Furniture Village has appointed Stephen McPartland MP to its board to tap into his experience as chairman of The Furniture Ombudsman.

McPartland, who is the Member of Parliament for Stevenage, will sit on the board as a non-executive director.

Furniture Village chief executive Peter Harrison said: “Stephen is committed to maintaining the health and the high standards of our industry, being considered by many its fiercest champion.

“At a time when Furniture Village has just experienced a record first full week of sales, Stephen’s support is a real endorsement of our business practices, and he brings a unique set of skills which will help ensure the company’s continued growth.”

Conservative MP McPartland became chair of Stevenage-based The Furniture Ombudsman, a non-profit organisation that resolves industry disputes, last year.

He also acts as chairman of the furniture sector’s All-Party Parliamentary Group and in that capacity will be opening this year’s January Furniture Show at Birmingham’s NEC on Tuesday January 13.

McPartland first met Harrison at the House of Commons in 2012, when the MP was a guest speaker at a lunch organised by City of London guild The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers.