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# North East Bylines

Powerful Citizen Journalism

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [The Brasserie at the Devonshire Arms](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/food_drink/the-brasserie-at-the-devonshire-arms/) - Review of The Brasserie at the Devonshire Arms
- [North East likely to get overnight visitor levy of up to 5%](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/north-east-likely-to-get-overnight-visitor-levy-of-up-to-5/) - "The money raised here would stay here, helping us invest in the future of our region rather than waiting for Whitehall to do it for us."
- [A former hospital consultant now paralysed from the neck down in an A1 crash says dualling the road is only half the job](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/a-former-hospital-consultant-now-paralysed-from-the-neck-down-in-an-a1-crash-says-dualling-the-road-is-only-half-the-job/) - Three dangerous “sub-standard” road junctions must be made safe whether or not Andy Burnham revives the A1 Project
- [Find out why space is amazing at Northumberland nature reserve](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/find-out-why-space-is-amazing-at-northumberland-nature-reserve/) - “For astronomy enthusiasts and families alike, it is an opportunity to discover just how strange, vast and fascinating space can be”
- [Candidates confirmed for Northumberland by-election triggered after councillor passed away](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/candidates-confirmed-for-northumberland-by-election-triggered-after-councillor-passed-away/) - Reform, Restore Britain, The Conservatives, and Labour are all standing in the seat
- [North East Mayor, councils and medium businesses join in growth drive](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/north-east-mayor-councils-and-medium-businesses-join-in-growth-drive/) - How today's announcement from the Chancellor will affect the North East
- [Iceland voted No. But what, exactly, did we reject?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/iceland-voted-no-but-what-exactly-did-we-reject/) - We chose not to establish what was negotiable before deciding whether it was acceptable. We were entirely within our democratic rights to do so
- [A week to remember wildlife: What's my legacy?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/a-week-to-remember-wildlife-whats-my-legacy/) - Legacy gifts have played a significant role for Northumberland Wildlife Trust in protecting some of our region's most important wildlife habitats
- [Beyond the A66 tragedy: what makes gang culture take hold?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/beyond-the-a66-tragedy-what-makes-gang-culture-take-hold/) - Gangs aren't unique to Teesside. They've emerged in cities and communities across the world - putting it simply, it's about a need to belong
- [Blyth Celebrates brings local stories,history and creativity to life this September](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/blyth-celebrates-brings-local-storieshistory-and-creativity-to-life-this-september/) - Blyth Celebrates continues its 2026/27 programme this September with a month of events celebrating Blyth’s heritage, people and creativity
- [The lesson Canada’s prime minister learned from Brexit is helping in its trade rift with US](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/the-lesson-canadas-prime-minister-learned-from-brexit-is-helping-in-its-trade-rift-with-us/) - Britain's experience offers Canada both a warning and, perhaps surprisingly, an opportunity.
- [Vintage in the Tower: giving the past a sustainable future](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/vintage-in-the-tower-giving-the-past-a-sustainable-future/) - Corbridge vintage shop celebrates 14 years of recycling, reuse and timeless style
- [Hadrian House - plans approved](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/hadrian-house-plans-approved/) - The committee voted by four to three in favour of granting permission
- [600 officers on the ground in Cleveland](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/600-officers-on-the-ground-in-cleveland/) - "We can't afford to wait in Cleveland"
- [Keeping yourself safe from scams](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/keeping-yourself-safe-from-scams/) - Some useful tips on protecting yourself from online scams
- [When is a consultation not a consultation? When it’s the Darlington Bypass](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/when-is-a-consultation-not-a-consultation-when-its-the-darlington-bypass/) - The long and involved story of the Darlington Northern Link Road (DNLR)
- [Demonstrating against the spike in executions in Iran](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/demonstrating-against-the-spike-in-executions-in-iran/) - There will be a march from the Monument to the Baltic on 6 September
- [Reform conspiracy theory row in Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-conspiracy-theory-row-in-newcastle/) - A Reform UK councillor in Newcastle has been criticised for appearing to endorse a “vile” conspiracy theory
- [Environment Agency investigate three illegal waste dumps discovered in the North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/environment-agency-investigate-three-illegal-waste-dumps-discovered-in-the-north-east/) - The Environment Agency is investigating three North East illegal waste dumps amounting to almost 3,500 tonnes of waste
- [We’re losing the front line of democracy](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/were-losing-the-front-line-of-democracy/) - "It is the threat to democracy that worries me the most"
- [Flags](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/flags/) - Poem by Rachel Burns
- [Pits, poverty and grit](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/pits-poverty-and-grit/) - There is a danger that we reinforce stereotypes, mental models and assumptions about an area until they become the only story people know about it
- [Nepal flash flood; a climate warning from the roof of the world](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/nepal-flash-flood-a-climate-warning-from-the-roof-of-the-world/) - As well as the flood in Nepal and Tibet there have been record high temperatures and a record drought on the European continent
- [Life in Saudi Arabia: Part 36 August 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/life-in-saudi-arabia-part-36-august-2026/) - How has Saudi Arabia been reported in recent weeks?
- [Former County Durham Reform councillor joins a new party](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/former-county-durham-reform-councillor-joins-a-new-party/) - It is good to see that Councillor McGlenen is now getting his life back on track following the problems he has had
- [North East employers named for not paying minimum wage](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/north-east-employers-named-for-not-paying-minimum-wage/) - Thirty-three North East companies have been named for failing to pay the national minimum wage
- [Worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/worsening-humanitarian-crisis-in-sudan/) - The humanitarian crisis caused by the civil war in Sudan continues to get worse, while the healthcare system is collapsing
- [The Ivy in York: a Mediterranean feel](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/food_drink/the-ivy-in-york-a-mediterranean-feel/) - Review of The Ivy, York
- [Burnham’s tribute to Cleveland police officers. And his devolution vision](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/burnhams-tribute-to-cleveland-police-officers-and-his-devolution-vision/) - “I know the whole House will wish to join me in expressing deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, who were killed in the line of duty on the A66"
- [Crime and Teesside](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/crime-and-teesside/) - Crime is not new on Teesside - it has been here for decades. A look at what is needed
- [The future of local government](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-future-of-local-government/) - Will new ways be found to avoid tensions between central and local government? In the interests of people in ‘every postcode’?
- [Towards a more democratic media environment](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/tv-radio/towards-a-more-democratic-media-environment/) - We need a media environment that can tell truth to power and can represent all sections of society
- [Red light means danger](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/red-light-means-danger/) - How does Newcastle City Council intend to schedule and act on the inevitable damage to traffic lights this autumn?
- [Ben Houchen’s hypocrisy over “Lawless Britain”](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/ben-houchens-hypocrisy-over-lawless-britain/) - In addition to disingenuously reinforcing tropes about a “lawless Britain”, Ben Houchen’s Mail piece is hypocritical too
- [The Bent Waiter Test](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/tv-radio/the-bent-waiter-test/) - What mistakes reveal about misinformation
- [If we’re serious about child poverty, let’s start with breakfast](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/if-were-serious-about-child-poverty-lets-start-with-breakfast/) - As we return to school, Byker Primary asks whether the government’s new breakfast club model will work for the children who need it most
- [Andy Burnham and Ukraine](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/andy-burnham-and-ukraine/) - Andy Burnham’s first overseas visit as PM was to Ukraine
- [Review of Molly Scott Cato's book](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/letters/review-of-molly-scott-catos-book/) - Letter on our review of latest book by Molly Scott-Cato
- [Remembering the Rohingya genocide of 2017](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/remembering-the-rohingya-genocide-of-2017/) - On 25 August a ceremony was held in Newcastle to remember those lost in the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar in 2017
- [The A66 tragedy one week on: human grief became content and outrage became a witch hunt](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/the-a66-tragedy-one-week-on-human-grief-became-content-and-outrage-became-a-witch-hunt/) - What particularly bothers me is the policing of grief. There seems to be an expectation that only certain people are entitled to mourn
- [UCU brands Newcastle University’s India expansion plan “risky business venture”](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/ucu-brands-newcastle-universitys-india-expansion-plan-risky-business-venture/) - “Many of our members were understandably annoyed when the University announced in January 2025 that it was looking to expand in India at the same time as jobs were at risk in Newcastle"
- [Nurdle clean-up workers laid-off as nurdles reach North Yorkshire coast](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/nurdle-clean-up-workers-laid-off-as-nurdles-reach-north-yorkshire-coast/) - As the nurdle spill reaches to Druridge Bay in the north and North Yorkshire to the south, contract clean-up workers are being laid off. Meanwhile volunteers are feeling exploited
- [New Kenton chemist opens up following local community campaign](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/new-kenton-chemist-opens-up-following-local-community-campaign/) - New local pharmacy in Kenton
- [New snooker club in Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/new-snooker-club-in-newcastle/) - A popular Newcastle snooker club’s move into a new home has won the backing of council bosses
- [Northumberland Wildlife Trust calls on young people to be Habitat Heroes](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/northumberland-wildlife-trust-calls-on-young-people-to-be-habitat-heroes/) - Northumberland Wildlife Trust is now inviting people aged 16 - 24 to get involved in Habitat Heroes 2, taking place in Newcastle on 8 September
- [This magic moment](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/this-magic-moment/) - The death of centrism, and Britain's missing left-wing moment
- [Historic cliff tramway re-opening in Saltburn ahead of August bank holiday weekend](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/historic-cliff-tramway-re-opening-in-saltburn-ahead-of-august-bank-holiday-weekend/) - The tramway, which carries visitors between the town, pier and beach, first opened to the public on 28 June, 1884
- [Upgrade for Durham housing association](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/housing/upgrade-for-durham-housing-association/) - RSH found that Livin had strengthened its understanding of the condition of its homes since its inspection in November 2024
- [Middlesbrough councillors in Reform row](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/middlesbrough-councillors-in-reform-row/) - In joining Reform while keeping a foot in Mica, are Saunders and Hill hedging their bets?
- [Call for Minister for Chemical Industry to help protect Teesside](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/call-for-minister-for-chemical-industry-to-help-protect-teesside/) - Dame Angela McLean and Lord Browne of Madingly, co-chairs of the Council for Science and Technology, say that chemicals are critical to the UK’s national security, resilience and economy
- [Five fiction books that will help you understand Ukraine](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/books/five-fiction-books-that-will-help-you-understand-ukraine/) - Ukrainian literature offers a rich way into the country’s history, culture and identity
- [North East gets £445mn for 3,400 social and affordable homes](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/housing/north-east-gets-445mn-for-3400-social-and-affordable-homes/) - With almost 180,000 children growing up without a permanent home, the government is putting councils at the heart of housebuilding
- [Heaton rallies round to support fund for Rothbury Estate in Northumberland](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/heaton-rallies-round-to-support-fund-for-rothbury-estate-in-northumberland/) - “The generosity of everybody in Heaton shows again just how much everyone cares about making this happen for nature and people - a ‘Wild Thing’ part of a Northumberland’s future"
- [The A66 tragedy: breaking a cycle that began long before social media](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/the-a66-tragedy-breaking-a-cycle-that-began-long-before-social-media/) - Seven human beings went onto the A66 that night and none of them came home. That should be enough to make Teesside stop and think
- [Two days after Middlesbrough’s A66 crash: trying to make sense of it](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/two-days-after-middlesbroughs-a66-crash-trying-to-make-sense-of-it/) - Report from Ray Casey
- [Healing people and the environment: Grindon Church Community Project, Sunderland](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/wearside/healing-people-and-the-environment-grindon-urc-community-centre-sunderland/) - I visited Grindon United Reformed Church Community Centre in Sunderland, and heard about the great work going on there
- [The county disappeared - East Cleveland didn't](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/the-county-disappeared-east-cleveland-didnt/) - A Canadian family-history counterfactual became a lesson in why administrative geography changes faster than industrial memory
- [Sunflowers and aliens](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/short-story-sunday/sunflowers-and-aliens/) - For Short Story Sunday
- [Skerningham is not a real garden village](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/skerningham-is-not-a-real-garden-village/) - Tees Valley road planners are under fire from a consortium of Darlington environmental and neighbourhood groups over an “inadequately vague” public consultation
- [From PIP reform to Reform UK: how disabled people became a political target](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/from-pip-reform-to-reform-uk-how-disabled-people-became-a-political-target/) - Eventually somebody was going to realise there were votes available in supplying a very simple answer that Disabled people are the problem. Enter Reform
- [Seven people dead in ‘wrong way’ traffic collision in Middlesbrough](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/seven-people-dead-in-wrong-way-traffic-collision-in-middlesbrough/) - There were seven fatalities in a road traffic collision near Middlesbrough in the early hours of Saturday, 22 August 2026
- [Standing together to protect Palestinians in the West Bank](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/standing-together-to-protect-palestinians-in-the-west-bank/) - Standing Together vigil in Newcastle
- [Mayors given powers to green light developments](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/devolution/mayors-given-powers-to-green-light-developments/) - Regional mayors are to be given ‘call in’ powers to take the most important planning decisions in their areas
- [Another Reform councillor resigns from the party](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/another-reform-councillor-resigns-from-the-party/) - Ian Catchpole, who represents Sedgefield on Durham County Council has resigned from Reform UK to become an independent councillor
- [Civil Service high-flyers moving north](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/devolution/civil-service-high-flyers-moving-north/) - Ministers have described the plan as the largest transfer of government capacity to local leaders yet
- [Thoughts on the Clacton by-election](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/thoughts-on-the-clacton-by-election/) - Jesus Christ Superstar, Nigel Farage, and illegal immigration
- [Keeping beaches clean doesn’t stop at nurdle clean up, public urged](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/keeping-beaches-clean-doesnt-stop-at-nurdle-clean-up-public-urged/) - Beachgoers are being urged to prevent a plastics “nightmare” on the region’s coast as the nurdle clear-up continues
- [Hadrian House plans delayed](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/hadrian-house-plans-delayed/) - While there was no suggestion that the new policies would necessarily change council planners’ recommendation that the Hadrian House plans be granted permission, the local authority said it wanted to take time to fully consider the new framework’s impact
- [Metro disability restrictions to be lifted](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/metro-disability-restrictions-to-be-lifted/) - “Disabled passengers should be able to travel with the confidence that their journey on their local public transport will be free whenever and wherever they go”
- [Championing Nature in Eldon Square](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/championing-nature-in-eldon-square/) - Northumberland Wildlife Trust will be showcasing its conservation work in Eldon Square’s Community Quarter
- [Teesside coast latest: whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/teesside-coast-latest-whole-lotta-shakin-goin-on/) - Residents of Redcar and Marske have reported an “infernal vibrating noise” over the past few days, emanating from the North Sea, and keeping them awake at night. So what’s happening?
- [Giving the devil his due: The Exorcist](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/film/giving-the-devil-his-due-the-exorcist/) - When the Exorcist was released in Britain, the people of the North East were among the first to see it – and to say exactly what they thought of it
- [North East TV stars join Dannii Minogue and Sir Stephen Fry to front LGBTQ+ youth campaign](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/film/north-east-tv-stars-join-dannii-minogue-and-sir-stephen-fry-to-front-lgbtq-youth-campaign/) - Tynemouth television favourite Denise Welch, Hartlepool actor Peter McPherson and Teesside sitcom star Elijah Young are among 30 LGBTQ+ celebrities and high-profile allies appearing in a new film for LGBTQ+ youth charity The Proud Trust
- [Talent is everywhere, opportunity isn't](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/talent-is-everywhere-opportunity-isnt/) - Where you grow up still has too much influence over the opportunities available to you
- [To tackle extreme heat, Andy Burnham needs to urgently take these three radical steps](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/to-tackle-extreme-heat-andy-burnham-needs-to-urgently-take-these-three-radical-steps/) - Adapting to the new hot dry summers is not difficult. Many countries deal with these sorts of extreme conditions every single year. But it takes planning and investment in basic infrastructure, not just another emergency Cobra meeting
- [£13mn to get North East rough sleepers off the streets](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/13mn-to-get-north-east-rough-sleepers-off-the-streets/) - “The Prime Minister has set his ambition to tackle one of the starkest injustices in the country and he is clear that everybody should have a route off the streets this winter"
- [Free breakfast clubs can help raise standards in city schools](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/free-breakfast-clubs-can-help-raise-standards-in-city-schools/) - ''The provision of a breakfast in school helps hundreds of children from low income families - some of whom underperform at school,'' Coun Lambert said
- [Requesting a council service in Newcastle – with the help of Jeff Bezos](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/requesting-a-council-service-in-newcastle-with-the-help-of-jeff-bezos/) - The city council is using AWS Contact Centre Services (Amazon Q and Contact Lens), part of the same business empire as Amazon retail headed by Jeff Bezos, one of the world’s richest men
- [Sixteen and seventeen year olds to vote: we need political education in schools](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/sixteen-and-seventeen-year-olds-to-vote-we-need-political-education-in-schools/) - In 2029, teenagers will have the right to vote. But does this mean anything without better political education?
- [Remembering Michael Jamieson](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/remembering/remembering-michael-jamieson/) - Mike was well-known in the North East in the late 1980s and 1990s for his groundbreaking Greenwatch environmental column and his weekly jazz-blue-roots music column, both published in the Chronicle
- [The education of Corporal John Musgrave: book review](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/books/the-education-of-corporal-john-musgrave-book-review/) - John Musgrave has left behind a valuable legacy, both in the work he has done helping traumatised servicemen in the United States and also in this book.
- [Eden is burning: Burnham must do more](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/eden-is-burning-burnham-must-do-more/) - As wildfires rage across the land and workers struggle in the heat shouldn’t Burnham be saying and doing more about the climate emergency?
- [EU membership offers at least £216mn boost to North East per year, new report finds](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/eu-membership-offers-at-least-216mn-boost-to-north-east-per-year-new-report-finds/) - A boost of at least £216mn could be injected into England’s North East economy per year, the equivalent to a Gross Value Added (GVA) increase of at least 0.50% via UK’s re-entry to the European Union
- [And here comes another one](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/and-here-comes-another-one/) - the nurdles story
- [Metro new stations announcement](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/metro-new-stations-announcement/) - Details of where three new Tyne and Wear Metro stations could be built are set to be revealed next month
- [More chaos in Reform-run South Tyneside Council](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/more-chaos-in-reform-run-south-tyneside-council/) - People need to know that their elected representatives are serious in their intentions to work for them and just what they are voting for
- [Dreamies](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/short-story-sunday/dreamies/) - Some scientists think it might be possible for a small backpack to survive the journey through time with us. Others argue it’s not advisable- that you could end up with spoons for noses and knife and fork ears
- [Preston Hall Museum needs to replace doors and make improvements to meet fire regulations](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/preston-hall-museum-needs-to-replace-doors-and-make-improvements-to-meet-fire-regulations/) - The proposed “minor internal alteration works” sprung out of a fire risk assessment at the historic museum building.
- [Northumberland Council leader fears it could be years before nurdle spill is cleared up](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/northumberland-council-leader-fears-it-could-be-years-before-nurdle-spill-is-cleared-up/) - The leader of Northumberland County Council has called for clarity on the spillage of nurdles at South Shields that has seen tonnes of the plastic pellets wash up on North East beaches
- [Another day, another witch hunt, i.m. Jason Arday RIP](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/another-day-another-witch-hunt-i-m-jason-arday-rip/) - Poem by Harry Gallagher
- [Nabil’s dream: the chance to go to school](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/nabils-dream-the-chance-to-go-to-school/) - In Gaza, where education has collapsed under the strain of war, one boy is determined to go to school so he can learn how to help people
- [The Dragline](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/the-dragline/) - Prose poem by Rachel Burns
- [Can you love two people at once?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/short-story-sunday/can-you-love-two-people-at-once/) - for Short Story Sunday
- [Children urge drivers to take a second look for cyclists](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/children-urge-drivers-to-take-a-second-look-for-cyclists/) - Children, with Road Safety GB NE, local authorities and emergency services aim to reduce road casualties in our Region through education and training
- [Spring tide alert: North East nurdle volunteers demand more from authorities](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/spring-tide-alert-north-east-nurdle-volunteers-demand-more-from-authorities/) - Volunteers are needed urgently to join the NE Nurdle Clean-Up this weekend just after the High Tides morning and evening
- [Reservoir water warning](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/reservoir-water-warning/) - Climate change could leave reservoirs at lower levels during the summer and increase drought risks across County Durham, a council report has warned
- [The tide returns to Greatham Marsh after 200 years due to £4.5mn restoration](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/the-tide-returns-to-greatham-marsh-after-200-years-due-to-4-5mn-restoration/) - The Greatham Foundation and Northumbrian Water, have restored the original course of Greatham Beck and removed a tidal barrier, allowing the tide to return to an area won from the sea over 200 years ago
- [The top 20 empty buildings of Middlesbrough](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/the-top-20-empty-buildings-of-middlesbrough/) - I visited the top 20 buildings in need of reviving in Middlesbrough
- [Reform council tells volunteers to leave Durham park](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/county-durham/community-group-and-council-legal-action-threat-in-durham/) - “None of us ever imagined that caring for a public park would lead to the threat of legal action ”
- [Exam results day advice from Action for Children](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/exam-results-day-advice-from-action-for-children/) - “Reassure your child that your pride in them goes beyond any grade”
- [North East one step from drought: official](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/north-east-one-step-from-drought-official/) - Almost three-quarters of England is now in drought as conditions worsen following a dry start to August. Nowhere is now deemed in normal status
- [Spring tide looms as nurdle volunteers demand more action](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/spring-tide-looms-as-nurdle-volunteers-demand-more-action/) - Campaigners warn the clean-up remains a race against time, especially with the spring tide approaching
- [Blyth company welcomes Defence Gold Award](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/blyth-company-welcomes-defence-gold-award/) - "I am delighted that Draeger Safety UK has achieved Gold Level Accreditation as part of the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) Employer Recognition Scheme"
- [City of Culture bid celebrates ‘Made in Middlesbrough’ mentality](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/city-of-culture-bid-celebrates-made-in-middlesbrough-mentality/) - “The next chapter of Middlesbrough’s story will be shaped by creativity, innovation, culture and community"
- [Work starts on £13mn Skinningrove flood scheme](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/work-starts-on-13mn-skinningrove-flood-scheme/) - The Environment Agency (EA), in partnership with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, has started construction on a major flood alleviation scheme in Skinningrove, with works due for completion in 2028
- [Minister visits Port of Tyne to support nurdle clean-up](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/minister-visits-port-of-tyne-to-support-nurdle-clean-up/) - Visiting Littlehaven Beach, the minister met with community groups and volunteers involved in the recovery efforts and thanked them for their continued work to clear impacted beaches
- [Online shadow libraries – and why they’re being implicated in AI copyright lawsuits](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/online-shadow-libraries-and-why-theyre-being-implicated-in-ai-copyright-lawsuits/) - A few days before Christmas 2025, a secretive online activist group called Anna’s Archive said it had downloaded roughly 86 million audio files and 256 million rows of track metadata from Spotify’s catalogue
- [Scam news for mid-August](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/scam-news-for-mid-august/) - New and old scams to watch out for this summer
- [Nurdles, the North East and our sea](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/nurdles-the-north-east-and-our-sea/) - For me, the nurdles incident raises a much bigger question: do we, nationally, properly recognise the importance of the coastline we are asking our communities to protect?
