Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy agrees to visit Northern Ireland if she can meet the stars of Derry Girls

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said she would be delighted to visit Northern Ireland if Strangford MP Jim Shannon can arrange for the Derry Girls cast to be present.

This was in response to an invite from Mr Shannon to visit his constituency of Strangford.

The DUP MP told the Commons on Thursday: “In my constituency of Strangford and the Ards and North Downs Borough Council area to be specific, the issue of creative industries is really important whether it be arts, whether it be metal sculptures, whether it be music arts, and the Ulster Scots funds, through all the veins that’s there.

“Could I invite the minister to come to Northern Ireland, to my constituency of Strangford, to observe and enjoy all that we have there? When you come there, you’ll never see anything else like it.”

In response, Ms Nandy notified the Commons that Derry Girls is her favourite show and that she would be ‘delighted’ to visit Northern Ireland if Mr Shannon can arrange for the Derry Girls cast to be present.

The Culture Secretary said: “I’m very aware of the enormous contribution that the whole of Northern Ireland makes to our creative industries. I have to confess that my favourite TV show in the world is the Derry Girls. If he can arrange for the Derry Girls to be present, I would be absolutely delighted to visit.”