Former Euro MP one of eight honoured in New Year's Honours List

FORMER Euro MP Brian Simpson is one of eight people connected to Warrington to to be honoured in the New Year honours list.
Mr Simpson, (pictured right) from Great Sankey, who had three spells in the European Parliament from 1989 until June 2014 has received an OBE.
Before being elected an MEP he worked as a PE teacher in Liverpool and was a County Councillor for Merseyside County Council, a Member of the Merseyside Police Authority, Deputy Chair of the Liverpool Airport and Councillor at Warrington Borough Council.
He is passionate about heritage railway, military and transportation history and all sports, especially football, cricket and rugby league (he is a keen fan of Wigan Warriors).
His love of history is reflected in his considerable knowledge of the American Civil War where that knowledge is considered to be extensive. In 2010 the State of Kentucky in the USA made him a Honorary Colonel.
Meanwhile receiving a CBE for her service to the financial sector is former Lymm Grammar School pupil Ruth Jane Lea, a British political economist working in the financial sector.
She has also worked as a civil servant and for the Institute of Directors, a private-sector employer lobbying organisation, as well as for policy research bodies and the media.
She served almost 16 years in the British Civil Service, working in the Treasury, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Central Statistical Office and the Civil Service College. She later became a lecturer at Thames Polytechnic (now the University of Greenwich).
She then moved to the City of London, joining Mitsubishi Bank, rising to chief economist when she became a regular television and radio commentator on economic matters. She was economics editor at ITN, and subsequently head of the Policy Unit at the Institute of Directors, a post she held from 1995–2003. She was director of the Centre for Policy Studies from 2004–07 and director of Global Vision from 2007–10.
Two Warrington residents involved in education have also been honoured.
John Dahlstrom, a headteacher of a special school in Wigan receives an OBE while Mohammed Aslam Rashud who retired as headteacher of John Summers High School in Queensferry, North Wales receives an MBE.
Meanwhile Croft parish councillor Mrs Valerie Margaret Allen has received an MBE For services to business and to the community in Warrington and Halton, Cheshire. Mrs Allen is also a Director of Halton Chamber of Commerce a Governor at Riverside College in Widnes and a local Justice of the Peace.
Dr Alan Boyle gets MBE for services to swimming and polo in Warrington. Mr Boyle has played, coached, tutored, refereed, and administered swimming and water polo from grassroots to the highest level within the regional and national governing bodies for more than 60 years.
In 1970, he joined the committee of Warrington Swimming Club and in 1976 became head water polo coach. He became a member of the Amateur Swimming Association Council in 2000 as well as chairing Warrington Swimming Club’s committee.
Dr Gillian Davies, a specialist in dental public health from Lymm, was also appointed an MBE for services to her industry.
Finally Mrs Maureen Georgina Higham, founder, Stay and Play Group, Warrington received a BEM for services to Children and to the community in Radley Common.