- [MP rules out government role to concentrate on retaining his seat](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/mp-rules-out-government-role-to-concentrate-on-retaining-his-seat/) - Joe Morris, MP for Hexham, says too many of his predecessors neglected voters in favour of ministerial positions
- [North East to get 12 new mental health centres](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/north-east-to-get-12-new-mental-health-centres/) - Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Nobody should be left to struggle with their mental health alone"
- [New funding to unlock Sheepfolds housing in Sunderland](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/wearside/new-funding-to-unlock-sheepfolds-housing-in-sunderland/) - "We’re transforming derelict sites, like the one at Sheepfolds, with a vibrant new neighbourhood"
- [Cafe proposed for Killingworth Lakeside Park](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/cafe-proposed-for-killingworth-lakeside-park/) - Killingworth Lakeside Park will have a new cafe by 2027 as part of a wider set of investments
- [Legal action considered over High Borrans closure](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/legal-action-considered-over-high-borrans-closure/) - Legal action is being considered by a campaign group in a bid to stop the closure of the treasured High Borrans
- [Two more Reform councillors at Middlesbrough?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/two-more-reform-councillors-at-middlesbrough/) - Report by Julia Mazza
- [Charity Case: the start of the football season](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/sport/charity-case-the-start-of-the-football-season/) - It’s business as usual for the weekend’s big match
- [One special place and one last chance to secure it: news from Northumberland Wildlife Trust](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/one-special-place-and-one-last-chance-to-secure-it-news-from-northumberland-wildlife-trust/) - The Rothbury Estate is not only a beautiful place but is also a living breathing refuge for the wildlife that can be found in its rivers, in the sky and on the land at a scale very rarely found anywhere else in the country
- [Community Space](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/community-space/) - Filmmaker Michael Lawler spent time inside the Community Hub at Cruddas Park Shopping Centre. His short documentary, Community Space, is available on the Bylines Network YouTube channel. Here he reports on what he found - and what the hub needs next.
- [Anything that can go wrong: A Tees Valley tale](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/anything-that-can-go-wrong-a-tees-valley-tale/) - Inquorate meetings, unmet deadlines, a two-year backlog of unaudited accounts and cash flow doubts over the Corporation’s ability to repay £421mn debts...
- [Reform UK votes to ‘rescind’ climate emergency declaration in South Tyneside](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-uk-votes-to-rescind-climate-emergency-declaration-in-south-tyneside/) - South Tyneside’s Reform UK-led council has voted to scrap the borough’s climate emergency declaration, despite fierce opposition
- [Northumbria Police admit mistakes in Sunderland sexual assault case](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/northumbria-police-admit-mistakes-in-sunderland-sexual-assault-case/) - With the help of the Good Law Project, Nina Cresswell lodged a legal case against Northumbria Police for failing to properly investigate her 2010 report
- [Heaton Stannington and the northern non-league scene: 2026-7 season preview](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/sport/heaton-stannington-and-the-northern-non-league-scene-2026-7-season-preview/) - Preview by Peter Sagar
- ['Defiant' - County Durham, the Miners' Strike and its legacy](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/history-culture/defiant-county-durham-the-miners-strike-and-its-legacy/) - "A deeply human story about a very cruel and vindictive political act. Margaret Thatcher and her hatchet man Ian MacGregor set out to destroy not just the coal industry but also the tight-knit communities that had grown up around the pits"
- [Basket weaving is serious business: African crafts meet fashion](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/basket-weaving-is-serious-business-african-crafts-meet-fashion/) - Through my work, I hope to share the joy, beauty and richness of African-inspired design with others
- [Newcastle’s civic honours must rise above politics and patronage](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/newcastles-civic-honours-must-rise-above-politics-and-patronage/) - Protecting the integrity of civic institutions is one of the greatest responsibilities public office carries
- [A road less travelled](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/a-road-less-travelled/) - Poem by Peter Sagar
- [The North East should stop being Britain’s best kept secret](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/the-north-east-should-stop-being-britains-best-kept-secret/) - New research names the North of England the UK's most popular destination for 2026. But is it time to treat hospitality and the visitor economy as a strategic industry - and to stop selling the region as a secret?
- [Rare white-clawed crayfish given lifeline as recovery work begins across the North](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/rare-white-clawed-crayfish-given-lifeline-as-recovery-work-begins-across-the-north/) - Northern rivers will play a key role in a national project to save England’s only native freshwater crayfish from disappearing from our rivers and streams
- [Save High Borrans group launches in North Tyneside](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/new-save-high-borrans-group-launches-in-north-tyneside/) - The High Borrans campaign unites councillors, unions and residents to save North Tyneside's outdoor education centre from closure, while exploring viable options.
- [Abundance with Lizzie Klotz](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/abundance-with-lizzie-klotz/) - In Abundance dancers move across a space festooned with brightly coloured king-size double duvets
- [Community clean-up in the west end of Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/community-clean-up-in-the-west-end-of-newcastle/) - Showing community spirit and pride in their Newcastle neighbourhood
- [2026 Mercury Prize 'albums of the year' revealed](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/music/2026-mercury-prize-albums-of-the-year-revealed/) - Following its biggest year yet in 2025, the Mercury Prize returns to Newcastle as the host city for 2026, in partnership with Newcastle City Council
- [9 to 5 at Darlington Hippodrome](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/music/9-to-5-at-darlington-hippodrome/) - Review of the musical 9 to 5
- [Women's Street Watch Middlesbrough launches fundraising appeal to keep vital service running](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/womens-street-watch-middlesbrough-launches-fundraising-appeal-to-keep-vital-service-running/) - Women’s Street Watch Middlesbrough has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help cover its running costs and ensure patrols can continue
- [Life in Saudi Arabia: Part 35 July 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/life-in-saudi-arabia-part-35-july-2026/) - What was happening in Saudi Arabia in July 2026?
- [How the Ceuta border crossing incident immediately played into the hands of Spain’s far right](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/how-the-ceuta-border-crossing-incident-immediately-played-into-the-hands-of-spains-far-right/) - The imagination is where a country’s attitude to migration is built
- [When caring for the coast takes a toll: looking after yourself as a Nurdle Fairy](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/when-caring-for-the-coast-takes-a-toll-looking-after-yourself-as-a-nurdle-fairy/) - There is growing recognition that environmental incidents can affect mental wellbeing. Watching damage unfold in places we love can create feelings of grief, helplessness and loss
- [The launch of the Great Stottie Trail](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/food_drink/the-launch-of-the-great-stottie-trail/) - "It's the first trail that celebrates the food culture and historic trading history of the river"
- [Beware of oligarchs bearing gifts: book review](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/books/beware-of-oligarchs-bearing-gifts-book-review/) - Review of Lacunae and Laocoon: For the Triumph of Democracy over Oligarchy by Molly Scott Cato
- [Devolution announcement does not change A1 dualling situation](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/devolution-announcement-does-not-change-a1-dualling-situation/) - The decision on A1 dualling in Northumberland remains with central government, even as new cash flows to regional mayors; details are expected in autumn.
- [Devolution: Andy Burnham hears no evil at Ben Houchen’s TVCA](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/devolution-andy-burnham-hears-no-evil-at-ben-houchens-tvca/) - There is a deafening silence surrounding the Tees Valley
- [Mayors to get shares of income tax and business rates](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/mayors-to-get-shares-of-income-tax-and-business-rates/) - Prime Minister Andy Burnham described it as “the biggest transfer of power from Westminster in a generation.”
- [Cleaning up the nurdles on the North East coast](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/cleaning-up-the-nurdles-on-the-north-east-coast/) - “The community response shows that we can when we come together”.
- [Brexit, a seven-part analysis: part one](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/brexit-a-seven-part-analysis-part-one/) - "Referendums should either be a regular part of political life or avoided entirely"
- [TVCA leaders take control of £400mn debt plan](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/tvca-leaders-take-control-of-400mn-debt-plan/) - Tees Valley Combined Authority’s (TVCA’s) cabinet is taking tighter political control over the £421mn debts it is owed by its subsidiary, South Tees Development Corporation (STDC)
- [Taking back control of our water](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/taking-back-control-of-our-water/) - Compass had two guest speakers, Cat Hobbs, and Ewan McGaughey
- [River Tees Harbour Seals](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/river-tees-harbour-seals/) - River Tees Harbour Seals is a fundraising appeal to finance testing of sediment at seal hauling sites on the River Tees
- [Here comes the sun](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/here-comes-the-sun-2/) - With wildfires raging across much of Europe and temperature records seemingly being broken on a weekly basis, we must consider the benefits of solar power much more seriously. One church in Newcastle has done this and this is how they did it
- [Earth Overshoot Day: how many Earths do we need?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/earth-overshoot-day-how-many-earths-do-we-need/) - Earth Overshoot Day marks the exact date when humanity's total demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what the Earth can regenerate in that same year, and in 2026, it falls on 30 July
- [Amnesty International appeals for solidarity with the Uyghur people](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/amnesty-international-appeals-for-solidarity-with-the-uyghur-people/) - Each day, Amnesty International UK will unveil another way that Amnesty activists are standing with Uyghur creatives
- [The future of North East buses](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/the-future-of-north-east-buses/) - Kim McGuinness hosted a Mayor Meets event on the future of North East buses on Thursday 23 July at Redhills in Durham
- [Making peace with creation](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/making-peace-with-creation-2/) - We can use wisdom to overcome the climate crisis and build a fairer world at the same time.
- [Why do we keep falling for ‘fake news’ and how can we stop? ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/social-media/why-do-we-keep-falling-for-fake-news-and-how-can-we-stop/) - Fake news has become more common as social media develops and it’s becoming increasingly harder to spot.
- [Brexit Part 7: The Way Forward is Joining the EU, but How?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/brexit-part-7-the-way-forward-is-joining-the-eu-but-how/) - There is increasing consensus that Brexit was a terrible mistake. The slogan "Make Brexit Work" is an oxymoron. Brexit cannot work. Joining the EU is the only way forward.
- [Reforming social health care needs a wider national discussion](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/reforming-social-health-care-needs-a-wider-national-discussion/) - Many older people could stay in their own homes, and be happier there, if there was adequate and effective care in the community
- [Nuclear deterrence means apprenticeships, says Burnham](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/nuclear-deterrence-means-apprenticeships-says-burnham/) - Andy Burnham stressed the jobs benefits as well as the defence and security importance of renewing Britain’s nuclear deterrent
- [South Bank Quay: another Teesworks project facing an uncertain future](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/south-bank-quay-another-teesworks-project-facing-an-uncertain-future/) - The success, or otherwise, of SeAH Wind is closely tied to that of the neighbouring South Bank Quay, which is used as an offshore base for wind farm construction
- [Burnham starts fixing adult social care](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/burnham-starts-fixing-adult-social-care/) - “I just don’t accept that this problem is too big to solve. What we need is a new way of doing politics where we come together, face the challenge head on and build an integrated system that gives people security and dignity"
- [Burnham takes action on NEETs](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/burnham-takes-1bn-action-on-neets/) - “I want an education system based on parity between academic and technical which gives all young people a clear path in life"
- [How South Tees plans to pay off £400mn-plus debt mountain ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/how-south-tees-plans-to-pay-off-400mn-plus-debt-mountain/) - Four loans were made: £46.5mn for the site, £112mn for Quay construction, £235mn for infrastructure, and £27mn for work from Teesworks partners.
- [Bridget Phillipson appointed chair of Labour Party](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/bridget-phillipson-appointed-chair-of-labour-party/) - Bridget Phillipson, MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, has been appointed by Prime Minister Andy Burnham as chair of the Labour Party
- [Panto magic in Middlesbrough with Aladdin](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/panto-magic-in-middlesbrough-with-aladdin/) - Aladdin runs from Saturday, 5 December to Thursday, 31 December at Middlesbrough Theatre
- [Percy Main vox pop](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/percy-main-vox-pop/) - The Local Democracy Reporting Service went to Percy Main to speak to locals to ask what they want to see happen over the next 10 years of the Pride in Place funding
- [Historic ‘at risk’ coastal gardens in Saltburn now subject to five year management plan](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/historic-at-risk-coastal-gardens-in-saltburn-now-subject-to-five-year-management-plan/) - The plan’s objectives include to retain and enhance biodiversity and wildlife habitats; preserve the landscape and features of historic interest
- [Nurdle spill response too slow](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/nurdle-spill-response-too-slow/) - Local authority teams and volunteers have been trying to clear the pellets from nearby beaches, amid serious concerns about the long-term environmental impact of the disaster
- [Funding bus fare cap from the aid budget will hit the world's poorest](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/funding-bus-cap-fares-from-the-aid-budget-will-hit-the-worlds-poorest/) - The bus fare cap is welcome news, but as the old saying goes, let's not rob Peter to pay Paul
- [Scams to watch out for](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/scams-to-watch-out-for-2/) - Some of the latest scams doing the rounds
- [Plastic pellets spilled into River Tyne after two ships collide](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/plastic-pellets-spilled-into-river-tyne-after-two-ships-collide/) - “The collision caused up to 25 tonnes of nurdles – about a billion in total, according to environmental charity Fidra – to enter the water, said South Tyneside council”
- [The proposal of Lovers Lane](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/short-story-sunday/the-proposal-of-lovers-lane/) - Story by Will Barber-Taylor
- [Love Actuaries](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/love-actuaries/) - "There is something faintly comic about wealthy middle-aged men spending fortunes trying to become the oldest corpse in the cemetery"
- [Andy Burnham’s first few days](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/andy-burnhams-first-few-days/) - "Andy has set out a direction of travel which I think many would be happy with"
- [Drought, water shortages and crop failures: how does the medieval warm period compare with today?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/drought-water-shortages-and-crop-failures-how-does-the-medieval-warm-period-compare-with-today/) - The Medieval warm period saw elevated temperatures in many parts of the world between the 10th and 13th centuries
- [Count Binface and the humiliation of Nigel Farage](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/count-binface-and-the-humiliation-of-nigel-farage/) - Count Binface has managed to reduce Farage's protest to farce, and he and his trash-can helmet are now at the centre of media attention
- [Scams and how to avoid them](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/scams-and-how-to-avoid-them/) - Information about new scams and how to spot and avoid them
- [The Starmer years and the state of the nation: Brexit Part six](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/the-starmer-years-and-the-state-of-the-nation-brexit-part-six/) - A look at the Starmer years comparing the inherited legacy in 2024 with that of 2010 -and moving on
- [Restoring railways means living with delays](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/restoring-railways-means-living-with-delays/) - Up and down the country, rail user groups have to think in centuries like popes
- [Practical help in a good cause: Shared Interest Summer Report 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/practical-help-in-a-good-cause-shared-interest-summer-report-2026/) - Once again Newcastle based cooperative Shared Interest has shown the value of working with grassroots producers to help develop a fairer and more sustainable world
- [Durham saves time and money with digital planning](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/county-durham/durham-saves-time-and-money-with-digital-planning/) - The platform supported decision-making rather than replacing it. Officers remained in control of how assessments were interpreted and applied
- [Burnham and Healey: the priorities](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/burnham-and-healey-the-priorities/) - John Healey - priorities as Chancellor
- [Is AI destroying or rescuing the film industry?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/film/is-ai-destroying-or-rescuing-the-film-industry/) - Does the amount of time and money saved outweigh the loss of humanity and jobs in film?
- [Sunderland's Sunday Service](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/wearside/sunderlands-sunday-service/) - There were some people who would have preferred the cinemas to go dark
- [Standing together at the Gala](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/standing-together-at-the-gala/) - As ever the emphasis was on solidarity. There were teachers unions, other trade unionists, and groups supporting a myriad of campaigns.
- [Why talking about 'white working class' is dangerous](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/why-talking-about-white-working-class-is-dangerous/) - "Ultimately I do believe white working class children are failed NOT because they are white but because they are working class"
- [Government jobs for three North East MPs](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/government-jobs-for-three-north-east-mps/) - Two North East MPs have been appointed to the government at minister of state level, and a third has been made a whip
- [Burnham’s Cabinet: first thoughts](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/burnhams-cabinet-first-thoughts/) - Hope is what people need right now, hope that when the government dangles the prospect of better things to come they will actually arrive, and quickly
- [The Great North working with Andy Burnham](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-great-north-working-with-andy-burnham/) - The Great North says that Burnham helped shape the organisation and helped to give a more powerful voice to the north, increasing its visibility and strengthening its economy
- [North East public spending and Burnham’s first PM speech](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/north-east-public-spending-and-burnhams-first-pm-speech/) - Analysis by Peter Morris
- [Burnham’s regional devolution: more power without responsibility?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/burnhams-regional-devolution-more-power-without-responsibility/) - If Burnham wants to make a radical change, he may decide to give regional authorities the power to raise more of their own funds...
- [Kevin Keegan RIP](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/kevin-keegan-rip/) - Poem by Harry Gallagher
- [Operators of Seaton Carew landfill served suspension notice](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/operators-of-seaton-carew-landfill-served-suspension-notice/) - The Environment Agency (EA) has served a suspension notice on the operators of Seaton Meadows landfill site in Seaton Carew
- [Can’t we just keep it as a game?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/cant-we-just-keep-it-as-a-game/) - Does making such a statement at that point somehow ease the balm of Argentina losing the Falklands War?
- [What are the priorities for the new Burnham government?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/what-are-the-priorities-for-the-new-burnham-government/) - A look at priorities at the very beginning of Andy Burnham's time as Prime Minister
- [Five gold awards for North East for supporting armed forces](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/five-gold-awards-for-north-east-for-supporting-armed-forces/) - The recipients are are helping veterans secure jobs, supporting reservists in balancing military and civilian careers, and backing military families through workplace policies
- ["And so, where do you go from here?"](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/sport/and-so-where-do-we-go-from-here/) - "Trophies are won...by creating an environment in which a team genuinely enjoys playing for one another and for the country they represent"
- [Wynyard exposed: did Wynyard get what councillors approved?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/wynyard-exposed-did-wynyard-get-what-councillors-approved/) - This piece examines governance and accountability in Wynyard development, detailing changes to approvals and their community repercussions.
- [Fix It Café in Darlington](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/fix-it-cafe-in-darlington/) - The Fix It Café is run by people who like fixing things and want to share their knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm
- [County Durham Council seeks pause in asylum accommodation](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/county-durham-council-seeks-pause-in-asylum-accommodation/) - County Durham Reform councillor Dawn Bellingham, councillor for Horden and Dene House ward and cabinet member for communities and civic resilience, had submitted a proposal that there should be a pause in asylum accommodation in County Durham
- [Our children are our future - it is time we treated education that way](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/our-children-are-our-future-it-is-time-we-treated-education-that-way/) - On the last day of another challenging year for schools, it is time to reflect on the responsibility owed to the most important part of any society: our children
- [Protecting Palestinians and building justice and peace](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/protecting-palestinians-and-building-justice-and-peace/) - Generally, the violence in the West Bank is getting worse but also more and more people are joining Standing Together’s Solidarity Guard
- [County Durham illegal waste site shut down](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/county-durham-illegal-waste-site-shut-down/) - The Environment Agency (EA) has closed down a waste site in County Durham after reports of alleged illegal dumping on protected land.
- [Côte Brasserie - French flair in the North](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/food_drink/cote-brasserie-french-flair-in-the-north/) - An excellent dining experience from beginning to end where service, food and ambiance came together
- [Extra funding for protection for North East Jewish community](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/extra-funding-for-protection-for-north-east-jewish-community/) - The three-year programme will fund additional officers, high-visibility patrols and closer engagement with Jewish communities across England and Wales.
- [Gateshead and South Tyneside pilot a new approach to public spending](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/gateshead-and-south-tyneside-pilot-a-new-approach-to-public-spending/) - Place Based Budgets is not about spending more money but ensuring that existing resources are pooled and deployed in a collaborative way that best meets the needs of users
- [Beyond Van Gogh](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/beyond-van-gogh/) - It was indeed wonderful to step inside some of the artist's most celebrated works, including The Starry Night, Sunflowers, and Café Terrace at Night, as they come alive around you
- [The importance of being Oscar](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/the-importance-of-being-oscar/) - This play, a monologue, delivered brilliantly by Alastair Whatley not only captured the story of Oscar Wilde’s life but also of his character, spirit and wit
- [Three North East universities join defence alliance](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/three-north-east-universities-join-defence-alliance/) - Three North East universities have joined a new Defence Universities Alliance (DUA) to help strengthen defence research, build critical skills and support the UK's future defence capability
- [From Bosnia to Tyneside: Smajo's story](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/from-bosnia-to-tyneside-smajos-story/) - The person behind the exhibition is Smajo Beso and I was able to ask him a few questions about the exhibition and his life on Tyneside having come here from Bosnia as a boy
- [Nature reserve attacked by vandals](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/nature-reserve-attacked-by-vandals/) - Bird watching hides vandalised
- [Mouth of the Tyne Festival expected to make over £1mn for local economy](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/mouth-of-the-tyne-festival-expected-to-make-over-1mn-for-local-economy/) - “It is great to see all of the businesses on Front Street making the most of it, and it clearly does an awful lot for the local economy”
- [Abandon ship: TVCA finance chief quits amid secret talks to write off airport and STDC debts](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/abandon-ship-tvca-finance-chief-quits-amid-secret-talks-to-write-off-airport-and-stdc-debts/) - Jo Moore managed to go from reassuring councillors she was staying to demonstrating why they needed the reassurance in the first place
- [A new vision for public transport in the North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/a-new-vision-for-public-transport-in-the-north-east/) - We need to see a fully integrated system where different types of transport can be used on the same ticket, with them working together to make a better system for transport users
- [St Oswald’s Hospice: forty years of compassion, care and love](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/st-oswalds-hospice-forty-years-of-compassion-care-and-love/) - St Oswald’s reflects the very best of our North East communities and our willingness to support one another
- [Kynren: a Wear view](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/kynren-a-wear-view/) - Kynren has two strands - by day a Time Travelling Park,, and by night on Saturdays and some Fridays a Live Action show
- [Renters Act will benefit 1,394 Kenton private renters say local councillors](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/renters-act-will-benefit-1394-kenton-private-renters-say-local-councillors/) - 'No fault' evictions have been scrapped, ending the practice of landlords removing tenants without reason
- [Britain’s top 20 bogus world beers](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/food_drink/britains-top-20-bogus-world-beers/) - As we wait for England to win the World Cup, there are a bunch of exotic beers to try...
