The former Morecambe MP has met with the new Chief Minister of the Isle of Man for talks on strengthening trade links with Heysham Port.
David Morris, who was recently selected as Conservative parliamentary candidate for Morecambe and Lunesdale, met with Chris Thomas who became the new leader of the island's government in October.
Mr Morris said discussions focused on strengthening trade links between Heysham Port and the Isle of Man, and future investment in Heysham spanning sectors from shipping, general commerce and energy.
The Tory was MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale from 2010 to 2024, when he was defeated by Labour's Lizzi Collinge, the current MP, and will stand again in the next general election.
“It was fantastic to meet with Chris and reconnect with my long-standing friends in the House of Keys," said Mr Morris.
"The Isle of Man is one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the world, and they are right on our doorstep.
"They are our closest trading partner, and it is vital that we maximise this relationship.
"With rising unemployment and local business closures, we must aggressively pursue new opportunities and reach out to our trading allies.
“When I previously served as Member of Parliament, I helped to establish the Eden North biosphere project on the Isle of Man to complement our local Eden Project in Morecambe.
"To ensure the Eden Project North is returned to its original, ambitious game changing vision which I originally secured the funding for, before Labour's changes, we must explore these distinct partnerships to deliver results for our community."
Mr Morris has been critical of the "scaling back" of the Eden Project Morecambe from the original plans.
Changes to the design of the new visitor attraction were announced in June 2025, from an original concept of two larger domes and a smaller one on the site, which has been changed to one large dome and a flatter mussel-shaped building next to it
Projections on visitor numbers were then also reduced to 580,000 ticketed visitors per year from previous expectations of 760,000 per year average.
Andy Jasper, CEO of the Eden Project, said at the time that initial artist impressions were the "concept" while the new images show "exactly what we're going to be building".
In March 2025, after Mr Morris met with the Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sir James Cleverly, to share concerns over changes to the scheme, Ms Collinge said he was "sowing doubt and confusion in local people’s minds, seemingly for party political reasons".
She also accused him of doing an "about-turn" on his support for Eden now he's "out of office".
During Mr Morris' time as MP, the-then Conservative government pledged £50m towards the £100m cost of Eden Project Morecambe, in January 2023. This amount was confirmed in 2024 when Labour came to power.
Work got under way on the Eden Project Morecambe in September, and the complex is scheduled to open in late 2028.
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