006 he introduced a Westminster Hall debate on Burma, and earlier this year he visited the oppressed Dalit communities in India. He also delivered a petition to the North Korean Embassy in London in protest at human rights violations in North Korea.

Gary Streeter welcomed Stephen Crabb’s appointment as his successor. “It has been a great privilege to have the opportunity to lead the Commission in its early days of formation, and I am delighted to be handing over to a colleague as committed, energetic and able as Stephen Crabb, who I know will take our work to new levels.

Stephen Crabb said: “Gary has been an outstanding Chairman and it is a privilege to follow him. He has combined commitment, experience, drive and inspiration with compassion, humour and vision, and he has played a crucial role in establishing this important work. I look forward to working with colleagues on the Commission to develop this work, so that we can expand our ability to be a voice for oppressed and persecuted people around the world and generate campaigns, events and policy ideas that will provide a voice for the voiceless.”