- [From Brexit to Starmer: Brexit Part five](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/from-brexit-to-starmer-brexit-part-five/) - This piece will examine the period from the UK’s exit from the EU to the election of the Labour Government in 2024
- [A glimmer of hope amongst the rubble in Gaza](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/a-glimmer-of-hope-amongst-the-rubble-in-gaza/) - "Seeing my son graduate brought tears to my eyes. It was a moment of joy we desperately needed after so much hardship"
- [A Christmas Time Machine at Leazes Park](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/a-christmas-time-machine-at-leazes-park/) - This year’s theme, A Christmas Time Machine, invites visitors to step back into their festive memories on a nostalgic journey through Christmas past and present
- [Tyneside sinkhole fixed with innovative method - fast](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/tyneside-sinkhole-fixed-with-innovative-method-fast/) - Experts have used an innovative method to fix a sinkhole in two days instead of up to two weeks
- [How to win a campaign: a professional approach to fighting for change](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/how-to-win-a-campaign-a-professional-approach-to-fighting-for-change/) - Andy Cooper hears from Sara Bryson and the Citizens UK movement, which is training and helping communities and groups in the North East fight for real change in their lives
- [Stockton shortlisted for Town of Culture](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/stockton-shortlisted-for-town-of-culture/) - Stockton Town Centre is on a shortlist of 15 throughout the UK for the accolade “Town of Culture 2028”
- [Newcastle’s civic honours must rise above politics](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/newcastles-civic-honours-must-rise-above-politics/) - The role of Lord Mayor, civic ceremonies, and the recognition of those who have contributed to the life of Newcastle are all part of a long tradition that connects today’s city with its history.
- [Helping NEETS in County Durham: analysis](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/helping-neets-in-county-durham-analysis/) - The county council welcomed the findings of the analysis of the DurhamWorks programme, particularly, it said, the positive impact it had on employment, sustained employment, and participation in education and training
- [House builder fined £300,000 for County Durham sewage pollution](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/house-builder-fined-300000-for-county-durham-sewage-pollution/) - Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd has been fined £300,000 after a blocked sewer led to raw sewage – including what was thought to be blood from an abattoir - spilling into a stream at Sedgefield
- [How Burnham can help the North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/how-burnham-can-help-the-north-east/) - New report looks at what is needed in the UK to deliver equality across regions
- [Another Green Hydrogen project for Teesside](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/science/another-green-hydrogen-project-for-teesside/) - The company hopes to complete a commercial pilot plant in 2027, followed by full-scale commercial production in 2029. But this won’t necessarily happen at Wilton, or even in the UK.
- [A 1,000-mile ride for peace and understanding](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/a-1000-mile-ride-for-peace-and-understanding/) - "I realised I was sitting in a Jewish home where Hebrew was spoken. Again, to me, that felt like science fiction."
- [The dissection room](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/the-dissection-room/) - Our first morning in the dissection room was a masterclass in bravado
- [North East wildlife projects share £60mn funding](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/north-east-wildlife-projects-share-60mn-funding/) - Thirteen projects will receive funding from the programme to help restore species at least partly in the region out of 130 nationwide
- [Chi Onwurah backs Andy Burnham for leader and Prime Minister](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/chi-onwurah-backs-andy-burnham-for-leader-and-prime-minister/) - Dame Chi believes Andy Burnham's type of leadership and the direction is what is needed in Westminster for our nation and most of all for the residents and businesses in Newcastle
- [Andy McDonald speaks at Durham Miners' Gala](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/andy-mcdonald-speaks-at-durham-miners-gala/) - Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough & Thornaby East, was speaking at the 140th "Big Meeting" at which 200,000 people were expected to be in attendance
- [Bonnie Tyler RIP](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/bonnie-tyler-rip/) - Poem by Harry Gallagher
- [Newcastle University: Insights North East Annual Conference May 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/newcastle-university-insights-north-east-annual-conference-may-2026/) - Insights fourth annual conference was held on 10 May at Northern Stage in Newcastle.
- [A house divided against itself cannot stand: Brexit part 4](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/brexit-part-4-a-house-divided-against-itself-cannot-stand/) - A look at how chaos/coherence played out over Brexit
- [Reading begins with learning words - and ends with discovering new worlds.](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/reading-begins-with-learning-words-and-ends-with-discovering-new-worlds/) - 2026 is the Year of Reading- and it matters
- [Priscilla Queen of the Desert: the musical](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-the-musical/) - Fancy a trip to Bradford to see this musical that's never a drag?
- [Burnham must reckon with council finances](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/burnham-must-reckon-with-council-finances/) - There will be no shortage of urgent challenges on the new PM’s desk once Keir Starmer’s successor is in place
- [Hays Travel named as a top apprenticeship employer](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/hays-travel-named-as-a-top-apprenticeship-employer/) - The Sunderland-headquartered travel agents Hays Travel has been ranked by the government as 13th in the country’s top 100 apprenticeship employers for 2026
- [Disability cuts damage the whole economy - the Purple Pound shows why](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/disability-cuts-damage-the-whole-economy-the-purple-pound-shows-why/) - Accessibility isn't just good ethics; it's good business
- [We need to reform social care properly](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/we-need-to-reform-social-care-properly/) - “if modern life was set up in a way that was accessible for disabled people, then we would not be excluded or restricted”
- [AFRIBALL 2026: a new cultural stage for pan-African excellence in Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/afriball-2026-a-new-cultural-stage-for-pan-african-excellence-in-newcastle/) - Some events announce themselves long before the first speech. AFRIBALL was one of them
- [My Grandfather Says](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/my-grandfather-says/) - Poem by Rachel Burns
- [Transport group claim A1 dualling campaign ‘could cost more lives’ and call for average speed cameras](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/transport-group-claim-a1-dualling-campaign-could-cost-more-lives-and-call-for-average-speed-cameras/) - “We are concerned that many Northumberland politicians are creating the impression that dualling alone can solve safety issues on the A1 and save the Northumberland economy"
- [LumiVero Ukrainian restaurant in Amble](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/food_drink/lumivero-ukrainian-restaurant-in-amble/) - Ukrainian beetroot soup, borscht is available in vegetarian and non-vegetarian options served with rye bread and sour cream
- [Anne Marie Trevelyan claims civil service ‘hated’ A1 dualling scheme](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/anne-marie-trevelyan-claims-civil-service-hated-a1-dualling-scheme/) - “They hated it because it didn’t meet the budget models that any road down south did. It was always hard work"
- [Why Pope Leo has excommunicated a group of conservative Catholics](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/religion/why-pope-leo-has-excommunicated-a-group-of-conservative-catholics/) - The decision by Pope Leo XIV to excommunicate members of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) is the latest twist in a long-running saga between the Vatican and this contentious traditionalist group
- [The politics of feeling: why did ‘boring’ prime minister Keir Starmer provoke such visceral reactions?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-politics-of-feeling-why-did-boring-prime-minister-keir-starmer-provoke-such-visceral-reactions/) - Dislike, even apparent hatred, of Starmer was only partially about his performance as prime minister
- [The Brexit referendum campaign: Part three](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/the-brexit-referendum-campaign-part-three/) - Brexit itself seemed such an obviously bad idea that it was hard to believe Britons would actually vote for it
- [Khai Khai restaurant, Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/khai-khai-restaurant-newcastle/) - "Amazing, amazing deliciousness"
- [Newcastle poet, Daniel Hinds, wins international award](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/newcastle-poet-daniel-hinds-wins-international-award/) - " Such poems of his create the illusion that the past is not dead, but that it pulsates beneath the surface of modernity"
- [Teachers ‘devastated’ at school closure in Durham](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/teachers-devastated-at-school-closure-in-durham/) - The closure has left hundreds of pupils needing to find new schools before September, while teachers and support staff face uncertainty over their jobs
- [You never forget the first time you fly solo](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/you-never-forget-the-first-time-you-fly-solo/) - One moment I had a trained professional sitting beside me. The next I was alone in an aircraft
- [Feminist Cult Agenda - The Awakening](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/feminist-cult-agenda-the-awakening/) - If French & Saunders did jokes about vaginas and incels …
- [Northumbrian Water pays £550,000 after two pollution incidents](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/northumbrian-water-pays-550000-after-two-pollution-incidents/) - Northumbrian Water has had to pay more than £500,000 for two pollution incidents caused by sewage discharges
- [Broken sewage pipe causes controversy across Teesside](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/broken-sewage-pipe-causes-controversy-across-teesside/) - A broken sewage main at Cargo Fleet, near Middlesbrough, has resulted in the closure of Teesside's beaches to swimmers and surfers
- [Vera Baird to lead reform of Criminal Cases Review Commission](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/vera-baird-to-lead-reform-of-criminal-cases-review-commission/) - Dame Vera Baird will lead the reform of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC)
- [There is a better way forward for Horden](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/county-durham/there-is-a-better-way-forward-for-horden/) - “… we would like to see … regeneration without demolition. That gives the people who care about the area … the opportunity to stay”
- [Transferrable skills: experiences in medical school](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/transferrable-skills-experiences-in-medical-school/) - Sometimes, you don’t know how transferrable your skills are, or even which skills are transferrable, until something makes you draw on them
- [Brexit myths must not shape Britain’s future with Europe](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/brexit-myths-must-not-shape-britains-future-with-europe/) - It is important that in whatever future relationship we forge with the EU that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past and that a greater understanding of the reality of the EU and its decision-making process exists
- [Ready for my close-up, Mr Spielberger](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/ready-for-my-close-up-mr-spielberger/) - I sometimes wonder whether a whole category of human experience has quietly disappeared without anyone noticing
- [America at 250: personality disorder and Trump](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/america-at-250-personality-disorder-and-trump/) - America is a much darker place at age 250 than 200. Its democracy has never seemed weaker
- [Mother? at Live Theatre](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/mother-at-live-theatre/) - Rachel talked to all kinds of caregivers, mams, and some dads as part of her intensive research
- [The House of Lords: patronage, purpose, and political expediency](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-house-of-lords-patronage-purpose-and-political-expediency/) - The risk is that the House of Lords ceases to function primarily as an independent revising chamber
- [What might Burnham's speech mean for the North East?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/what-might-burnhams-speech-mean-for-the-north-east/) - This was a speech which contained much for us in the North East, that a new dawn may be breaking after a long night of neglect and despair
- [Robin Hood was often far more violent than modern legend - but he wasn’t the most extreme medieval outlaw](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/robin-hood-was-often-far-more-violent-than-modern-legend-but-he-wasnt-the-most-extreme-medieval-outlaw/) - Why is Robin Hood a household name the world over when the names of other medieval outlaws remain largely unknown?
- [Life in Saudi Arabia: Part 34 June 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/life-in-saudi-arabia-part-34-june-2026/) - Saudi Arabia June 2026
- [A Family Affair](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/short-story-sunday/a-family-affair/) - A piece for 'Short Story Sunday'
- [The people of Venezuela struggle after devastating earthquakes](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/the-people-of-venezuela-struggle-after-devastating-earthquakes/) - After the earthquakes in Venezuela, how can we help?
- [Mystic Malcolm](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/short-story-sunday/mystic-malcolm/) - “Who would like to come up on stage and have a reading. Come on don’t be shy. I need someone with hairy legs. I can predict your future by reading a Veet wax strip”
- [Darth Vader's second wife](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/short-story-sunday/darth-vaders-second-wife/) - We’ve had to go for separate bedrooms
- [Government remembers it has a plan for the regions too](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/government-remembers-it-has-a-plan-for-the-regions-too/) - The chancellor’s announcement on the Green Book has come just as Andy Burnham is raising hopes of increased investment in the north and other regions
- [The binary trap: why one opinion doesn’t define politics](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/the-binary-trap-why-one-opinion-doesnt-define-politics/) - You cannot analyse the current state of British discourse without examining the 2016 European Union referendum
- [The road to devolution runs through the North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/the-road-to-devolution-runs-through-the-north-east/) - How far is England along the unfinished road to devolution, and how much further has it still to travel?
- [Darlington link road update](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/darlington-link-road-update/) - Further consultation, but a previous favoured route is chopped from the process
- [Call for action amid damning national figures on white working-class kids’ educational outcomes](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/call-for-action-amid-damning-national-figures-on-white-working-class-kids-educational-outcomes/) - Only 36% of white working-class pupils achieve a Grade 4 or above in English and Maths GCSE, compared with 72% of all pupils not on free school meals
- [Sir Neville Trotter dies at 94](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/sir-neville-trotter-dies-at-94/) - He was a gentleman of the old school and well regarded by political friends and foes alike
- [It’s Wor Wall: exhibition at City Library Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/its-wor-wall-exhibition-at-city-library-newcastle/) - 'It's Wor Wall' exhibition in Newcastle
- [Dreams of Peace by Rachel Ashley](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/music/dreams-of-peace-by-rachel-ashley/) - "What a rich and soulful voice. Gorgeous!"
- [The Trumpywump](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/the-trumpywump/) - Poem by Suzanne Fairless-Aitken
- [The Trumpywump - the second term](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/the-trumpywump-the-second-term/) - Poem by Suzanne Fairless-Aitken
- [North East devolution: is it a good deal?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/north-east-devolution-is-it-a-good-deal/) - If the North East deal is ratified it will reunite the region from Tweed to Tees in a new (or re-constituted old) NECA
- [How TVCA cabinet fails to hold the mayor to account: a case study](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/how-tvca-cabinet-fails-to-hold-the-mayor-to-account-a-case-study/) - The AGM and ordinary meeting of TVCA should have been ideal opportunities for scrutiny
- [Regulators raid Durham’s night-time economy](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/county-durham/regulators-raid-durhams-night-time-economy/) - The raids took place in London, Scotland, Wales and places throughout England, including Durham in the North East
- [Scam news](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/scam-news/) - A round up of some of the latest scams
- [The Brexit tribes  and disastrous referendum design: part two](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/the-brexit-tribes-and-disastrous-referendum-design-part-two/) - Probably the largest group among the general public were the nostalgists, who saw 1970s Britain in halcyon terms, a paradise on earth ruined by joining the EEC
- [Northumberland Wildlife Trust: a special meadow, cycling Shakespearean actors, and celebrating nature in Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/northumberland-wildlife-trust-a-special-meadow-cycling-shakespearean-actors-and-celebrating-nature-in-newcastle/) - adow At Hauxley Nature Reserve, the gates have been opened to the meadow ready for Northumberland Wildlife Trust to welcome visitors
- [Sunderland Reform UK votes to ‘rescind’ climate emergency declaration](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/sunderland-reform-uk-votes-to-rescind-climate-emergency-declaration/) - Reform cabinet minister said the “so-called climate emergency distorts the spending priorities of councils”
- [Northumberland pioneers use of AI for assessing flood risk](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/northumberland-pioneers-use-of-ai-for-assessing-flood-risk/) - “This project will provide a blueprint for local authorities across the UK to implement responsible AI"
- [Teesworks business rates: when will the people’s windfall arrive?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/teesworks-business-rates-when-will-the-peoples-windfall-arrive/) - Report by Ray Casey
- [North East mayor rallies support for Sunderland Pride March](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/wearside/north-east-mayor-rallies-support-for-sunderland-pride-march/) - “The idea that taking the flag down because it’s a political statement is in itself a political statement, it’s a bit of a daft move"
- [McDonalds scores highly with new World Cup menu](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/food_drink/mcdonalds-scores-highly-with-new-world-cup-menu/) - If you are old enough to remember when a Big Mac really was big and very filling, then the Sweet Carolina BBQ Stack might bring back memories
- [Should citizenship be considered a form of inherited capital?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/should-citizenship-be-considered-a-form-of-inherited-capital/) - "We don't inherit the earth from our ancestors; We borrow it from our children."
- [What I learnt about making presentations from stand-up comedy](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/performance/what-i-learnt-about-making-presentations-from-stand-up-comedy/) - Every successful comedian knows who they are on stage. They may not be that person in real life, but they understand exactly how the audience sees them
- [Middlesbrough: ‘Error’ on new bin collection calendars](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/middlesbrough-error-on-new-bin-collection-calendars/) - ‘Error’ sees some Middlesbrough residents wrongly advised to put out their new bin
- [Forever European](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/forever-european/) - Despite Brexit, the UK is still a part of Europe
- [2026 Marratide Pilgrimage](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/history-culture/2026-marratide-pilgrimage/) - A group of people celebrated the memory of a North East poet and an activist through the annual Marratide Pilgrimage
- [FDI in the doldrums - time for the Single Market](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/fdi-in-the-doldrums-time-for-the-single-market/) - Today we receive the lowest regional share of incoming investments that were on the up before Brexit... It’s time for the EU Single Market
- [New AI threat revealed - just days after North East Bylines published its mega-series on the global threat posed by Artificial Intelligence](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/new-ai-threat-revealed-just-days-after-north-east-bylines-published-its-mega-series-on-the-global-threat-posed-by-artificial-intelligence/) - Unprecedented warning that upcoming AI systems will in the very near future "accelerate the speed, scale and sophistication of cyber threats"
- [The best seat in the house](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/the-best-seat-in-the-house/) - Adventures of learning to drive a bus back in the day
- [Raneem’s Law comes to Cleveland](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/raneems-law-comes-to-cleveland/) - “’Raneem’s Law’ is more than a policy. It is a legacy built on love for my sister and niece"
- [Redcar and Cleveland: £400k plus allocated by council for school repairs as report discusses SEND and demand for places](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/redcar-and-cleveland-400k-plus-allocated-by-council-for-school-repairs-as-report-discusses-send-and-demand-for-places/) - The report for Redcar and Cleveland Council cabinet members addressed investment in schools
- [Failure to dual A1 branded ‘appalling’ after sixth person killed in a month](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/failure-to-dual-a1-branded-appalling-after-sixth-person-killed-in-a-month/) - Northumberland council leader pleads to ensure A1 dualling after fatal car crash in A1
- [Sewage in the sea : what is really happening along Sunderland's coast?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/sewage-in-the-sea-what-is-really-happening-along-sunderlands-coast/) - An investigation looking at sewage disposal
- [Dealing with the causes of Brexit](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/dealing-with-the-causes-of-brexit/) - A look at some of the reasons for the Brexit vote
- [Complaints hit record high as Cleveland Police ranks worst in England and Wales](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/complaints-hit-record-high-as-cleveland-police-ranks-worst-in-england-and-wales/) - For Cleveland Police, the challenge is no longer simply managing complaints. It is rebuilding trust
- [Teesside Airport passenger numbers fail to take off](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/teesside-airport-passenger-numbers-fail-to-take-off/) - The latest statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) paint a bleak picture for our regional airport
- [Keir Starmer has resigned – but what could a new PM actually do differently against Reform UK?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/national-news/keir-starmer-has-resigned-but-what-could-a-new-pm-actually-do-differently-against-reform-uk/) - With the resignation of Keir Starmer, the next Labour Leader is faced with the difficult task of opposing a strong Reform UK
- [Patriotic Millionaires bring tax-the-rich campaign to Newcastle ahead of Autumn Budget](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/patriotic-millionaires-bring-tax-the-rich-campaign-to-newcastle-ahead-of-autumn-budget/) - Patriotic Millionaires with the message "Tax us the super-rich"
- [Reflections on poverty and political resignations: five leading questions](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reflections-on-poverty-and-political-resignations-five-leading-questions/) - Will commitments made survive a change of leader; will child poverty remain a national priority? For children, ‘later’ carries a cost
- [The NHS Modernisation Bill 2026: what’s it all about?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/the-nhs-modernisation-bill-2026-whats-it-all-about/) - The bill is almost entirely focused on matters of structure and process
- [Eleanor May Blackburn’s 'A Sudden, Disturbing To Do List'](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/eleanor-may-blackburns-a-sudden-disturbing-to-do-list/) - "Blackburn is a highly engaging performer - forthright, funny, physical, whimsical and with a strength derived from being open about vulnerability"
- [The North’s big opportunity in Andy Burnham](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-norths-big-opportunity-in-andy-burnham/) - Having a northern English born Prime Minister who really understands the North is a great opportunity
- [Healing as a nation](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/healing-as-a-nation/) - The UK needs to work on itself, in order to tackle the aftermath of Brexit
- [The impact of Brexit on women](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/the-impact-of-brexit-on-women/) - Most of the legislation protecting equality and workplace rights originated from the European Union (EU), and although this has now been incorporated into UK law, there are fears that future governments could water this down
- [Public disappointed with Brexit after ten years](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/public-disappointed-with-brexit-after-ten-years/) - Views on Brexit ten years on
- [Why is Ben Houchen mixing with this right wing rabble?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/why-is-ben-houchen-mixing-with-this-right-wing-rabble/) - What is ARC and who will be there?
- [Teesside gets £50mn government investment for critical minerals](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/teesside-gets-50mn-government-investment-for-critical-minerals/) - Industry Minister Chris McDonald visited Teesside’s Wilton Centre today (22 June) to officially launch the government’s programme to industry
- [Thoughts on the Makerfield by-election](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/thoughts-on-the-makerfield-by-election/) - Posters had a picture of Andy Burnham, telling people to Vote Andy, Vote Hope
- [Sunderland City of Sanctuary in plea to Reform run council](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/sunderland-city-of-sanctuary-in-plea-to-reform-run-council/) - Sunderland Reform wants to suspend Sunderland’s involvement in the City of Sanctuary Scheme
- [In conversation with Supermac: Malcolm Macdonald on football memories](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/sport/in-conversation-with-supermac-malcolm-macdonald-on-football-memories/) - Chris Humble meets Supermac
- [How a County Durham café is helping tackle rural loneliness one cup of tea at a time](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/county-durham/how-a-county-durham-cafe-is-helping-tackle-rural-loneliness-one-cup-of-tea-at-a-time/) - “It’s designed as a space where you can be absorbed into the past and history, away from today’s fast-paced environment, transported back in time"
- [Ashington shares industrial development for coalfields](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/ashington-shares-industrial-development-for-coalfields/) - Any investment in the former coalfields is welcome, but it is far too little too late
- [Pit disasters that brought change](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/pit-disasters-that-brought-change/) - Some pit disasters led to changes in the law that improved safety
- [Brentry](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/brentry/) - Looking back, joining the club was one of those rare leaps into the unknown that turned out reasonably well
- [Abused, tortured and killed: the women who disappear into Myanmar’s prisons](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/abused-tortured-and-killed-the-women-who-disappear-into-myanmars-prisons/) - Another terrible human rights story coming out of Myanmar. Another terrible silence from the international community
- [Social media and teenagers: what the evidence says](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/social-media-and-teenagers-what-the-evidence-says/) - Social media is said to be closely aligned to teenage wellbeing, is that really the case?
- [“I came to seek safety, and this is the way I am treated": standing with refugees at Derwentside IRC](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/i-came-to-seek-safety-and-this-is-the-way-i-am-treated-standing-with-refugees-at-derwentside-irc/) - No To Hassockfield campaigners will stand in solidarity with all people seeking refuge in the UK on World Refugee Day Saturday 20 June
- [AI: What can be done to avoid disaster - a blueprint for mitigation](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/ai-what-can-be-done-to-avoid-disaster-a-blueprint-for-mitigation/) - Part 5 of our special investigation into AI
- [Brexit, music and migration - the value of cultural cross-fertilisation](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/short/brexit-music-and-migration-the-value-of-cultural-cross-fertilisation/) - My 4xgreat-grandfather Felix Yaniewicz, a Polish-Lithuanian violinist and composer who arrived in Britain as a migrant fleeing revolutionary France, and founded the first Edinburgh music festival in 1815.
- ["Stomach churning" - reaction to Matt Vickers MP and Jeremy Kyle laughing in discussion on arson attack on Prime Minister's home](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/stomach-churning-reaction-to-matt-vickers-mp-and-jeremy-kyle-laughing-in-discussion-on-arson-attack-on-prime-ministers-home/) - "Vickers got this about as badly wrong as it's possible to get, and he should apologise and grow up but sadly he will do neither"
- [New and better playgrounds for children in the North East’s most deprived areas](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/new-and-better-playgrounds-for-children-in-the-north-easts-most-deprived-areas/) - Thirty new or improved playgrounds are to be provided over the next two years in parts of the North East
- [How AI will harm our planet](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/how-ai-will-harm-our-planet/) - Part 4 of our special investigation into AI
- [What happened here in rural Northumberland when Brexit came to pass?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/what-happened-here-in-rural-northumberland-when-brexit-came-to-pass/) - Thoughts from Northumberland on Brexit
- [Is Tees Valley Lithium the latest jobs bonanza? Don’t believe the hype](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/is-tees-valley-lithium-the-latest-jobs-bonanza-dont-believe-the-hype/) - TVL’s £1bn boost promises 1,700 jobs, with locals preferred, including an apprenticeship scheme
- [Why the rush? Questions over Labour's social media ban](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/why-the-rush-questions-over-labours-social-media-ban/) - The danger is that policy begins to drift towards the most visible intervention rather than the most effective one
- [The UK’s future lies within Europe](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/the-uks-future-lies-within-europe/) - Ten years on from the Brexit vote, reflections on the UK and Europe
- [North East: 101 Delay Concern](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/north-east-101-delay-concern/) - Police 101 calls branded 'waste of time' as delays increase on non-emergency number
- [Newcastle: life chances worst in England](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/newcastle-life-chances-worst-in-england/) - Life chances for Newcastle's white working class children are the worst in England
- [BrexLit: the Brexit literature phenomenon](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/brexlit-the-brexit-literature-phenomenon/) - “All across the country, people felt it was the wrong thing. All across the country, people felt it was the right thing"
- [Newcastle Airport dividend worry](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/newcastle-airport-dividend-worry/) - Fears over council finances in Newcastle after £7.2mn airport dividend used to plug 'hole' in budget
- [From complacency to action: how Brexit created a new British consciousness](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/from-complacency-to-action-how-brexit-created-a-new-british-consciousness/) - There’s a bit more shouting, singing, marching and flag waving yet to do, but, essentially, we’ve won
- ["We have more in common than that which divides us": remembering Jo Cox](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/we-have-more-in-common-than-that-which-divides-us-remembering-jo-cox/) - We have a huge job to do to create a kinder, more compassionate and caring community and that should start with welcoming 'the other' and working with our nearest neighbours
- [Europe, here we come, again!](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/europe-here-we-come-again/) - The National Rejoin March is happening on Saturday 20 June
- [How AI will destroy what it means to be human](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/how-ai-will-destroy-what-it-means-to-be-human/) - Over the past two days, we have examined the horrifying economic and security threats posed by AI. Today I want to examine how AI is likely to threaten the very essence of our humanity
- [“We need a just society”: interview with writer and activist Alastair McIntosh](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/we-need-a-just-society-interview-with-writer-and-activist-alastair-mcintosh/) - Writer and activist McIntosh shares his thoughts and personal journey in life
- [Repealing the Equality Act: an advantage for business and de-regulation](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/equality/repealing-the-equality-act-an-advantage-for-business-and-de-regulation/) - British politics, business versus the people
- [Gallery of Sanctuary’ awarded to The NewBridge Project in Shieldfield](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/gallery-of-sanctuary-awarded-to-the-newbridge-project-in-shieldfield/) - NewBridge Project awarded ‘gallery of sanctuary’ status for ‘phenomenal’ commitment to people seeking sanctuary in Newcastle upon Tyne
- [There were no wins in Brexit](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/there-were-no-wins-in-brexit/) - Jayne Hamilton and Harry Gallagher comment on ten years since the Brexit vote
- [AI - the approaching economic disaster](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/ai-the-approaching-economic-disaster/) - Today, in this first part of our unique five-part survey of the emerging threat posed by Artificial Intelligence, we look at the global economic catastrophe that AI is likely to unleash
- [South Tyneside council stripped of planning powers over major developments](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/south-tyneside-council-stripped-of-planning-powers-over-major-developments/) - This is another fine mess that South Tyneside’s new Reform-led council finds itself at least partially responsible for clearing up
- [Gateshead wine importer pioneers mine water for heating](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/gateshead-wine-importer-pioneers-mine-water-for-heating/) - A Gateshead wine importer is pioneering the use of mine water to heat its huge warehouses
- [How AI will create an even more violent and unstable world](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/how-ai-will-create-an-even-more-violent-and-unstable-world/) - Part 2 of our special investigation into AI
- [Rejoin march to mark 10 years since EU referendum](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/rejoin-march-to-mark-10-years-since-eu-referendum/) - Saturday 20 June, 12noon-4pm, central London
- [What would Britain have to become? | June 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/what-would-britain-have-to-become-june-2026/) - Could the UK rejoin the EU within ten years? The question evolved into what would Britain have to become to rejoin?
- [It's time to team up with our neighbours again!](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/its-time-to-team-up-with-our-neighbours-again/) - A growing majority now say they support rejoining the EU
- ["Veterinary evidence links untreated sewage to dog illness on Whitburn beaches" says Rory Thompson  ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/veterinary-evidence-links-untreated-sewage-to-dog-illness-on-whitburn-beaches-says-rory-thompson/) - New veterinary analysis suggests untreated sewage discharges may be contributing to gastrointestinal illness in dogs along the Whitburn coastline
- [Ben Houchen responds to Teesworks 'Deal of the Century'](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/ben-houchen-responds-to-teesworks-deal-of-the-century/) - Teessiders are once again being invited to celebrate the crumbs while waiting for the jam to arrive
- [A Big Wild Saturday, cleaning ponds and Northumberland Wildlife Trust on CBeebies!](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/a-big-wild-saturday-cleaning-ponds-and-northumberland-wildlife-trust-on-cbeebies/) - Northumberland Wildlife Trust is holding a special Big Wild Saturday on 20 June at Northumberlandia, and you're invited to join in the fun!
- [Calls grow to end London's placement of vulnerable families in deprived North East towns](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/calls-grow-to-end-londons-placement-of-vulnerable-families-in-deprived-north-east-towns/) - Labour MP for Hartlepool, Jonathan Brash, said that it was a “disgrace” and accused London councils of the “dumping of a crisis on to northern communities”
- [I cannot hold fragile things           ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/i-cannot-hold-fragile-things/) - "I want to shatter the beige politeness of the afternoon"
- [Newcastle: Attacks on councillors ‘rapidly escalating’](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/newcastle-attacks-on-councillors-rapidly-escalating/) - Ex-Newcastle Council leader demands action on 'rapidly escalating' attacks on councillors
- [Ten years of solitude: why it’s time to take our seat at the European table again](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/ten-years-of-solitude-why-its-time-to-take-our-seat-at-the-european-table-again/) - Going it alone hasn't made us stronger; it has simply made us smaller
- [Bonuses offered to attract graduate teachers to deprived Tees nurseries](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/bonuses-offered-to-attract-graduate-teachers-to-deprived-tees-nurseries/) - The first wave has just launched in ten areas, including Middlesbrough and Hartlepool
- [Ten years on and views have changed](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/ten-years-on-and-views-have-changed/) - Rejoining the EU should be seen as a realistic proposition
- [Hit and run incident, hit and miss policing ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/hit-and-run-incident-hit-and-miss-policing/) - Attempted GBH is a serious matter
- [The Ideal Home Department Store comes to Middlesbrough’s retail rescue. Well, perhaps](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/the-ideal-home-department-store-comes-to-middlesbroughs-retail-rescue-well-perhaps/) - Ray Casey visits the premises of the Ideal Home Department Store, due to open this August
- [North East unis funded for defence industry education - but there’s a catch](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/north-east-unis-funded-for-defence-industry-education-but-theres-a-catch/) - The new university funding means that thousands more young people will be equipped with the skills needed for a career in defence,
- [The lion sleeps ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/fun/the-lion-sleeps/) - Anaesthetics and a lion, what could possibly go wrong?
- [Darkest after dawn; remembering the solar eclipse](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/darkest-after-dawn-remembering-the-solar-eclipse/) - 99 years ago this month, the light disappeared from the North East and all the birds stopped singing
- [Making Marks](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/making-marks/) - "Where lie the marks their children are making?"
- ["I want to make music that helps people":  16- year old County Durham singer-songwriter and musician Logan Amos](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/county-durham/i-want-to-make-music-that-helps-people-16-year-old-county-durham-singer-songwriter-and-musician-logan-amos/) - Logan Amos is an up and coming musician, producer and singer-songwriter from County Durham.
- [Iran’s attacks on Israel were an attempt to shape the region on its own terms – and it might just do so](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/irans-attacks-on-israel-were-an-attempt-to-shape-the-region-on-its-own-terms-and-it-might-just-do-so/) - The latest missile barrage by Iran could mean serious change in the war's dynamic
- [Middlesbrough: planning inspectorate overrules council](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/middlesbrough-planning-inspectorate-overrules-council/) - Project to go ahead as Planning Inspectorate overrule Middlesbrough Council
- [The £2.50 question](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-2-50-question/) - Understanding the implications of the £2.50 bus fare cap within devolution
- [Diversity is dangerous](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/diversity-is-dangerous/) - Diversity is dangerous, not for us, the people who supposedly live in a 'democracy', but for the tech barons and oligarchs
- [The Labour Party and a possible leadership election](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-labour-party-and-a-possible-leadership-election/) - A look at some of past and present Labour party leaders, and what the leadership needs to succeed
- [Grassroots environmental work in Newcastle: Ecofair at Jesmond URC](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/grassroots-environmental-work-in-newcastle-ecofair-at-jesmond-urc/) - Ecofair brought together multiple grassroots environmental groups last Saturday
- [Newcastle to get all-weather cricket dome](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/newcastle-to-get-all-weather-cricket-dome/) - “All five domes will place an emphasis on continuing the surge in female participation"
- [Northumberland: Pressure on A1 at peak times causing ‘significant disruption’ for villagers](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/traffic/northumberland-pressure-on-a1-at-peak-times-causing-significant-disruption-for-villagers/) - Pressure on A1 at peak times causing 'significant disruption' for villagers
- [Tees Valley EV charging rollout creates postcode divide for residents without driveways](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/tees-valley-ev-charging-rollout-creates-postcode-divide-for-residents-without-driveways/) - Access to affordable EV charging is increasingly becoming a postcode lottery
- [Nature and industry in Teesside: an artist’s perspective](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/nature-and-industry-in-teesside-an-artists-perspective/) - Reflecting on the relationship between nature and industry in Teesside
- [Mining communities get new chance to explore heritage online](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/history-culture/mining-communities-get-new-chance-to-explore-heritage-online/) - “This resource opens a door to the past, providing a valuable historical record of mining activity across Great Britain"
- [North East to pilot AI jobs for young people scheme](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/north-east-to-pilot-ai-jobs-for-young-people-scheme/) - The North East will host a pilot scheme with major tech companies and trade unions to provide jobs and technology training
- [The age of churn: can democracies still deliver long-term change?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-age-of-churn-can-democracies-still-deliver-long-term-change/) - In an era increasingly defined by churn, that question is becoming harder to avoid
- [City of Durham MP backs calls for faster strategy on violence again Women and Girls](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/city-of-durham-mp-backs-calls-for-faster-strategy-on-violence-again-women-and-girls/) - "If we want women and girls in Durham to trust that the justice system has their back, we need a clear roadmap to implementation, that treats this emergency with the importance it deserves"
- [13 ways of looking at an existential crisis](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/13-ways-of-looking-at-an-existential-crisis/) - "Youth unemployment is an existential crisis for Britain. Without action we risk leaving a generation on the scrapheap" Alan Milburn
- [Britain's Brexit deal](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/britains-brexit-deal/) - Poem written at the time of the Withdrawal Agreement
- [Mayor takes new power over arts funding](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/mayor-takes-new-power-over-arts-funding/) - Kim McGuinness will use new powers to reshape arts funding in the region to ensure it supports economic growth as well as enriching culture.
- [Government says A1 dualling remains ‘unaffordable’ despite assessment changes](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/government-says-a1-dualling-remains-unaffordable-despite-assessment-changes/) - Even with the new Green Book changes in place, the A1 scheme remains ‘unaffordable’
- [Ensemble '84: Horden and Hamlet](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/county-durham/ensemble-84-horden-and-hamlet/) - "People have said to me that Hamlet is not the right play to put on in Horden. I disagree"
- [Greens support Standing Together vigil in Newcastle ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/greens-support-standing-together-vigil-in-newcastle/) - North East Standing Together has held its second vigil for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine
- [While Ben Houchen beats the airport drum, Teessiders are stuck at the bus stop](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/while-ben-houchen-beats-the-airport-drum-teessiders-are-stuck-at-the-bus-stop/) - For most Teessiders, the biggest transport challenge is not catching a flight. It is catching a bus
- [Refugee week in Sunderland](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/wearside/refugee-week-in-sunderland-2/) - Events coming up for Refugee Week in Sunderland, starting from 11 June
- [Mayors meet Starmer as their economic power grows](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/mayors-meet-starmer-as-their-economic-power-grows/) - England’s mayors meet Keir Starmer to harness new powers for local growth, housing, skills, and jobs
- [Gateshead: reaction to local election and PM](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/gateshead-reaction-to-local-election-and-pm/) - Reform UK has gained control of Gateshead Council, ending Labour’s over 50-year grip on power
- [Another blow for Teesside Airport as largest freight operator goes bust](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/another-blow-for-teesside-airport-as-largest-freight-operator-goes-bust/) - Staff at European Cargo Ltd’s Bournemouth Airport base were notified of their redundancies via a Teams call on 3 June 2026
- [Surprise as East Cleveland’s only bus depot is scheduled for closure](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/surprise-as-east-clevelands-only-bus-depot-is-scheduled-for-closure/) - The announcement is a ‘precursor’ to a formal redundancy consultation process that is anticipated to take 45 days
- [The feasibility test: why ambition alone is not a strategy](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/the-feasibility-test-why-ambition-alone-is-not-a-strategy/) - A reflection on bidding culture, judgement, and why feasibility is still too often treated as an afterthought in local government decision-making
- [The Gas Room](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/short-story-sunday/the-gas-room/) - An eerie tale of the events in a dental procedure room...
- [Four top tips for tracing your ancestry from a family historian](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/history-culture/four-top-tips-for-tracing-your-ancestry-from-a-family-historian/) - Enhancing ancestry research with these tips
- [Life in Saudi Arabia: Part 33 May 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/life-in-saudi-arabia-part-33-may-2026/) - May 2026’s monthly coverage on reporting on Saudi Arabia
- [Bus fare cap warning](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/bus-fare-cap-warning/) - North East £2.50 bus fare limit 'untenable' unless government extends national cap
- [Reform UK council in Sunderland bans pride flag from City Hall](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/wearside/reform-uk-council-in-sunderland-bans-pride-flag-from-city-hall/) - Reform-led Sunderland Council says the Pride flag will never fly at City Hall, prompting criticism from OUT North East
- [ Metro fleet exit long overdue](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/metro-fleet-exit-long-overdue/) - Saying goodbye to old Metro trains will be sad, but passengers have waited too long for change
- [Horden's story returns to the stage with Pits, People and Players](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/hordens-story-returns-to-the-stage-with-pits-people-and-players/) - A powerful community production, created from the voices, memories, and experiences of local people, is returning to Horden this month
- [Mayor backs South Tyneside College campus move](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/mayor-backs-south-tyneside-college-campus-move/) - The North East mayor has backed a major college relocation despite the government warning of “weaknesses” in the £95 million project
- [Comic roots](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/performance/comic-roots/) - I rely on hidden jokes of known potency. Once I know where I stand, I can relax
- [It's not all Jam and Jerusalem](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/performance/its-not-all-jam-and-jerusalem/) - What I’ve learned is that performing for the WI is not so different from doing stand-up comedy, which I dabbled in before all this
- [Whineheard: poems for Brexit](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/brexit/whineheard-poems-for-brexit/) - Two Brexit poems by Suzanne Fairless-Aitken based on Swineherd by Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin
- [Pride in Sunderland concert to carry defiant message after Reform council funding withdrawal](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/performance/pride-in-sunderland-concert-to-carry-defiant-message-after-reform-council-funding-withdrawal/) - "Our message remains simple: Pride is for everyone, and everyone is welcome"
- [Trouble ahead on Teesside: SeAH Wind faces a financial storm](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/trouble-ahead-on-teesside-seah-wind-faces-a-financial-storm/) - After losing two major monopile contracts, SeAH Wind faces a pivotal test as it bets everything on Vanguard East now.
- [Fixing the climate: review of Here Comes the Sun](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/fixing-the-climate-review-of-here-comes-the-sun/) - Review by Peter Sagar
- [Reform's Hartlepool horse-trading](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reforms-hartlepool-horse-trading/) - When Reform UK became the largest party on Hartlepool's council it didn't take long for the horse-trading to start.
- [Progressive tragedies: how Reform won so many seats in May – and how they can be beaten in the future](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/progressive-tragedies-how-reform-won-so-many-seats-in-may-and-how-they-can-be-beaten-in-the-future/) - There is little argument that Reform UK was the main winner of the 2026 local elections in May.
- [The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/the-complete-works-of-william-shakespeare-abridged/) - You can see The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) on 19 and 20 June at Northern Stage
- [What is people before profit?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/what-is-people-before-profit/) - People before profit is accountability in action and is a new evidence backed initiative, that invites you to participate
- [The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the People's Theatre](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time-at-the-peoples-theatre/) - Audiences are set for an unforgettable theatrical experience this season as the People’s Theatre in Heaton presents The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
- [Do it for love, not money](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/performance/do-it-for-love-not-money/) - I learnt how to hold a room, how to survive hecklers, and – crucially – how to appear confident while internally gibbering (a skill I had honed as a trainee in Obstetrics)
- [When food becomes a story: ClassicsFest 2026 and the living tradition of hospitality](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/food_drink/when-food-becomes-a-story-classicsfest-2026-and-the-living-tradition-of-hospitality/) - Food is a language that everyone speaks
- [Tips to keep yourself and your home cool in a UK heatwave, and why workers need better protections](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/tips-to-keep-yourself-and-your-home-cool-in-a-uk-heatwave-and-why-workers-need-better-protections/) - Some practical tips for keeping cool
- [Methanol, pistachios and cement: the other Iranian exports being choked by the war](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/international/methanol-pistachios-and-cement-the-other-iranian-exports-being-choked-by-the-war/) - The war in Iran has affected more than just oil exports
- [It's Durham Pride this weekend!](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/its-durham-pride-this-weekend/) - “Reform councillors across County Durham have underestimated the resolve of the LGBT+ community and the support of allies across the trade union movement”
- [Is Newcastle pioneering a new governance model for English local government?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/is-newcastle-pioneering-a-new-governance-model-for-english-local-government/) - Newcastle’s new political agreement may prove more significant than it first appears
- [Darlington’s new Mayor](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/darlingtons-new-mayor/) - Councillor Helen Crumbie took over the role from outgoing mayor Sonia Kane at the council’s annual meeting last week
- [Long Day’s Journey Into Night by  Elysium Theatre Company](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/long-days-journey-into-night-by-elysium-theatre-company/) - The image I carried home was of Jamie Tyrone staring with a penetrating, hollow intensity into the middle distance, turning over his mother’s addiction in the silence between words
- [Darlington housing association upgraded](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/housing/darlington-housing-association-upgraded/) - Railway Housing Association and Benefit Fund (RHA) has received the CI consumer grade
- [Middlesbrough: chairs of committees ‘broken’ pledge](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/middlesbrough-chairs-of-committees-broken-pledge/) - Opposition councillors ‘disappointed’ with ‘broken’ pledge
- [Rejoin petition  passes 100,000 signatures](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/rejoin-petition-passes-100000-signatures/) - A petition launched in December to rejoin the EU has today passed the 100,000 signature mark
- [Could the North East region become home to a new national forest?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/could-the-north-east-region-become-home-to-a-new-national-forest/) - The government is keen to prioritise locations and approaches showing how a richer, more accessible natural environment can improve wellbeing
- [The UK’s hottest May Day ever is a Mayday from Planet Earth](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/the-uks-hottest-may-day-ever-is-a-mayday-from-planet-earth/) - The temperature statistics for Tuesday 26 May 2026 are staggering: 35°C at Heathrow Airport and Kew Gardens
- [The cost of a new railway line](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/the-cost-of-a-new-railway-line/) - Revitalising and expanding The Northumberland Line
- [How to protect your pension against fraudsters and other scam news](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/how-to-protect-your-pension-against-fraudsters-and-other-scam-news/) - Here is another roundup of the latest scam news, including how to protect your pension against fraudsters, a delivery scam text message warning
- [Water fluoridation: why did it take so long?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/water-fluoridation-why-did-it-take-so-long/) - The North East’s long road to water fluoridation
- [Newcastle: Lib Dems to run council](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/newcastle-lib-dems-to-run-council/) - Lib Dems to run Newcastle City Council as ‘new era’ deal with Green Party confirmed
- [Is this the future? Each community running its own energy project to help reach net-zero](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/is-this-the-future-each-community-running-its-own-energy-project-to-help-reach-net-zero/) - Humshaugh, a picturesque village which sits next to the North Tyne, near Hexham, aims to achieve net zero by 2030, involving as many of its 750 inhabitants as possible
- [“There is a history of social inclusivity  in the North East”: interview with Lesley Hagon, chair of Newcastle Reform Synagogue](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/religion/there-is-a-history-of-social-inclusivity-in-the-north-east-interview-with-lesley-hagon-chair-of-newcastle-reform-synagogue/) - About being Jewish in the North East,, the rise of antisemitism and hopes for the future
- [Newcastle’s new political landscape: collapse, opportunity and a city searching for direction](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/newcastles-new-political-landscape-collapse-opportunity-and-a-city-searching-for-direction/) - Perhaps the AGM is a moment for Newcastle to rediscover its identity, articulate a vision and provide the leadership needed to deliver it
- [Newcastle Cathedral to showcase what it's really like to seek asylum in the UK](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/voluntary_sector/newcastle-cathedral-to-showcase-what-its-really-like-to-seek-asylum-in-the-uk/) - The harsh reality of life in the asylum system is being revealed to Newcastle Cathedral visitors
- [Foraging, a dawn chorus from birds, and learning to love moths: Northumberland Wildlife Trust](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/foraging-a-dawn-chorus-from-birds-and-learning-to-love-moths-northumberland-wildlife-trust/) - The latest events held by Northumberland Wildlife Trust
- [Green Super Port: ports, power and the future of the North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/green-super-port-ports-power-and-the-future-of-the-north-east/) - Done properly, the Green Super Port will not simply strengthen our ports. It could help reshape the economy of the North East
- [The Last Days Of Trump (A Liberal Fantasy)](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/county-durham/the-last-days-of-trump-a-liberal-fantasy/) - It’s 2028 and Trump is being replaced for good, but will he leave quietly? A darkly comic play with something for everyone!
- [How “For You” pages are putting teens on a dangerous path to violence](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/how-for-you-pages-are-putting-teens-on-a-dangerous-path-to-violence/) - The algorithms are not neutral. They are a digital feedback loop with absolutely no moral compass
- [A Million Acts of Hope](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/a-million-acts-of-hope/) - Dire Straits frontman, Mark Knopfler, unites with communities to say 'thank you' to the people making hope happen in the North East
- [Hadrian House and the death of democratic planning in Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/hadrian-house-and-the-death-of-democratic-planning-in-newcastle/) - Another student block is planned for Newcastle city centre as questions over democracy and development grow
- [Tyne Coast College hit by Financial Notice to Improve](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/tyne-coast-college-hit-by-financial-notice-to-improve/) - Tyne Coast College, has been served with a Financial Notice to Improve by the Department for Education
- [Newcastle City Council: the cost of waiting](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/newcastle-city-council-the-cost-of-waiting/) - Newcastle rejected the old order - but the election result left the city without a clear path, leader or decisive majority
- [The Tipi at The Tempus launches new 'Summer Soirée' series](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/food_drink/the-tipi-at-the-tempus-launches-new-summer-soiree-series/) - The Tipi at The Tempus is hosting a new 'Summer Soirée' series, with a special themed weekend event at the end of each month, from now until the end of September
- [Newcastle: more regulations called for on e-bikes](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/newcastle-more-regulations-called-for-on-e-bikes/) - More regulation has been called for on electrically powered bikes and motorbikes following the jailing of a teenager over a fatal crash which claimed the life of a Sunderland great-grandmother
- [Women’s representation is collapsing: we can’t pretend it isn’t happening](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/womens-representation-is-collapsing-we-cant-pretend-it-isnt-happening/) - This isn’t a “women’s issue”. It’s a democratic one. When half the population is pushed out of decision‑making spaces, every community loses
- [Government acts to remove planning blocks to development](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/housing/government-acts-to-remove-planning-blocks-to-development/) - Over half of councils in the North East will receive financial help from the government to speed up plans to for development and housing
- [Midsomer Murders: the killings at Badger’s Drift, at Darlington Hippodrome](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/midsomer-murders-the-killings-at-badgers-drift-at-darlington-hippodrome/) - "It was the clever scenery, the acting and the humour which made this to me, an outstanding performance."
- [Spygate sorted? Well sort of...](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/sport/spygate-sorted-well-sort-of/) - A continuation of a biased Boro supporter’s musings
- [Boost for Metro extension hopes](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/boost-for-metro-extension-hopes/) - “The government’s taskforce will help support my ambition to take Metro to new places as the heart of the Angel Network"
- [Newcastle Greens confirm leadership team with key role for ex-mayor](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/newcastle-greens-confirm-leadership-team-with-key-role-for-ex-mayor/) - Leadership team elected for Newcastle Greens
- [Newcastle man sentenced for Covid fraud and insolvency offences](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/newcastle-man-sentenced-for-covid-fraud-and-insolvency-offences/) - A Newcastle recruitment consultant has been sentenced for a string of offences including Covid fraud, flouting director disqualifications and running a phoenix company while bankrupt
- [Why European households throw away so much food – and how to curb the waste mountain](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/why-european-households-throw-away-so-much-food-and-how-to-curb-the-waste-mountain/) - Europe is wasting huge amounts of food while millions of people globally experience hunger
- [Sunderland Nigerian community protest against newly elected Sunderland councillor](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/sunderland-nigerian-community-protest-against-newly-elected-sunderland-councillor/) - Sunderland's Nigerian community protested Councillor Gibbins' inauguration over racist online remarks made in 2023 row
- [North Shields artist commissioned to celebrate historic Fish Quay landmark](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/north-shields-artist-commissioned-to-celebrate-historic-fish-quay-landmark/) - Anthony Downie’s original artwork of Richard Irvin Building was commissioned by Union Quay Dental.
- [Northumberland: plans to rebuild SEND school currently housed in 19th century buildings](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/northumberland-plans-to-rebuild-send-school-currently-housed-in-19th-century-buildings/) - Northumberland County Council has submitted an application to the Government in the hopes of building a new Barndale School in Alnwick
- [Forty-nine years after a racist murder, a warning about the return of hate](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/forty-nine-years-after-a-racist-murder-a-warning-about-the-return-of-hate/) - “She forgave the man who killed her husband,” he said. “Her message was always clear: love for all, hatred for none.”
- [North East sexual predator’s sentence increased after solicitor general intervenes](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/north-east-sexual-predators-sentence-increased-after-solicitor-general-intervenes/) - On Tuesday 19 May 2026, the Court of Appeal increased Leddra’s sentence to four years
- [How Ensemble ’84 is reimagining theatre in East Durham](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/county-durham/how-ensemble-84-is-reimagining-theatre-in-east-durham/) - The Playhouse, the new permanent home of Ensemble ’84, was officially opened by Sir Ian McKellen.
- [The Bowes Railway: another North East of England rail bicentenary](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/the-bowes-railway-another-north-east-of-england-rail-bicentenary/) - 200 years of the Bowes Railway
- [By-election triggered in Gateshead as Reform UK councillor steps down](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/by-election-triggered-in-gateshead-as-reform-uk-councillor-steps-down/) - A council by-election has been triggered in Gateshead following the resignation of a Reform UK High Fell councillor
- [Raby Castle in bloom](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/fun/raby-castle-in-bloom/) - This spectacular exhibition is “all about floral displays and greenery creating a heady new seasonal look that visitors can enjoy until 31 August.”
- [Theatre stalwart takes final bow after 55 years](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre-stalwart-takes-final-bow-after-55-years/) - One of the legends of Middlesbrough’s cultural scene has taken his final curtain call after a career spanning six decades
- [Weak FIFA World Cup heat safety guidelines “impossible to justify” say leading health experts](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/health-fitness/weak-fifa-world-cup-heat-safety-guidelines-impossible-to-justify-say-leading-health-experts/) - FIFA has been accused of promoting fossil fuels, which is said to be a ‘conflict of interest’ with player welfare
- [Lifelong learning entitlement opens up North East universities to adults](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/lifelong-learning-entitlement-opens-up-north-east-universities-to-adults/) - Student financing available from the autumn for adults looking to gain vocational qualifications and university degrees
- [Darlington: new bins to start next month](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/darlington-new-bins-to-start-next-month/) - New bins, caddies and liners have been delivered to homes across the borough ahead of the scheme starting on 2 June
- [Newcastle United Fans Foodbank season 2025/26](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/sport/newcastle-united-fans-foodbank-season-2025-26/) - Thanks Lads and Lasses from the depths of our heart and soul
- [New mural celebrates the community at Galafield Family Hub](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/new-mural-celebrates-the-community-at-galafield-family-hub/) - New art mural by inter-generational community groups unveiled to celebrate caring spirit of Galafield Family Hub
- [The plight of the Rohingya Muslims: a people with no country to call home](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/the-plight-of-the-rohingya-muslims-a-people-with-no-country-to-call-home/) - Newcastle’s Lord Mayor unveils a memorial stone honouring thousands of Rohingya men, women and children lost to violence
- [Olympics hope for the North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/olympics-hope-for-the-north-east/) - The Olympic Games and Paralympics could come to the north of England, including the North East, in the 2040s if a study commissioned by the government from UK Sport assesses the idea to be feasible
- [Suspended County Durham Reform UK councillors quit party](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/suspended-county-durham-reform-uk-councillors-quit-party/) - Two Reform counsellors in County Durham have quit the party having been suspended on 11 May
- [TVCA has improved but must do more](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/tvca-has-improved-but-must-do-more/) - Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) has made positive improvements but needs to continue doing so with “vigour and pace”
- [Darlington railway station mixes old and new](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/darlington-railway-station-mixes-old-and-new/) - Darlington station has got two new platforms, a new multi storey car park, and a footbridge to connect them all
- [Legally Blonde at the Theatre Royal](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/legally-blonde-at-the-theatre-royal/) - A joyous, exuberant extravaganza of a show.
- [Northumberland gets a new bathing spot](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/northumberland-gets-a-new-bathing-spot/) - The designation of Little Shore at Amble, a crescent of sand between the River Coquet and the North Sea, popular with local people, brings the number of bathing spots in the North East to 36
- [Masterless Men](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/masterless-men/) - The essential contradiction within the modern economic system is that it creates the parallel society that will destroy it
- [“The human aspect is what matters most”: Palestinian student organiser speaks about dialogue and division in Israel](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/the-human-aspect-is-what-matters-most-palestinian-student-organiser-speaks-about-dialogue-and-division-in-israel/) - Palestinian student organiser Taimaa Sawaed told a recent UK Friends of Standing Together meeting about her work with the Jewish-Arab grassroots movement Standing Together
- [Faith, Leo, Trump and trauma](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/faith-leo-trump-and-trauma/) - A personal view on faith, Pope Leo, Trump, and trauma
- [Tees Heritage Walk 2026 to boost good causes](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/tees-heritage-walk-2026-to-boost-good-causes/) - Walkers will be able to scan QR codes posted along the route to discover more about the history of the area and plans for the future
- [Little Shop of Horrors at Northern Stage](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/little-shop-of-horrors-at-northern-stage/) - A high-octane performance
- [What your local council can actually do to tackle the climate crisis](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/what-your-local-council-can-actually-do-to-tackle-the-climate-crisis/) - With the Green Party winning seats across England, what can be expected from local councils in respect to the climate crisis?
- [Mid-May scam news](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/mid-may-scam-news/) - Sim Swap fraud, scam calls and romance scams doing the rounds
- [Redcar and Cleveland: council reveals planned tourism rebrand](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/local-attractions/redcar-and-cleveland-council-reveals-planned-tourism-rebrand/) - 'Enjoy Redcar & Cleveland' will be no more from later this year
- [Towards a better voting system - why we need STV](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/towards-a-better-voting-system-why-we-need-stv/) - The First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system is failing Britain - catastrophically. We need something better
- [A totally biased view on alleged Southampton spying](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/a-totally-biased-view-on-alleged-southampton-spying/) - A Boro supporter's take on the alleged spying by Southampton
- [Surprising news for North East on fuel poverty](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/national-news/surprising-news-for-north-east-on-fuel-poverty/) - Statistics on fuel poverty have been issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)
- [A fight for survival in the heart of Gaza](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/a-fight-for-survival-in-the-heart-of-gaza/) - Every day in Gaza feels harder than the one before
- [“Keep being kind”: Neil Grainger on acting, humour, and Smoggie Queens](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/tv-radio/keep-being-kind-neil-grainger-on-acting-humour-and-smoggie-queens/) - The new series of Smoggie Queens can be seen on BBC3 starting Friday 15 May
- [Capita Pension Administration](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/letters/capita-pension-administration/) - Spoiler alert, it’s not great
- [North East AI drive to boost local skills and business growth](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/north-east-ai-drive-to-boost-local-skills-and-business-growth/) - Thirty thousand North East primary school children will gain AI and digital skills thanks to new funding from North East Mayor Kim McGuinness
- [Glorious! The TRUE story of the WORST singer in the world](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/glorious-the-true-story-of-the-worst-singer-in-the-world/) - Ear plugs at the ready! The story of the worst singer in the world has come to the Darlington Hippodrome
- [The North East MP who started the ball rolling for a Labour leadership challenge](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-north-east-mp-who-started-the-ball-rolling-for-a-labour-leadership-challenge/) - Joe Morris, the first Labour MP in Hexham for a hundred years - was one of the first to make a move against Prime Minister Keir Starmer
- [A look inside Bishop Auckland’s new bus station](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/county-durham/a-look-inside-bishop-aucklands-new-bus-station/) - Bishop Auckland’s new bus station is ready to open its doors to passengers
- [Poverty hacking the future](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/poverty-hacking-the-future/) - Drones, deliveries and digital divisions
- [Reform UK Sunderland announce group leader](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-uk-sunderland-announce-group-leader/) - Reform UK Group on Sunderland City Council announce leader after historic election victory
- [The repercussions of Reform’s rise and Labour’s fall](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-repercussions-of-reforms-rise-and-labours-fall/) - Reform’s surge toppled Labour strongholds and ushered in a volatile new North East politics
- [Across the Tyne after dark: The Late Shows and what culture does to a place](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/across-the-tyne-after-dark-the-late-shows-and-what-culture-does-to-a-place/) - The Late Shows is a unique opportunity to experience the interconnectedness between two cities culturally and socially
- [We talk more about mental health than we support it](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/we-talk-more-about-mental-health-than-we-support-it/) - Mental Health Awareness Week, Monday 11 May 2026 – Sun, 17 May 2026: the gap between conversation and care
- [Two Tyneside MPs call on Starmer to go](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/two-tyneside-mps-call-on-starmer-to-go/) - Two Tyneside MPs respond to Keir Starmer's speech
- [Harmony for Hope](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/music/harmony-for-hope/) - Harmony for Hope is an informal music afternoon to raise funds and awareness around supporting families impacted by substance abuse
- [Starmer says "We will put Britain at the heart of Europe"](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/starmer-says-we-will-put-britain-at-the-heart-of-europe/) - The Prime Minister championed restoring the UK back to the 'heart' of Europe. While that is the right sentiment that resonates with the majority of the country, where is the path that drives over his red lines to get us there?
- [Waiting to retire: the civil service pension crisis leaving thousands in limbo](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/waiting-to-retire-the-civil-service-pension-crisis-leaving-thousands-in-limbo/) - "I have now been told that I am unlikely to receive a quote within the next three months, potentially much longer because there are approximately 23,000 people already waiting ahead of new applicants"
- [Reform UK is the biggest party in Hartlepool](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-uk-is-the-biggest-party-in-hartlepool/) - Reform UK Ltd have won all 12 seats that were up for grabs in the Hartlepool local council elections of Thursday 7 May
- [Another blow for Teesworks as BP cools on its carbon capture caper](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/another-blow-for-teesworks-as-bp-cools-on-its-carbon-capture-caper/) - Following on from recent bad news at SeAH Wind, Teesworks has suffered another blow, as BP announces that it’s cutting its stake in two key carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, Net Zero Teesside (NZT) and the Northern Endurance Partnership project (NEP)
- [‘If’ As An Olive Branch](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/if-as-an-olive-branch/) - " ...unclench our fists into palms?"
- [Government fightback starts here](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/government-fightback-starts-here/) - The Starmer government today (10 May) chose the North East as the location of one of two “missions” to launch the start of the fightback against its humiliating defeats by Reform UK in last week’s council elections
- [Stick or twist: what should Labour do now?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/stick-or-twist-what-should-labour-do-now/) - MP Catherine West has issued a challenge to the Cabinet to act by Monday
- [The gang of four: How a cabal of property moguls is laying waste to the Tees Valley (Part 5)](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/the-gang-of-four-how-a-cabal-of-property-moguls-is-laying-waste-to-the-tees-valley-part-5/) - Over four articles, I’ve told the story of how the Tees Valley property moguls have schemed to turn the proposed Skerningham Garden Village (SGV) into reality. In this, the last of five articles, I’ll bring the SGV story up to date, as well as detailing some more of the side projects
- [Cast confirmed for 9 to 5 The Musical UK Tour](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/cast-confirmed-for-9-to-5-the-musical-uk-tour/) - 9 to 5 The Musical will run at Darlington Hippodrome from Tuesday 4 August to Saturday 8 August 2026
- [Middlesbrough: BT street hubs refused](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/middlesbrough-bt-street-hubs-refused/) - BT street hubs refused by Middlesbrough Council amid class anti-social behaviour concerns
- [Exciting news from Northumberland Wildlife Trust](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/exciting-news-from-northumberland-wildlife-trust/) - As one nature project comes to an end a hippo themed fundraising extravaganza is on the horizon and a newt survey is a great success
- [Seventies spirit shines at North Tyneside Dance Festival](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/performance/seventies-spirit-shines-at-north-tyneside-dance-festival/) - Whitley Bay pupils wow audience with ABBA-inspired performance at packed Playhouse event
- [How Labour Together wrecked the Labour Party](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/how-labour-together-wrecked-the-labour-party/) - It seems clear that the Labour Party will never recover as a potential governing party in this country until there is a true cleansing of the stables and every last vestige of the toxic Labour Together faction, which has done so much harm, is removed from the leadership of the party
- [South Tyneside: Full election results](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/south-tyneside-full-election-results/) - Reform has won big in South Tyneside, clinching 41 out of the 54 seats on the council
- [Sunderland local election results summary](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/sunderland-local-election-results-summary/) - Reform UK has taken control of Sunderland City Council after making huge gains from Labour in a historic local election result
- [Newcastle: Labour’s 15-year rule at an end](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/newcastle-labours-15-year-rule-at-an-end/) - Labour’s 15-year stint in power in Newcastle is over – but there remains major uncertainty over who will run the city now
- [Middlesbrough: Freedom of the Borough](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/sport/middlesbrough-freedom-of-the-borough/) - Alan Peacock to be awarded Freedom of the Borough of Middlesbrough posthumously
- [Reform UK secures majority in Gateshead as Labour lose control of council for the first time](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-uk-secures-majority-in-gateshead-as-labour-lose-control-of-council-for-the-first-time/) - Reform UK has secured a slim majority in Gateshead as heavy Labour losses saw the party lose control of the council for the first time
- [North Tyneside results](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/north-tyneside-results/) - Labour has retained a majority in North Tyneside’s local elections, but its dominance has been significantly dented by major Reform UK gains
- [How the Ancient Greeks reversed elections](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/how-the-ancient-greeks-did-reverse-elections/) - The seeds of ostracism were sown by Cleisthenes around 507 BC as a safeguard against elites who got too big for their boots – or showed signs of doing so – and posed a threat to the young democracy
- [Newcastle park cafes reopening plan](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/newcastle-park-cafes-reopening-plan/) - Notices posted on the council’s website reveal that, as of 6 May, authorisation has been approved to grant a tenancy at will for both cafes – followed by a 10-year lease
- [Northumberland Reform group split on key votes](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/northumberland-reform-group-split-on-key-votes/) - Speaking after the meeting, a spokesman for Northumberland Conservatives said: “Today’s events at the Northumberland County Council AGM exposed serious divisions within the Reform party group"
- [From smoking to stigma: how screen stories influence health](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/from-smoking-to-stigma-how-screen-stories-influence-health/) - Screen stories affect how we perceive certain practices, and can impact health
- [In the age of devolution, Newcastle must define its own future](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/in-the-age-of-devolution-newcastle-must-define-its-own-future/) - The future of Newcastle should be shaped by its unique people and identity
- [At risk curlew populations stabilise in Northumberland](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/at-risk-curlew-populations-stabilise-in-northumberland/) - Populations of curlew – the official iconic symbol for Northumberland National Park – have stabilised in the region’s uplands
- [Northumberland: “Out of control” - Additional patrols brought in amid spate of anti-social behaviour in popular park](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/northumberland-out-of-control-additional-patrols-brought-in-amid-spate-of-anti-social-behaviour-in-popular-park/) - Tackling anti-social behaviour at Hirst Park in Ashington
- [Walks and talks with Northumberland Wildlife Trust](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/walks-and-talks-with-northumberland-wildlife-trust/) - Northumberland Wildlife Trust is running a great series of walks and talks this month
- [The Great North Investment Summit: a new chapter for Northern growth](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/the-great-north-investment-summit-a-new-chapter-for-northern-growth/) - A landmark event is happening this month on 18 May at Leeds Royal Armouries.
- [From strategy to reality: Newcastle’s inclusive economy challenge](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/from-strategy-to-reality-newcastles-inclusive-economy-challenge/) - The central economic challenge; to shape investment priorities and give clarity through which progress is understood and communicated
- [Life in Saudi Arabia: Part 32 April 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/life-in-saudi-arabia-part-32-april-2026/) - April 2026’s monthly coverage on reporting on Saudi Arabia
- [Making May Matter: Raising Awareness of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/making-may-matter-raising-awareness-of-ehlers-danlos-syndrome/) - At the heart of this year’s campaign is the message #MakeMayMatter. It encourages people to take simple but meaningful steps, whether that’s sharing information, talking to friends and colleagues, or supporting fundraising efforts to help bring EDS and HSD into the spotlight
- [Is green hydrogen finally coming to Teesside? Possibly](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/is-green-hydrogen-finally-coming-to-teesside-possibly/) - A company called Protium plans to build a green hydrogen facility called Pioneer 3 in Billingham. I called in at a consultation event
- [Newcastle: election day explainer](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/newcastle-election-day-explainer/) - Voters will go to the polls on Thursday in an election that could radically alter the balance of power on Tyneside
- [Zack Polanski shows his support for Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/zack-polanski-shows-his-support-for-newcastle/) - Green Party leader addresses a crowd of hundreds in Newcastle
- [Hecate of Hope Street](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/hecate-of-hope-street/) - Poem by Rachel Burns
- [Review of the season: Heaton Stannington and other non-league news](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/review-of-the-season-heaton-stannington-and-other-non-league-news/) - Another season of progress for Heaton Stannington, while Hebburn Town tasted glory and Cleveland became a centre of success
- [Working cooperatively to combat climate change](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/working-cooperatively-to-combat-climate-change/) - Shared Interest helps producers across the world to combat climate change and make a success of their sustainable and ethical agricultural enterprises
- [Nigel Farage pulls out of BBC interview](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/letters/nigel-farage-pulls-out-of-bbc-interview/) - Farage, man of the people, straight talker and a huge fan of asking the ‘hard questions’ of others, has pulled out of an interview on BBC
- [Peter Benson: Welcome to Teesside](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/peter-benson-welcome-to-teesside/) - Photographer Peter Benson has opened an exhibition of fifty of his favourite photos of Lost Teesside at the Heritage Gallery in Middlesbrough. The photos were taken between 1968 and 1999
- [South Tyneside Council: local elections 2026 party statements](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/south-tyneside-council-local-elections-2026-party-statements/) - With council elections due to take place on 7 May, we’re shining the spotlight on the main parties standing in the run-up to polling day
- [The ups and downs of the Stockton & Darlington Railway](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/the-ups-and-downs-of-the-stockton-darlington-railway/) - Last year marked the bicentenary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) in 1825. In 2026, as part of ongoing commemorations, we saw the opening of the first part of the S&DR Trail of Discovery
- [Historic Middlesbrough Town Hall restoration takes centre stage in community tour](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/historic-middlesbrough-town-hall-restoration-takes-centre-stage-in-community-tour/) - Roaming archive brings Middlesbrough heritage project to local libraries and hubs
- [Hartlepool local elections 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/hartlepool-local-elections-2026/) - Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday, 7 May, with a third of seats on the local authority up for election, one in each of the area’s 12 wards
- [Prue Leith: Being Old And Learning To Love It! Book Review](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/books/prue-leith-being-old-and-learning-to-love-it-book-review/) - A book review for the latest book by Prue Leith
- [Prime ministers have always faced political scandals, so why can’t they weather them now?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/prime-ministers-have-always-faced-political-scandals-so-why-cant-they-weather-them-now/) - Prime ministers have always faced problems in the past and survived, so why is it proving fatal to their incumbency now?
- [Newcastle: election candidates on St James’ Park](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/newcastle-election-candidates-on-st-james-park/) - Candidates standing in next week’s crunch set of local elections were asked this week for their take on the ongoing debate surrounding the home of Newcastle United
- [Redcar man appointed to Supreme Court](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/national-news/redcar-man-appointed-to-supreme-court/) - The King has approved the appointment of Lord Justice Snowden, originally from Redcar, as a Justice of the Supreme Court
- [Tackling climate is …part of today’s security threat, not tomorrow’s’: interview with Judy Seymour](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/tackling-climate-is-part-of-todays-security-threat-not-tomorrows-interview-with-judy-seymour/) - Interview with Judy Seymour from North East XR about why the National emergency Film Briefing is so important and people should watch it
- [Dr Tony Ridley: father of the Metro](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/dr-tony-ridley-father-of-the-metro/) - As director-general of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive (PTE – now known as Nexus), Tony Ridley, who has died at the age of 92, was one of a handful of people who shaped Newcastle city centre and the wider metropolitan area in the 1970s
- [Northumberland illegal waste site shut down ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/northumberland-illegal-waste-site-shut-down/) - The Environment Agency has blocked access to land in rural Northumberland following reports of illegal dumping and burning of waste
- [Stop Incineration North East (SINE) and the Tees Valley Energy Recovery Facility (TVERF) project](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/stop-incineration-north-east-sine-and-the-tees-valley-energy-recovery-facility-tverf-project/) - “The brave new world ahead entails ever-worsening overcapacity of incinerators on Teesside. These monstrosities will be burning ‘black bag’ waste from most of the North East of England, and all of Merseyside, for generations to come"
- [Fairer renting is not a housing solution](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/housing/fairer-renting-is-not-a-housing-solution/) - The Renters’ Rights Act marks a major shift in tenant protection, but without deeper reform it risks improving conditions within a broken system rather than fixing that system
- [International Workers’ Day: the North East, struggle, and a living tradition that must endure](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/international-workers-day-the-north-east-struggle-and-a-living-tradition-that-must-endure/) - International Workers’ Day on 1 May is often presented as commemoration, but it is much more than that - it is democracy in motion
- [Northumberland: Council issues reminder to residents that it is not holding elections this year](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/northumberland-council-issues-reminder-to-residents-that-it-is-not-holding-elections-this-year/) - Northumberland elections will be in 2029
- [This Town's Colours](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/this-towns-colours/) - Flags from every corner of the world in Middlesbrough
- [Jessie Ware’s Superbloom: Album review](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/music/jessie-wares-superbloom-album-review/) - Latest album review for music artist Jessie Ware
- [New scam alerts and other news](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/new-scam-alerts-and-other-news/) - Weekly update on the latest scam news
- [Euro Visions – Split Prophecies                                  ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/euro-visions-split-prophecies/) - Poem by Suzanne Fairless-Aitken
- [Reform Utopia?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-utopia/) - An update on Reform UK
- [Another blow for Teesworks: the SeAH factory loses its second major customer](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/another-blow-for-teesworks-the-seah-factory-loses-its-second-major-customer/) - Industry journal RENews is reporting that RWE, the German energy giant behind the Norfolk Vanguard wind farm project, has ditched SeAH as the supplier for the Vanguard West portion of the deal
- [North East: Polanski on buses](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/north-east-polanski-on-buses/) - Zack Polanski says Greens would act faster on public control of buses and give under-22s free travel
- [North East: Ferry Back in Action](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/north-east-ferry-back-in-action/) - The Shields Ferry is back; restoring a tradition dating back to the 14th century
- [Reform candidates and vetting failures](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-candidates-and-vetting-failures/) - Farage says that the vetting is common sense and a brutal, intrusive look into social media
- [The gang of four: How a cabal of property moguls is laying waste to the Tees Valley (Part 4)](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/the-gang-of-four-how-a-cabal-of-property-moguls-is-laying-waste-to-the-tees-valley-part-4/) - "I’ll continue the story of the evolution of the Skerningham Garden Village project after the election of Ben Houchen as Tees Valley Mayor in May 2017"
- [Tees Transporter Bridge faces uncertain future after years of closure](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/tees-transporter-bridge-faces-uncertain-future-after-years-of-closure/) - The Transporter Bridge has been included on this year's Top Ten Endangered Buildings List by the Victorian Society, a charity dedicated to protecting Victorian and Edwardian architecture
- [Ministers keep value-for-money pressure on TVCA](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/ministers-keep-value-for-money-pressure-on-tvca/) - The government is continuing to pile pressure on Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) over its failure to meet its best value duty in the handling of public funds
- [Guisborough Town FC celebrated at Downing Street after historic promotion](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/sport/guisborough-town-fc-celebrated-at-downing-street-after-historic-promotion/) - "It was an incredible experience and an honour to represent Guisborough Town Football Club following the promotion, and everyone's continued commitment to have our Club at the heart of the community"
- [Mayors back BBC Proms in North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/mayors-back-bbc-proms-in-north-east/) - Nadine Shah said: "This summer I’ll be making my proms debut with Royal Northern Sinfonia. The performance will take place in the North East at our finest establishment, the Glasshouse in Gateshead. It’s high art, it’s fancy, call me “Nadine Shah lah-de-dah”. It’s about time, on the Tyne.”
- [Hartlepool: local election candidates announced 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/hartlepool-local-election-candidates-announced-2026/) - A third of the 36 seats on Hartlepool Borough Council will be up for election on Thursday, 7 May, with one councillor being voted in for each of the area’s 12 wards
- [The dress that broke the internet’s manhood](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/equality/the-dress-that-broke-the-internets-manhood/) - "What struck me wasn’t the dress. It was the panic"
- [Alarm bells ring at Hartlepool Development Corporation](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/alarm-bells-ring-at-hartlepool-development-corporation/) - At the heart of HDC’s problems is the town’s Middleton Grange shopping centre (MGSC) where there will be an estimated deficit of £1.2mn this year
- [Labour's not doing a bad job](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/labours-not-doing-a-bad-job/) - Labour is quietly getting on with the job in office and has made real progress
- [Tees Valley Combined Authority seeks independent person for governance oversight](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/tees-valley-combined-authority-seeks-independent-person-for-governance-oversight/) - Under the Localism Act 2011, local authorities must appoint at least one independent person to assist in promoting and maintaining standards of behaviour
- [A Green breakthrough, a Reform surge, or continued fragmentation? Newcastle’s politics enters a three-way contest](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/a-green-breakthrough-a-reform-surge-or-continued-fragmentation-newcastles-politics-enters-a-three-way-contest/) - Newcastle’s political landscape is changing, but not yet settled into a new shape. What is emerging is less predictable system
- [The meaning of Art](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/the-meaning-of-art/) - “The main thing is to be moved, to love, to hope, to tremble, to live.” Auguste Rodin
- [We are the Day After: 2026 Joint Memorial Ceremony](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/remembering/we-are-the-day-after-2026-joint-memorial-ceremony/) - "It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness"
- [UK Friends of Standing Together first vigil in the North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/international/uk-friends-of-standing-together-first-vigil-in-the-north-east/) - On 19 April, the North East branch of the UK Friends of Standing Together held their first vigil for peace in Israel and Palestine
- [Leading alternative economist lays into fiscal rules, GDP obsession, and much more](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/leading-alternative-economist-lays-into-reevenomics-fiscal-rules-gdp-obsession-and-much-more/) - Maeve Cohen says it doesn’t have to be this way
- [Angry young men: neglected, forgotten and exploited - the North East's lost generation](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/angry-young-men-neglected-forgotten-and-exploited-the-north-easts-lost-generation/) - The angry young men of the North East are not a problem to be solved. They are people, people with legitimate grievances, real talent, and lives that deserve more than they have been given
- [Interview with Jose Baptista](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/interview-with-jose-baptista/) - Interview with respected Angolan artist and sculptor, Jose Baptista
- [The gang of four: How a cabal of property moguls is laying waste to the Tees Valley (Part 3)](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/the-gang-of-four-how-a-cabal-of-property-moguls-is-laying-waste-to-the-tees-valley-part-3/) - There’s something striking about the planning permission requests for Skerningham Manor and Low Skerningham: It’s the sheer number of them, more than 80. New houses and out-buildings, new roads, hedgerow removal; the assault on nature is relentless
- [A complicated picture: analysis of upcoming elections on 7 May](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/national-news/a-complicated-picture-analysis-of-upcoming-elections-on-7-may/) - The upcoming elections on 7 May could show a seismic shift in our politics in the UK
- [Find me an almond tree](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/find-me-an-almond-tree/) - A reflective poem on being chronically online
- [What neurodivergent people really think about the words used to describe them](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/science/what-neurodivergent-people-really-think-about-the-words-used-to-describe-them/) - The understanding of neurodivergent labels is changing
- [New coach tour firm targets rise in ‘silver tourism’ with North East launch](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/travel/new-coach-tour-firm-targets-rise-in-silver-tourism-with-north-east-launch/) - The company’s model aligns with the growing trend for ‘slower tourism’, which prioritises longer stays and deeper experiences over fast-paced itineraries
- [Northumberland: Bedlington councillor elected as new leader for council’s Independent Group](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/northumberland-bedlington-councillor-elected-as-new-leader-for-councils-independent-group/) - Councillor Malcolm Robinson elected to be the new leader of the council’s Independent Group
- [Healthy life expectancy falls in the Tees Valley to the lowest level in England since records began](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/healthy-life-expectancy-falls-in-the-tees-valley-to-the-lowest-level-in-england-since-records-began/) - People in the Tees Valley are not only living shorter lives than the national average, they are spending significantly more of those lives in poor health, and the gap between communities is growing
- [North Tyneside: first glimpse of the newly approved saunas for Whitley Bay’s promenade](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/north-tyneside-first-glimpse-of-the-newly-approved-saunas-for-whitley-bays-promenade/) - The first computer generated images of newly approved sauna cabins for Whitley Bay’s central lower promenade have been released
- [Hope and horror on the third anniversary of the civil war in Sudan](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/international/hope-and-horror-on-the-third-anniversary-of-the-civil-war-in-sudan/) - An update on the Sudan Civil war
- [Cramlington rejects Reform UK](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/cramlington-rejects-reform-uk/) - Reform UK loses Cramlington South West to the Conservatives in local council by-election
- [Towards a fairer education system?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/towards-a-fairer-education-system/) - It is important to consider that funding went up, as did school standards in 1997-2010, funding fell and the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged pupils rose, 2010-24. The current government is enacting reforms to reverse this decline
- [People’s Emergency Briefing: a Friday film night with a difference](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/peoples-emergency-briefing-a-friday-film-night-with-a-difference/) - The briefing isn’t your average Friday night chill. But then, a climate catastrophe isn’t something to chill about
- [Interview with Jessica Ingham Hartlepool Green Party](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/interview-with-jessica-ingham-hartlepool-green-party/) - “Hartlepool should be a place where you don’t have to leave to succeed”
- [The Reform councillor, the unpaid debts and the paper trail that wouldn’t go away](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-reform-councillor-the-unpaid-debts-and-the-paper-trail-that-wouldnt-go-away/) - Public records, company filings and reported claims relating to one Reform councillor now face growing scrutiny
- [Life in Saudi Arabia: Part 31 March 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/life-in-saudi-arabia-part-31-march-2026/) - An update to NE Bylines’ ongoing review of Saudi life in light of Newcastle United’s takeover by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. Is Saudi life really as bad as some people claim?
- [A beginner’s guide to rigging elections](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/a-beginners-guide-to-rigging-elections/) - Six ways Trump is planning to steal the mid-terms
- [Losing my voice in hospital](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/losing-my-voice-in-hospital/) - "In my view, the worst of it is losing your voice. You feel you have no say, no importance, no value"
- [Where was the courage when it counted?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/where-was-the-courage-when-it-counted/) - There is a difference between campaigning for change and actually delivering it
- [Every day is “National Something Day” - on 21 April, it’s tea](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/food_drink/every-day-is-national-something-day-on-21-april-its-tea/) - Once a luxury, arriving centuries ago on a slow boat from China, tea had its pivotal moment in 1784. With tea tax drastically reduced and poor malt and hop harvests, tea became cheaper than beer, supplanting it as our national drink.
- [A new North Tees hospital: why and how?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/a-new-north-tees-hospital-why-and-how/) - This article revisits the case for providing a modern, fit-for-purpose hospital to replace the existing facility, explains why the decision to invest has been mired in doubts and delays, and tries to suggest a positive way forward. Buckle up!
- [Will the main parties be decimated in the local elections?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/will-the-main-parties-be-decimated-in-the-local-elections/) - If the most recent polling is anywhere near accurate, Labour and Conservative Parties will suffer crushing losses in May elections
- [Call for council candidates to act on human rights in Saudi Arabia](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/call-for-council-candidates-to-act-on-human-rights-in-saudi-arabia/) - NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing have written to parties standing candidates in the upcoming Newcastle City Council elections, calling upon them to take action about human rights in Saudi Arabia if elected
- [Palestine: Peace de Resistance: Live Theatre](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/palestine-peace-de-resistance/) - Telling tales of love, war, colonialism, resistance, and describing how 'silliness collides with survival'
- [Why the North East creative community needs the GNCCF](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/why-the-north-east-creative-community-needs-the-gnccf/) - Independent makers in the North East don’t have many platforms at this level. There are some fabulous one-day markets and pop-up events, but a curated, contemporary, fair is different. It says this region has something worth paying attention to
- [Cheviot challenge](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/cheviot-challenge/) - "The sense of distance, watching valleys and peaks fade into successive screens of grey and blue. Is that the sea, is that a snow-capped peak or a cloud? "
- [Has Reform harnessed AI - badly?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/has-reform-harnessed-ai-badly/) - Why do they spread lies into the faces of their own supporters, to set their own country on fire?
- [Pinch points: How situations across the world severely affect trade](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/pinch-points-how-situations-across-the-world-severely-affect-trade/) - Seemingly small disruptions in the global trade network can have massive consequences
- [MMO and NIFCA joint enforcement operation at Port of Blyth results in successful prosecution](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/mmo-and-nifca-joint-enforcement-operation-at-port-of-blyth-results-in-successful-prosecution/) - The owner and a master of a UK-registered fishing vessel have both been sentenced following a joint enforcement operation and subsequent inspections carried out at the Port of Blyth in 2024 and 2025
- [Campaigners rally at Derwentside ahead of local elections, urging “No human is illegal"](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/campaigners-rally-at-derwentside-ahead-of-local-elections-urging-no-human-is-illegal/) - No To Hassockfield group calls for compassionate asylum policies and alternatives to detention
- [No takers for TVCA top posts](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/no-takers-for-tvca-top-posts/) - Tees Valley Mayor Lord Ben Houchen can’t find anyone suitable to take on the top legal and finance jobs at his beleaguered Combined Authority (TVCA) and is having to keep the current interim appointees in place until at least September
- [Government cash backs North East automotive and battery sectors](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/government-cash-backs-north-east-automotive-and-battery-sectors/) - Department for Business and Trade to invest in North East in the advanced manufacturing sector
- [Latest scam news - March/April 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/latest-scam-news-march-april-2026/) - Recent scam warnings include British gas and energy scams, warnings about fake websites, HMRC scams, and DPD scams
- [The gang of four: How a cabal of property moguls is laying waste to the Tees Valley (Part 2)](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-gang-of-four-how-a-cabal-of-property-moguls-is-laying-waste-to-the-tees-valley-part-2/) - This article will tell of one particular strip of tarmac, the Darlington North Link Road (DNLR), and its links to the Skerningham Garden Village (SGV) project.
- [Potholes: how your council rates](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/potholes-how-your-council-rates/) - Local authorities with good local road condition, high adoption of best practice, and that invest significantly into maintaining their roads receive a green rating, while those where performance is more mixed or consistently weaker across these areas receive an amber or red rating
- [National Emergency Briefing: community film screenings](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/national-emergency-briefing-community-film-screenings/) - Several screenings of the NEB film have been organised in the region, starting with a screening and discussion at Redhills Miners Hall, Durham, on Friday 17 April at 7.30pm.
- [£12mn cash for North East culture](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/12mn-cash-for-north-east-culture/) - Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy said: “Across the country, people take real pride in where they come from. Our local arts, museums and libraries are a big part of that, telling our stories, reflecting who we are, and bringing communities together"
- [The gang of four: how a cabal of property moguls is laying waste to the Tees Valley](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/the-gang-of-four-how-a-cabal-of-property-moguls-is-laying-waste-to-the-tees-valley/) - In a series of articles, I’m going to describe the activities of the Gang of Four, and their incessant drive for wealth accumulation. How this drive is translated into an unending search for the next property deal, and how a weak planning system allows them to get their way when it comes to development proposals
- [Common Ground awards for North East VCSE groups](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/common-ground-awards-for-north-east-vcse-groups/) - Fourteen North East organisations in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector have been award Common Ground awards to help them build cohesive and resilient communities
- [Faster diagnosis on the way for NHS patients](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/faster-diagnosis-on-the-way-for-nhs-patients/) - NHS patients on Tyneside and Teesside will get access to faster tests, checks and scans as part of a £237mn government programme to expand community diagnostic centres (CDCs) in England
- [Markets matter: why they still sit at the heart of our communities](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/markets-matter-why-they-still-sit-at-the-heart-of-our-communities/) - Markets have always mattered, and markets still matter
- [Government to make 'plug-in solar' available within months](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/government-to-make-plug-in-solar-available-within-months/) - The war in Iran has caused a surge in renewable energy
- [Northern England: where eagles soar](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/northern-england-where-eagles-soar/) - A study published by Forestry England confirms that England has the capacity to sustain golden eagle populations once more, with eight potential, unnamed ‘recovery zones’, mostly in the north of the country, identified as being the most suitable areas
- [Plan to end corridor care at “offender” RVI](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/plan-to-end-corridor-care-at-offender-rvi/) - Same day emergency care (SDEC) expands at Newcastle’s RVI in a £215.5mn plan to cut corridor care at 40 NHS hospitals
- [Shifting ground: what the 2026 local elections mean for the North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/shifting-ground-what-the-2026-local-elections-mean-for-the-north-east/) - An analytical perspective on emerging political trends, governance, and regional implications
- [Blyth Celebrates: fund opens for 2026/27 with call for creative proposals](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/blyth-celebrates-fund-opens-for-2026-27-with-call-for-creative-proposals/) - A total of £25,000 is available through this round of funding, with nine grants on offer: four awards of £5,000 and five awards of £1,000
- [How ‘eco‑dystopian’ novels from Asia and Africa are pushing boundaries](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/how-eco-dystopian-novels-from-asia-and-africa-are-pushing-boundaries/) - Speculative and futuristic visions of environmental calamity are being imagined globally through environmental fiction
- [Youth hub for Newton Aycliffe](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/youth-hub-for-newton-aycliffe/) - Newton Aycliffe chosen to be one of eight nationwide locations for ‘Young Future Hubs’
- [Middlesbrough's first caps](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/middlesbroughs-first-caps/) - Both the club and one of its players made their international debuts in the same match
- [Reform watch: follow the money](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-watch-follow-the-money/) - Labour plans to curb foreign political donations pose a challenge to Nigel Farage's Reform UK and its wealthy backers. - and a look at Reform scandals
- [World 's first permanent Rohingya memorial unveiled in Newcastle ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/world-s-first-permanent-rohingya-memorial-unveiled-in-newcastle/) - Led by Independent Newcastle Councillor Cllr Habib Rahman, this memorial honours the resilience, suffering, and ongoing journey to justice by the Rohingya people
- [Jeremy Beecham: a personal memory](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/jeremy-beecham-a-personal-memory/) - Peter Morris gives his personal memories of Lord Jeremy Beecham, leader of Newcastle City Council from 1977 until 1994, who has died at the age of 81
- [Small hands, big plans: Newcastle ceramic brand expands into County Durham](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/small-hands-big-plans-newcastle-ceramic-brand-expands-into-county-durham/) - Popolo Ceramico is celebrating a significant business milestone with the launch of its 30th franchisee, now covering South Durham
- [Complete candidate list for all-out Gateshead local election](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/complete-candidate-list-for-all-out-gateshead-local-election/) - Gateshead Council, alongside neighbouring local authorities, will see an ‘all-out’ election on 7 May. This means that all 66 seats are up for contention across 22 electoral wards
- [Local election candidates for South Tyneside](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/local-election-candidates-for-south-tyneside/) - Electors can vote for no more than three candidates in their ward and anyone wanting to vote must be on the electoral register
- [Sunderland City council: local election candidates announced 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/sunderland-city-council-local-election-candidates-announced-2026/) - The final list of candidates standing to become Sunderland’s next councillors has been published ahead of landmark local elections next month
- [Complete list of candidates for North Tyneside local elections](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/complete-list-of-candidates-for-north-tyneside-local-elections/) - Unlike neighbouring councils, this year’s local election in North Tyneside only has 20 seats up for grabs this time round, having already had its ‘all-out’ election in 2024
- [Because we are, we can: interview with Smajo Beso](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/because-we-are-we-can-interview-with-smajo-beso/) - From war-torn childhood to refuge in the UK, Smajo Beso’s journey shows how trauma can forge a purpose to educate others
- [Newcastle local elections: full candidate list](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/newcastle-local-elections-full-candidate-list/) - The full list of candidates standing in Newcastle’s local council elections in May has been published
- [Lord Beecham dies](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/lord-beecham-dies/) - Tributes have been paid to a true giant of Tyneside politics
- [Government extends Tees Valley’s best value notice](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/government-extends-tees-valleys-best-value-notice/) - The government extends Tees Valley oversight notice, denting Houchen’s hopes for funding freedom and further devolution
- [North East museums get £1mn-plus boost](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/north-east-museums-get-1mn-plus-boost/) - Four museums on Teesside and Tyneside are sharing more than £1mn to improve displays, enhance collection care and make exhibitions more accessible to visitors
- [Northern Gökotta](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/northern-gokotta/) - Gökotta: (n.) the act of rising in the early morning to watch the birds or go outside to appreciate nature
- [No to Ye: why Kanye West should not perform in the UK](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/music/no-to-ye-why-kanye-west-should-not-perform-in-the-uk/) - "No, no you can’t come here and praise a mass murderer, for fun, for money..."
- [This is life in Gaza now](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/this-is-life-in-gaza-now/) - "We are searching ...for a small piece of hope in the middle of devastation"
- [Newcastle set for UK and Europe’s first Palestinian memorial](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/newcastle-set-for-uk-and-europes-first-palestinian-memorial/) - Newcastle Peace Garden may add UK’s first memorial to Palestinian civilians, backed by councillors and community groups
- [Alphabetti Theatre looks to the future](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/alphabetti-theatre-looks-to-the-future/) - Alphabetti Theatre invites the public to shape its future at Storyboard on 15 April, a key step toward a major big relaunch in 2027
- [The Tees Valley Local Transport Delivery Plan is an omnishambles](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-tees-valley-local-transport-delivery-plan-is-an-omnishambles/) - Jonathan Spruce joins TVCA after delays, but his £978m infrastructure plan is already facing scrutiny and funding doubts
- [Ward by ward breakdown of Gateshead Council ahead of May local elections](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/ward-by-ward-breakdown-of-gateshead-council-ahead-of-may-local-elections/) - Gateshead is set for local elections this May which could radically alter the political make-up of the area
- [North East local elections explainer](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/north-east-local-elections-explainer/) - Thousands of North East voters head to the polls on 7 May in pivotal local elections set to reshape the region’s powers
- [Northumberland: Multi-million cost increase for Blyth’s planned higher education facility](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/northumberland-multi-million-cost-increase-for-blyths-planned-higher-education-facility/) - Multi-million cost increase for Blyth's planned higher education facility
- [Work set to start on £23 million regeneration projects in Ashington town centre](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/work-set-to-start-on-23-million-regeneration-projects-in-ashington-town-centre/) - Two major regeneration projects in Ashington have been given thumbs up to start
- [Ed Davey visits Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/ed-davey-visits-newcastle/) - Ed Davey urges voters to shun 'divisive politics' as Lib Dems push for North East breakthrough
- [The pain goes on after sham elections in Myanmar](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/the-pain-goes-on-after-sham-elections-in-myanmar/) - Recent Myanmar elections perceived as a sham, as military junta general is elected
- [How to beat the populists](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/how-to-beat-the-populists/) - The Rycroft Review and Byrne’s new book paved the way for new government bans on inflows of cash
- [Northumberland Wildlife Trust: Hedgehog walks and sprucing up the Northumberland coast](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/northumberland-wildlife-trust-hedgehog-walks-and-sprucing-up-the-northumberland-coast/) - Northumberland Wildlife Trust is hosting two special hedgehog walks this spring and has been sprucing up sand dunes between Beadnell and Seahouses
- [Sunderland: Cabinet backing for £10.9 million highways programme](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/sunderland-cabinet-backing-for-10-9-million-highways-programme/) - Senior councillors on Wearside back £10.9 million highways spending
- [North East sailors complete epic Arctic voyage](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/travel/north-east-sailors-complete-epic-arctic-voyage/) - You can listen to a talk on this expedition at Jesmond Library on 16 April. See poster in the article for details
- [My grandmother taught me to knit](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/my-grandmother-taught-me-to-knit/) - Poem by Rachel Burns
- [From promise to precarity: how the collapse of Fusion Lifestyle rewrites Newcastle's pool politics](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/from-promise-to-precarity-how-the-collapse-of-fusion-lifestyle-rewrites-newcastles-pool-politics/) - On 1 April 2026, Fusion Lifestyle, the charity operating over 100 leisure centres, swimming pools, and lidos across the UK, entered administration
- [My vote doesn’t matter? Why women deserve a fairer electoral system](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/my-vote-doesnt-matter-why-women-deserve-a-fairer-electoral-system/) - Too many women still feel their vote doesn’t matter. A fairer electoral system could change that
- [Bedlington students celebrate Easter with acts of kindness](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/bedlington-students-celebrate-easter-with-acts-of-kindness/) - "This Lent, the students and staff at St Benet Biscop have truly exemplified what it means to live with transformational love, leaving a lasting impact on the school community and beyond"
- [Redcar and Cleveland: growth in bus passenger journeys stalls in Redcar and Cleveland and is outstripped by rail](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/redcar-and-cleveland-growth-in-bus-passenger-journeys-stalls-in-redcar-and-cleveland-and-is-outstripped-by-rail/) - Bus journeys only grew by 0.35% in 2024/25, whereas the rise was 5.66% with rail
- [Looking beyond HS2: is there a better way?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/looking-beyond-hs2-is-there-a-better-way/) - Can regional rail revivals outshine HS2? As costs soar, Britain faces a stark choice over transport priorities
- [Her name was Marta](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/books/her-name-was-marta/) - A Woman in Berlin forces its readers to confront not only the past but its parallels in contemporary conflicts
- [Scams to watch out for](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/scams-to-watch-out-for/) - Latest scams and how to keep safe
- [From Ferryhill to Bishop Auckland, on another lost County Durham railway](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/from-ferryhill-to-bishop-auckland-on-another-lost-county-durham-railway/) - A walk on another lost County Durham railway...
- [Tees Valley shares £30mn for clean energy development](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/tees-valley-shares-30mn-for-clean-energy-development/) - Tees Valley is to share up to £30mn with nearby East Yorkshire & Hull region to support their work on clean energy and industrial decarbonisation
- [Skerningham: it's NOT a garden village](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/skerningham-its-not-a-garden-village/) - A look at Skerningham"garden village"
- [Newcastle’s hospitality sector is key to a thriving city, we are at a crossroads](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/newcastles-hospitality-sector-is-key-to-a-thriving-city-we-are-at-a-crossroads/) - At The Core, we are ready to work with government, local authorities, and industry partners to ensure Newcastle’s hospitality sector not only survives but thrives
- [The Sill welcomes its one millionth visitor](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/the-sill-welcomes-its-one-millionth-visitor/) - Northumberland National Park’s Sill Discovery Centre opened in 2017 as a place to learn from the very special surrounding landscape
- [Padel: the sport taking over courts and communities](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/sport/padel-the-sport-taking-over-courts-and-communities/) - Padel is transforming courts and communities fast, blending accessibility, energy and social play into a global UK boom
- [AI makes rewilding look tame – and misses its messy reality](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/ai-makes-rewilding-look-tame-and-misses-its-messy-reality/) - When AI is asked to picture “rewilded” Britain, it produces landscapes that are strikingly similar – and tame
- [Murder at Midnight: a deliciously twisted crime caper comes to Darlington](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/murder-at-midnight-a-deliciously-twisted-crime-caper-comes-to-darlington/) - It’s New Year’s Eve in a quiet corner of Kent and a killer is in the house. The protagonists are locked in a remote location. Night has fallen, and a murderer is on the loose But whodunnit?
- [Old School](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/old-school/) - Poem by Amanda Ellison
- [North East figures appointed to the “voice for water consumers”](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/north-east-figures-appointed-to-the-voice-for-water-consumers/) - Three new appointees to government organisations who join those responsible for improving and protecting our environment and green economy
- [Martin Luther King's prophetic vision](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/martin-luther-kings-prophetic-vision/) - "There are three urgent and indeed great problems that we face, not only in the United States of America, but all over the world today; the problem of racism, the problem of poverty and the problem of war." Martin Luther King, speaking at Newcastle University 13 November 1967
- [Teesside’s suburban sprawl comes to Eaglescliffe](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/teessides-suburban-sprawl-comes-to-eaglescliffe/) - For those who haven’t been paying close attention to the property market, something strange is happening to the distance between Stockton and Darlington. It’s shrinking. The town centres remain 9.5 miles apart, obviously. But the green space in between is changing colour before our eyes
- [Understanding the cost of living: Busayo Amowe builds a tool for financial clarity](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/understanding-the-cost-of-living-busayo-amowe-builds-a-tool-for-financial-clarity/) - As living costs rise, a new tool helps UK residents calculate the salary needed to match their lifestyle goals
- [Boro to get £155,000 to improve food procurement](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/boro-to-get-155000-to-improve-food-procurement/) - As nearly £5bn is spent on public food and catering in England each year, the public sector has an opportunity for health improvement
- [Robin's story: "this is really serious, isn't it?"](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/robins-story-this-is-really-serious-isnt-it/) - Robin Tudge is raising money for Meningitis Research Foundation. "Climb all 99 Cheviots of 300m+"
- [NUFC: Condemning discrimination and racism](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/sport/nufc-condemning-discrimination-and-racism/) - The recent racist abuse suffered by a Sunderland player gives reminds us we should hold everyone accountable for discrimination, even sponsors and governments
- [Child poverty affects one in three children in North East, new data shows](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/child-poverty-affects-one-in-three-children-in-north-east-new-data-shows/) - Regional figures exceed UK average as government publishes localised poverty data
- [The joys and importance of wine in Shakespeare’s plays](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/food_drink/the-joys-and-importance-of-wine-in-shakespeares-plays/) - Let’s toast to the Bard of Avon … with a glass of Spanish wine in hand!
- [Stockton: record-breaking £40,000 charity donation from Mayor](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/stockton-record-breaking-40000-charity-donation-from-mayor/) - Two charities have shared a record-breaking charity donation of more than £40,000
- [Community voices to shape new theatre production 'Mother?'](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/community-voices-to-shape-new-theatre-production-mother/) - Parents invited to shape new play Mother? in open workshops exploring real-life parenting experiences.
- [Beeching no more: passenger trains return to Bedlington](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/beeching-no-more-passenger-trains-return-to-bedlington/) - Passenger services returned to Bedlington railway station on 29 March 2026, for the first time since Dr Beeching swung his infamous axe
- [Voices for Truth at Newcastle City Library](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/illustrations-more/voices-for-truth-at-newcastle-city-library/) - A new exhibition is opening at the Newcastle City Library, one which gives a voice to those fighting oppression across the world
- [New funding for disadvantaged adults](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/new-funding-for-disadvantaged-adults/) - Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Sunderland to share £8mn in funding to support adults facing multiple disadvantage
- [Practical Action](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/practical-action/) - I have always been attracted to charities that work directly with the population at the grassroots, finding ways to help them lead better and healthier and more fulfilling lives. One such charity is Practical Action
- [Carlin, Palm and Paste Egg Day](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/carlin-palm-and-paste-egg-day/) - Remembering the history associated with Holy Week and Easter
- [Teesworks’ land remediation claims don’t stack up (Part Two)](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/teesworks-land-remediation-claims-dont-stack-up-part-two/) - In this part, we will delve deeper into Teesworks' untrue claim of a 4,500 acre estate. We’ll compare this claim to the 1,273 acres that are actually available, and we’ll examine how much of the land has actually been put to use.
- [New safety measures for Hillsview Avenue welcomed by Kenton councillors](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/new-safety-measures-for-hillsview-avenue-welcomed-by-kenton-councillors/) - ''There has been a history of speeding vehicles down Hillsview Ave and nearby streets. Anything that slows down the traffic is to be welcomed. Given that there are a lot of older residents and families in the area, this has to be seen as a positive development.''
- [Granny’s book: the challenge of a lifetime](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/books/grannys-book-the-challenge-of-a-lifetime/) - I’m 90 – soon to be 91 and I’m bored. Do I want to be 90? No! Can I do anything about it? No! But I can do something about being bored, can’t I?
- [Redcar and Cleveland mayor pulling on walking boots to trek 38 mile ‘loop’ for charity](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/travel/redcar-and-cleveland-mayor-pulling-on-walking-boots-to-trek-38-mile-loop-for-charity/) - The Langbaurgh Loop includes many East Cleveland landmarks
- [News from Northumberland Wildlife Trust: a celebration of Spring](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/news-from-northumberland-wildlife-trust-a-celebration-of-spring/) - There's lots going on with Northumberland Wildlife Trust as warmer days and lighter evenings herald Northumbrian springtime.
- [The quiet courage of social workers](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/the-quiet-courage-of-social-workers/) - To mark the recent National Social Work Day (17 March), the spouse of a social worker reflects on the importance of the profession
- ["Music and art were never considered in the Brexit negotiations"](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/music-and-art-were-never-considered-in-the-brexit-negotiations/) - "Since leaving the EU, I've had one job there. One. Our industry is slowly dying. And I don't know what to do. I think we're now out of the equation in terms of working in Europe"
- [Saed's story: "we simply ask for support, whether material or moral"](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/saeds-story-we-simply-ask-for-support-whether-material-or-moral/) - The news from Gaza, is as follows: Israel completely controls the Strip, intermittently preventing food from entering. Food prices remain high, and we can only buy limited quantities. Gaza has been without electricity for three years, and there is no consistent supply of clean water
- [Fragrance: are we overexposed?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/fragrance-are-we-overexposed/) - Artificially scented products are everywhere: what are the implications?
- [Gateshead: Council making progress since housing regulator report last April](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/housing/gateshead-council-making-progress-since-housing-regulator-report-last-april/) - Gateshead council has reported continued improvements in housing
- [Nazareth House horror](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/international/nazareth-house-horror/) - Julia Mazza writes on the abuse across decades in Nazareth House orphanages in the UK and Australia
- [Northumbria University protest rally](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/northumbria-university-protest-rally/) - Northumbria University accused of trying to 'blackmail' striking lecturers
- [Babul’s celebrates Silver success at North East Tourism Awards](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/babuls-celebrates-silver-success-at-north-east-tourism-awards/) - Babul’s family run restaurant has achieved outstanding success by winning Silver certificate at the 2026 North East Tourism Awards.
- [National Neurodiversity Week](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/national-neurodiversity-week/) - Celebrating and reflecting on neurodiversity
- [North East must not lose out on transport investment](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/north-east-must-not-lose-out-on-transport-investment/) - Let's make sure that we are part of the great public transport revolution across the country
- [£20 million  Pride in Place funding for two more Newcastle neighbourhoods](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/20-million-pride-in-place-funding-for-two-more-newcastle-neighbourhoods/) - Fawdon South and Throckley and Newburn to receive Pride in Place funding
- [Sadly, successive UK governments are partly to blame for the current war](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/national-news/sadly-successive-uk-governments-are-partly-to-blame-for-the-current-war/) - Decades of weak UK policy by Tory and Labour governments helped enable today’s Israel-US-Iran war
- [Ben Houchen’s Darlington Question Time: his top 30 inaccurate statements](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/ben-houchens-darlington-question-time-his-top-30-inaccurate-statements/) - Chris Lloyd of the Northern Echo was compere for the evening. Here’s my report on the proceedings, neatly summarized into the 30 most inaccurate statements made by Ben Houchen over 110 minutes on Wednesday evening.
- [Beating the populist right: lessons from France’s municipal elections](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/beating-the-populist-right-lessons-from-frances-municipal-elections/) - France’s recent municipal elections did not deliver a decisive defeat for the far right, but they did reveal something more valuable: how the left can win when it is disciplined, grounded and able to communicate clearly
- [Tees Valley development corporations in disarray](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/tees-valley-development-corporations-in-disarray/) - The axe continues to hang over Middlesbrough Development Corporation but its Hartlepool counterpart looks likely to escape – for now.
- [Middlesbrough’s railway station renewal: top 20 epic fails](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/middlesbroughs-railway-station-renewal-top-20-epic-fails/) - There were two main causes of the failure to thoroughly renew Middlesbrough railway station. These causes are, firstly, poor contract specification and, secondly, poor execution of the work itself
- [Tina - The Tina Turner musical in the north](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/music/tina-the-tina-turner-musical-in-the-north/) - "This isn't a tribute show par se, instead a true story of survival, emotions and coming out on top where Tina - The Tina Turner musical excels on all points and remains (Simply) the Best"
- [The Rewilding of Molly McFlynn by Sue Reed](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/the-rewilding-of-molly-mcflynn-by-sue-reed/) - "This book, isn’t only a great yarn, Sue’s love of language, social history, and nature really shines through in her storytelling."
- [A Dwindling Band](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/performance/a-dwindling-band/) - Newcastle was once well known for its cinema orchestras
- [(Unofficial) Binfluencer: caring for our shared spaces](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/unofficial-binfluencer-caring-for-our-shared-spaces/) - "Seeing rubbish through the eyes of my child made me realise just how normalised it had become"
- [North Tyneside: Monkseaton Middle School saved](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/north-tyneside-monkseaton-middle-school-saved/) - Monkseaton Middle school saved from closure
- [News from Northumberland Wildlife Trust](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/news-from-northumberland-wildlife-trust/) - Great news from Northumberland Wildlife Trust about the 2026 Osprey Watch, an award for Wild Residence, and some Easter events
- [Latest scams](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/latest-scams/) - A compilation of some of the latest scams doing the rounds, including police impersonations
- [The day the music lived: Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story at Darlington’s Hippodrome](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/music/the-day-the-music-lived-buddy-the-buddy-holly-story-at-darlingtons-hippodrome/) - Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story tells of a bright star which shone for a brief moment in the late 1950s, but which continues to burn to this day
- [“This is not a court of morality”: Newcastle Crown Court](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/this-is-not-a-court-of-morality-newcastle-crown-court/) - "When good citizens like Holly, Georgia and Summer are criminalised, without regard for their honesty or motivation there is a dangerous erosion of trust in society"
- [Radio1’s Big Weekend comes to Sunderland](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/wearside/radio1s-big-weekend-comes-to-sunderland/) - Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2026 will be held in Herrington Country Park, Sunderland, from Friday 22 May - Sunday 24 May 2026
- [Christina Robertson: the perpetually pregnant portrait artist](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/christina-robertson-the-perpetually-pregnant-portrait-artist/) - In 19th century Scotland, France, and eventually Russia, Christina Robertson forged a career in painting portraits of the highest members of society, including the Tsar of Russia
- [St Cuthbert and the birth of Northumbria](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/st-cuthbert-and-the-birth-of-northumbria/) - How does Cuthbert fit into the story of Northumbria?
- [Adult anti-social behaviour offences down 19% in Gateshead, report finds](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/adult-anti-social-behaviour-offences-down-19-in-gateshead-report-finds/) - Adult anti-social behaviour offences down 19% in Gateshead
- [Working for justice and peace in Israel and Palestine ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/international/working-for-justice-and-peace-in-israel-and-palestine/) - Inspiring talks from Standing Together and the Gaza support group in Israel
- [Government announces £50 million fund for low income households struggling with heating oil costs](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/government-announces-50-million-fund-for-low-income-households-struggling-with-heating-oil-costs/) - With skyrocketing oil prices, funding has been announced for low income households
- [TV licence fee increase](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/tv-radio/tv-licence-fee-increase/) - From April 2026, the UK TV licence rises to £180 as the government reviews BBC funding amid falling live TV viewing
- [Hartlepool: memorial bench problems](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/remembering/hartlepool-memorial-bench-problems/) - Council chiefs have “paused” applications for new memorial benches due to being "overwhelmed" by the number of them in parts of the borough
- [Rehana Hoque honoured with Lord Mayor's Award](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/rehana-hoque-honoured-with-lord-mayors-award/) - One exceptional woman’s story stands as a powerful example of dedication, resilience and compassion
- [Housing association rent rises in Stockton](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/housing-association-rent-rises-in-stockton/) - Local Labour councillors have made a formal request for a rent freeze as rents continue to go up
- [Mandelson files expose ‘dreadful judgment’ behind Ambassador appointment](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/mandelson-files-expose-dreadful-judgment-behind-ambassador-appointment/) - Released Mandelson files confirm concerns existed before his appointment, intensifying scrutiny of the PM’s decision.
- [Teesworks’ land remediation claims don’t stack up: Part One](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/teesworks-land-remediation-claims-dont-stack-up-part-one/) - In Part One, we’ll explore the birth of the Teesside regeneration project, including how the various land deals were made, and who ended up with ownership of which land
- [Noughts and crosses at Northern Stage](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/noughts-and-crosses-at-northern-stage/) - "We are drawn into a weirdly familiar world with overtones of Orwell and flashbacks to the not-so-distant past of apartheid South Africa and 'the Troubles' in Northern Ireland"
- [Iran war will increase food poverty in the North East – says Director of Public Health](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/iran-war-will-increase-food-poverty-in-the-north-east-says-director-of-public-health/) - In her recent annual report “Food for Thought” Alice Wiseman spelt out the horrifying impact of poverty on food insecurity in Gateshead and Newcastle
- [Redcar and Cleveland: scrutiny work to throw spotlight on council staff appraisals](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/redcar-and-cleveland-scrutiny-work-to-throw-spotlight-on-council-staff-appraisals/) - About 20% of workers at Redcar and Cleveland Council have not had an appraisal completed in the last 12 months
- [Tees Freeport claims billions of potential investments and thousands of jobs](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/tees-freeport-claims-billions-of-potential-investments-and-thousands-of-jobs/) - Teesside Freeport claims £17.9bn pipeline and 6,465 jobs as Japanese and Chinese investors eye clean energy projects bid
- [Life in Saudi Arabia: Part 30 February 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/life-in-saudi-arabia-part-30-february-2026/) - Further updates on Saudi Arabia
- [“It is important that fans push back”](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/it-is-important-that-fans-push-back/) - An interview with Frank Huisingh from Fossil Free Football, discussing the organisation’s current efforts
- [Life in Saudi Arabia: Part 29 January 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/life-in-saudi-arabia-part-29-january-2026/) - Peter Sagar explores the realities of life in Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses and corruption following the takeover of Newcastle United by a Saudi Investment Fund
- [Power, policy and protection: a feminist framework in the age of AI](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/power-policy-and-protection-a-feminist-framework-in-the-age-of-ai/) - "AI can either be the most disastrous accelerant of inequality we have ever built, or one of the most powerful levellers at our disposal."
- [Two Houchen development corporations face axe](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/two-houchen-development-corporations-face-axe/) - Hartlepool and Middlesbrough development corporations face closure just three years after launch, amid financial strain and stalled regeneration plans.
- [The Lightning Thief at Darlington Hippodrome](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/theatre/the-lightning-thief-at-darlington-hippodrome/) - Borrowing elements from Greek theatre, puppetry, pantomime, minimalist set and special effects the show has high production values; fast-paced, high energy rock music and well-choreographed dance and fight scenes
- [A special relationship?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/a-special-relationship/) - "All indicators suggest that until the toddler in the White House is replaced by an adult the relationship is doomed."
- [Reimagining the Northern Powerhouse: why the North East matters](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/reimagining-the-northern-powerhouse-why-the-north-east-matters/) - For more than a decade, the idea of the Northern Powerhouse has shaped the conversation about economic growth in the north of England
- [Report details declining life expectancy in the UK](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/report-details-declining-life-expectancy-in-the-uk/) - A recent report by the ONS reveals the North East as the region with the lowest life expectancy in the UK
- [TVCA: £500K put aside for £1.5mn 2028 election](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/tvca-500k-put-aside-for-1-5mn-2028-election/) - A plan has been set in motion to set aside £500K each year up to the mayoral elections in 2028
- [Creativity is a capability, not a sector: rethinking economic language for the North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/creativity-is-a-capability-not-a-sector-rethinking-economic-language-for-the-north-east/) - Creativity is not owned by any single industry; it is a fundamental human capability expressed across multiple economic and civic domains
- [Latest scam news](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/latest-scam-news/) - The latest scam news includes information about WhatsApp scams, a warning about an Appstore scams and Booking.com
- [Durham: town centre vacancy rates rise](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/durham-town-center-vacancy-rates-rise/) - Vacancy rates have risen in nine County Durham town centres
- [Alarming Net Zero disinformation from Ben Houchen’s TVCA](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/alarming-net-zero-disinformation-from-ben-houchens-tvca/) - Report from TVCA on Net Zero meeting
- [What Wainwright missed](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/what-wainwright-missed/) - " Below us the South Tyne twists its lazy route toward Newcastle, our little town just another passing place on the journey"
- [Simple embodiment](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/simple-embodiment/) - Poem by Mary-Ann Curty
- [The new route is ADHD63](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/the-new-route-is-adhd63/) - "The dots have at last been joined. You have ADHD"
- [Red squirrel fun at Hauxley](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/rural/red-squirrel-fun-at-hauxley/) - Northumberland Wildlife Trust is inviting National Lottery players to enjoy free refreshments and discover the story behind one of the region’s most iconic species
- [Ghosted](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/ghosted/) - Poem by Suzanne Fairless-Aitken
- [Growing the community in Hexham](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/growing-the-community-in-hexham/) - Grow Hexham is growing like topsy and organically
- [Overcoming the witch wound](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/overcoming-the-witch-wound/) - Imposter syndrome or the witch wound?
- [Cloud Sneezing – A portrayal of womanhood](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/books/cloud-sneezing-a-portrayal-of-womanhood/) - Cloud Sneezing is about uplifting other women and being each other’s champion
- [International Women’s day 2026 – “Deeds not words”](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/international-womens-day-2026-deeds-not-words/) - A look at direct action - the suffragettes and Palestine Action
- [Chasing the Phantom](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/chasing-the-phantom/) - Review by Charity Reed
- [One Million Women and Girls](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/one-million-women-and-girls/) - Durham, Northumberland, and Tyne and Wear is home to around one million women and girls. We wanted to ensure that the needs of women and girls were not ignored and were central to policy-making
- [Mull of Galloway Foghorn](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/mull-of-galloway-foghorn/) - Poem by Rachel Burns
- [On Geordieness: accents and attitudes](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/on-geordieness-accents-and-attitudes/) - Sometimes when I share that I’m from Newcastle, harmful stereotypes and assumptions about us, and people from the North in general, become apparent
- [Powerful Bylines women](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/powerful-bylines-women/) - This International Women’s Day, the Bylines Network invites you to celebrate the women who make the Network what it is
- [How do we protect dignity in a world that must do better?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/how-do-we-protect-dignity-in-a-world-that-must-do-better/) - We deserve safety, truth, and community as we confront abuse and build spaces where everyone can heal
- [Habib Rahman to step down from Newcastle City Council after 16 years of service](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/habib-rahman-to-step-down-from-newcastle-city-council-after-16-years-of-service/) - "Public office is one way to make a difference, but it is not the only way, This is not the end of my political journey, it is simply a new chapter."
- [The angel in the house](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/history-culture/the-angel-in-the-house/) - Women achieve originality and greatness; and exalt in ‘the difficult arts of family life’
- [A tale of two branch lines](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/a-tale-of-two-branch-lines/) - Can anything be done to support the stopping trains that are increasingly being marginalised on the busy intercity routes that dominate the thinking of companies like LNER?
- [Disco fever kids help clean up Howdon over half-term](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/disco-fever-kids-help-clean-up-howdon-over-half-term/) - Northumberland Trust behind a successful Howdon cleanup event
- [North Road in 2026: caring for the everyday heart of Durham](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/county-durham/north-road-in-2026-caring-for-the-everyday-heart-of-durham/) - North Road is not just a street. It's the front door to the city
- [Why reading matters - for children, adults and communities](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/books/why-reading-matters-for-children-adults-and-communities/) - That thirst to read is one of the most enduring gifts that books give us.
- [All our yesterdays: review of the Man With A Nose](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/books/all-our-yesterdays-review-of-the-man-with-a-nose/) - The story provides the reader with a clear window back into a world that has disappeared, but should not be forgotten
- [Intergenerational celebration highlights future of Northumberland’s libraries](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/intergenerational-celebration-highlights-future-of-northumberlands-libraries/) - Children from Morpeth First School visited Morpeth Library and spent the morning with a local Age UK group. Sharing favourite stories and celebrating the joy of reading, they demonstrated how literature and libraries connect generations.
- [Who is Polly Halite? And why is she in the news?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/who-is-polly-halite-and-why-is-she-in-the-news/) - Anglo American has provided an update on its plans to continue digging for polyhalite, 1,600 metres beneath the North York Moors.
- [The war they won’t have to fight](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-war-they-wont-have-to-fight/) - I know what war does to families. It doesn’t stay “over there”; it will be felt here too, for years to come. I don’t know how anyone who claims to love this country can support this
- [North Tyneside: Public has say on £20mn fund to improve Percy Main](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/north-tyneside-public-has-say-on-20mn-fund-to-improve-percy-main/) - North Tyneside council launches a public consultation on £20mn fund
- [Northumberland: Further multi-million pound overspend on council’s SEND expected](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/northumberland-further-multi-million-pound-overspend-on-councils-send-expected/) - New figures show the local authority’s school funding is expected to be £8.8 million over budget by the end of the year
- [Newcastle: Minister supports Chi Onwurah MP getting the Swing Bridge swinging](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/history-culture/newcastle-minister-supports-dame-chi-onwurah-mp-getting-the-swing-bridge-swinging/) - Newcastle MP Chi Onwurah continues to rally support for the restoration of Newcastle’s Swing Bridge
- [Sudan: The devastating civil war goes on as the UN suggests that the siege of El-Fasher was a genocide](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/sudan-the-devastating-civil-war-goes-on-as-the-un-suggests-that-the-siege-of-el-fasher-was-a-genocide/) - As the Sudanese civil war rages on, civilians are terrorised and the environment is wrecked, with foreign powers secretly aiding the genocide
- [Labour's current direction: never truer words spoken](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/labours-current-direction-never-truer-words-spoken/) - Left-wing Labour MP Nadia Whittome says it as it is about Labour following bruising by-election loss.
- [Writers vs AI: who wrote which? Anthology series 4: Part 1](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/writers-vs-ai-who-wrote-which-anthology-series-4-part-1/) - We are back, with more writers and a spooky anthology
- [Death of the Ayatollah. But what next?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/death-of-the-ayatollah-but-what-next/) - The real aim of both the US and Israel should be long-term peace and stability for the Middle East as a whole
- [After Gorton and Denton, Labour must hold the centre-left ground](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/after-gorton-and-denton-labour-must-hold-the-centre-left-ground/) - If Labour can hold its nerve, hold together, hold the centre-left ground and achieve the economic growth for which we are all striving so hard, it has every chance of winning the next general election
- [Writers vs AI: who wrote which? Anthology series 4: Part 2](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/writers-vs-ai-who-wrote-which-anthology-series-4-part-2/) - We are back, with more writers and a new spooky anthology
- [Bridal March: The Bride!](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/bridal-march-the-bride/) - The Monster once again has his Mate
- [Running the council in the interests of Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/running-the-council-in-the-interests-of-newcastle/) - Jamie Driscoll will stand for Newcastle City Council as a Green Party candidate for the Monument ward
- ["Lottie's List": petition to save wildlife](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/lotties-list-petition-to-save-wildlife/) - A campaigning 11-year-old will be at a key council meeting in Darlington next week when her petition to save wildlife-rich countryside from a massive housing scheme is debated
- [New scams to look out for](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/new-scams-to-look-out-for/) - Deepfake audio, online romance, and other scams doing the rounds
- [Lover Come Over: 'It’s Never Over', Jeff Buckley](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/music/lover-come-over-its-never-over-jeff-buckley/) - Jeff Buckley is one of the great enigmas of music
- [Tracing a lost County Durham railway (Part 2)](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/county-durham/tracing-a-lost-county-durham-railway-part-2/) - My walk tracing the lost route of the Ferryhill/Hartlepool line, searching for rare artefacts of a long-forgotten railway
- [Reform Watch 4: is Farage losing his grip?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-watch-4-is-farage-losing-his-grip/) - Updated from article first published 25.2.26
- [SEND reform is essential but it must be fully funded to work](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/send-reform-is-essential-but-it-must-be-fully-funded-to-work/) - I support reform of the SEND system. But reform must move beyond structural redesign and be supported by fully funded operational delivery
- [Newcastle shares £15mn to tackle rough sleeping](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/newcastle-shares-15mn-to-tackle-rough-sleeping/) - The Long-Term Rough Sleeping Programme is part of more than £50mn of new plans targeting the people and places under most pressure
- [Hartlepool: motion to support reading](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/hartlepool-motion-to-support-reading/) - Councillors have unanimously backed plans to improve literacy and help increase reading for pleasure in Hartlepool
- [Northumberland: "George Stephenson would be proud": Northumberland Line update](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/northumberland-george-stephenson-would-be-proud-northumberland-line-update/) - The Northumberland Park station on the Northumberland Line has welcomed passengers for the first time
- [Caroline Lucas set to be co-chair of Compass](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/caroline-lucas-set-to-be-co-chair-of-compass/) - Compass is a place where people come together to create the visions, alliances and actions to be the change we wish to see in the world
- [Youth club coming to every ward in Middlesbrough ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/youth-club-coming-to-every-ward-in-middlesbrough/) - New funding will allow Middlesbrough Council to invest in youth services
- [A new railway station for Northumberland: and three more to come](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/a-new-railway-station-for-northumberland-and-three-more-to-come/) - A landmark day for public transport in the North East of England. The opening of the latest railway station on the Northumberland Line
- [Newcastle: New homelessness strategy](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/housing/newcastle-new-homelessness-strategy/) - Newcastle sets out to end homelessness by 2030 after worrying spike in number of people sleeping on streets
- [The Roma Rights Project: interview with Irma Karchnakova](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/the-roma-rights-project-interview-with-irma-karchnakova/) - 'I would like to see us all work together'; interview with Irma Karchnakova, Roma Rights Project
- [Stephen Gethins MP: Leaving EU "has failed British public" ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/stephen-gethins-mp-leaving-eu-has-failed-british-public/) - "It is no surprise that those who shouted the loudest about the benefits of leaving the EU a decade ago are the quietest on its effects now"
- [Sunderland takes Lunar New Year at a gallop](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/wearside/sunderland-takes-lunar-new-year-at-a-gallop/) - “It is lovely seeing people from different cultures celebrate together”
- [The STDC is broken beyond repair as Finance Chief quits](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/the-stdc-is-broken-beyond-repair-as-finance-chief-quits/) - A routine South Tees Development Corporation audit meeting erupted as interim finance chief Jo Moore announced her exit.
- [Bones of St Francis of Assisi go on display for the first time – here’s why it took 800 years](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/religion/bones-of-st-francis-of-assisi-go-on-display-for-the-first-time-heres-why-it-took-800-years/) - St Francis’s teachings have exerted a profound impact on modern Catholicism, particularly its teaching on the environment
- [Tracing a lost County Durham railway: part 1](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/county-durham/tracing-a-lost-county-durham-railway-part-1/) - This is an account of the latest trip, from Ferryhill to Hartlepool, made over two consecutive days in mid-February 2026
- [Cosy charms conceal hidden harms: the uncomfortable truth about woodstoves](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/cosy-charms-conceal-hidden-harms-the-uncomfortable-truth-about-woodstoves/) - Woodburning directly affects air that we breathe – its pollution now has greater impact than that from vehicles
- [Wynyard exposed(part two): the plan that vanished](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/wynyard-exposedpart-two-the-plan-that-vanished/) - Did Stockton Borough Council override a democratically approved planning framework? An investigation into missing controls and unanswered governance questions
- [The GCSE English Curriculum shackles neurodivergent students](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/the-gcse-english-curriculum-shackles-neurodivergent-students/) - We have a moral responsibility to provide opportunities for students who have diverse needs
- [Global cult hit Mythos: Ragnarök to tour UK](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/performance/global-cult-hit-mythos-ragnarok-to-tour-uk/) - Mythos: Ragnarök to tour UK with its fusion of Norse mythology, theatre and wrestling
- [Middlesbrough - an immigrant town](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/middlesbrough-an-immigrant-town/) - "We are an immigrant town - everybody in Middlesbrough came from somewhere else"
- [When the Wild West came to the North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/when-the-wild-west-came-to-the-north-east/) - Of all the showmen who have visited the region, few have been more memorable than Mexican Joe
- [Council tax roundup](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/council-tax-roundup/) - Council tax bills across the North East are due to rise in April – but by how much?
- [Newcastle City Council: leadership, judgment, and public trust](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/newcastle-city-council-leadership-judgment-and-public-trust/) - Newcastle City Council now has a chance to demonstrate what effective leadership truly looks like
- [Hartlepool: hospital births set to resume in June](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/hartlepool-hospital-births-set-to-resume-in-june/) - Health chiefs have revealed birthing availability at the University Hospital of Hartlepool is to return from June 2026 following a "pause"
- [£100 for fish and chips?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/100-for-fish-and-chips/) - The uncomfortable truth about Britain’s favourite meal
- [A winter in Oceania: part ten, more on French Polynesia](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/travel/a-winter-in-oceania-part-ten-french-polynesia/) - "Two weeks on from this episode I am still known as ‘the dog bite guy’"
- [Greenwashing on a grey Teesside day](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/greenwashing-on-a-grey-teesside-day/) - Ten days after IMPACT’s ‘Green Revolution’ fell flat, Part 2’s panel offered more hype than hard green progress
- [Regional unemployment at ten year high](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/regional-unemployment-at-ten-year-high/) - The regional jobless rate in October-December 2025 was 7%, a rise of 1.1% on July-September and the highest outside London, where it was 7.6%
- [Lessons from the past: a review of Goliath’s Curse by Luke Kemp](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/books/lessons-from-the-past-a-review-of-goliaths-curse-by-luke-kemp/) - In Goliath’s Curse, Luke Kemp examines how societies develop and ultimately collapse, giving much food for thought as we live through these dangerous times
- [Sunderland city council:  council housing rent increase 26/27](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/wearside/sunderland-city-council-council-housing-rent-increase-26-27/) - Sunderland City Council leaders agree council housing rent increase for 2026/27
- [Writers vs AI: who wrote which? Anthology series 2](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/writers-vs-ai-who-wrote-which-part-2/) - One prompt, three stories, three writers, one is AI. Can you tell which it is?
- [Writers vs AI: who wrote which? Anthology series 3](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/writers-vs-ai-who-wrote-which-part-3/) - 1 Prompt, three stories, three writers, one is AI. Can you tell which it is?
- [Writers vs AI: who wrote which? Anthology series 1](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/writers-vs-ai-who-wrote-which-part-1/) - One prompt, three stories, three writers, one is AI. Can you tell which it is?
- [How safe is your surgery?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/how-safe-is-your-surgery/) - As waiting lists dominate headlines, a surge in surgical scandals exposes deeper NHS failures in oversight, private provision and patient safety
- [The politics of fear in a broken Britain: lessons for progressives in an age of political theatre](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/the-politics-of-fear-in-a-broken-britain-lessons-for-progressives-in-an-age-of-political-theatre/) - Starmer has governed without substance and without vision, failing to articulate a coherent definition of Starmerism or a convincing account of what this government is for
- [Northumberland: calls for urgent action to address housing failures after regulator report](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/northumberland-calls-for-urgent-action-to-address-housing-failures-after-regulator-report/) - Calls for urgent action to address housing failures after regulator report
- [10 strike days begin this week at Northumbria University over pension 'robbery'](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/10-strike-days-begin-this-week-at-northumbria-university-over-pension-robbery/) - Northumbria University will be hit with ten days of strike action from Thursday 12 February in a fight to save staff pensions, UCU has announced
- [TVCA to get new constitution following Teesworks scandal](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/tvca-to-get-new-constitution-following-teesworks-scandal/) - Tees Valley Combined Authority to adopt new constitution boosting transparency, scrutiny and ethics after review criticism and best value notice
- [A new walk, films and litter-picking from Northumberland Wildlife Trust](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/a-new-walk-films-and-litter-picking-from-northumberland-wildlife-trust/) - Lots going on with Northumberland Wildlife Trust
- [Shostakovich and the RPO bring a sell-out crowd to the Glasshouse](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/music/shostakovich-and-the-rpo-bring-a-sell-out-crowd-to-the-glasshouse/) - Royal Philharmonic's astounding performance at the Glasshouse:
- [Audit and governance breakdown in Tees Valley](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/audit-and-governance-breakdown-in-tees-valley/) - Audit oversight at Middlesbrough and South Tees MDCs collapsed in 2024/25, as missed meetings and weak controls trigger crisis reports
- [Shock as Teesworks loses its flagship project](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/shock-as-teesworks-loses-its-flagship-project/) - Ørsted, the overall contract holder for the Hornsea 3 job, has agreed with SeAH that work on the wind farm bases will be discontinued
- [Wynyard exposed: when a planning decision quietly changed](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/wynyard-exposed-when-a-planning-decision-quietly-changed/) - I’m not against housing, but when community decisions are made with no transparency or accountability, something’s wrong - like at Wynyard Village
- [Starmer accused of hypocrisy over cuts to World Food Programme](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/starmer-accused-of-hypocrisy-over-cuts-to-world-food-programme/) - When Starmer came to power he said he would make the fight against world hunger a major priority. However, in practice he has done the complete and utter opposite.
- [What do I think of green?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/what-do-i-think-of-green/) - For anyone to suggest that parties do not care or do not deliver on the green agenda is misleading
- [Reform UK councillor in Sunderland quits just 76 days after being elected](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-uk-councillor-in-sunderland-quits-just-76-days-after-being-elected/) - “Sunderland is a city on the up – don’t let Reform UK chaos hold us back”
- [Rage against the machine – why bother?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/rage-against-the-machine-why-bother/) - A look at protest, what's the point, and what works?
- [New Green Book could boost investment in North East projects](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/new-green-book-could-boost-investment-in-north-east-projects/) - The revised version of the Green Book may finally allow for more public investment opportunities in the North East
- [Snowdrops the Candlemas Bells](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/history-culture/snowdrops-the-candlemas-bells/) - An old saying goes: ‘The snowdrop, in purist white arriae, first rears her head on Candlemas daie
- [Hartlepool: Wynyard school motion](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/hartlepool-wynyard-school-motion/) - Councillors have unanimously agreed to write to the government to support an appeal for a new primary school in Wynyard
- [Teesside’s Green Revolution? Not so fast](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/teessides-green-revolution-not-so-fast/) - In the first of two articles, I’ll discuss Hughes’s conversation with Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, on the subject of the so-called Green Revolution
- [Hartlepool shopping centre at high financial risk](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/hartlepool-shopping-centre-at-high-financial-risk/) - Hartlepool’s flagship Middleton Grange shopping centre, bought on a long lease by the town’s mayoral development corporation (MDC) more than two years ago, remains at high financial risk
- [Kate Pickett: The Good Society book launch](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/kate-pickett-the-good-society-book-launch/) - A review of the recent book launch event for Pickett’s The Good Society
- [Stockton: fees and charges rising under review](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/stockton-fees-and-charges-rising-under-review/) - A wide variety of services are being reviewed to increase fees next financial year
- [Newcastle: Percy House development](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/newcastle-percy-house-development/) - Newcastle city centre eyesore - regeneration and new footpath to St James' Park set for approval
- [Strengthen ties with the EU but don’t completely shut out America](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/strengthen-ties-with-the-eu-but-dont-completely-shut-out-america/) - While the special relationship must undergo counselling, a closer relationship with Europe must be forged - interview with Sir Nick Harvey
- [The gentle heart’s fond gaze](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/the-gentle-hearts-fond-gaze/) - Poem by Peter Sagar
- [What the Birmingham bin strike really tells us about leadership](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/national-news/what-the-birmingham-bin-strike-really-tells-us-about-leadership/) - In Birmingham a series of strikes by Unite members began on 6 January 2025. The dispute remains unresolved
- [Power dynamics in a divided world](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/power-dynamics-in-a-divided-world/) - George Orwell’s 1984 imagined a world divided into rival power blocs. Seventy-seven years on, that framework still sheds light on today’s global politics
- [Proud to be Minnesotan](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/proud-to-be-minnesotan/) - "Solidarity is running through our veins" - in Minnesota
- [Labour cannot save the country until it confronts its own power](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/national-news/labour-cannot-save-the-country-until-it-confronts-its-own-power/) - Can Labour tolerate the discomfort of confronting how power actually works?
- [Blue Monday](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/blue-monday/) - Poem by Rachel Burns
- [Little Lottie’s wildlife protest forces councillors’ debate](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/little-lotties-wildlife-protest-forces-councillors-debate/) - An outstanding young campaigner has underlined Greta Thunberg’s dictum: "No one is too small to make a difference"
- [A winter in Oceania: part nine, French Polynesia - Bora Bora, Raiatea, Moorea, Papeete](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/travel/a-winter-in-oceania-part-nine-french-polynesia-bora-bora-raiatea-moorea-papeete/) - Exploring the islands of French Polynesia when an encounter with port authorities disturbs an otherwise pleasant trip
- [Key role for North East politician in Mandelson probe](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/key-role-for-north-east-politician-in-mandelson-probe/) - Lord Beamish, now chairman of Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), started his career as an elected politician as Councillor Kevan Jones, representing Walkergate
- [Local Palestine Solidarity marches resume for third year](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/local-palestine-solidarity-marches-resume-for-third-year/) - Since October 2023 members of the public, local community groups, students and activists have gathered regularly in the city centre, with action set to return for a third year
- [What would you improve in your community if you had £40mn?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/what-would-you-improve-in-your-community-if-you-had-40mn/) - " I am writing to all of my constituents in Thorntree and Park End to ask them that very question"
- [The joys of miniatures](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/the-joys-of-miniatures/) - Reflections on our enduring enchantment for miniature forms; in art and in life
- [Is the ‘special relationship’ between the UK and the US finally at an end?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/is-the-special-relationship-between-the-uk-and-the-us-finally-at-an-end/) - As Trump takes America closer to its tyrannous past, what must be the response from its European counterpart?
- [Reform Watch 3½: the Mike Manning tweets fallout ](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-watch-3½-the-mike-manning-tweets-fallout/) - The Manning affair could result in Reform's local image being tarnished
- [Newcastle’s Town Moor: our green heart](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/newcastles-town-moor-our-green-heart/) - The Town Moor of Newcastle is an enriching and vibrant green space that should not be overlooked
- [How do banks fight fraud? and  other scam news](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/how-do-banks-fight-fraud-and-other-scam-news/) - A glimpse into the actions banks take to combat fraud and the weekly scam news update
- [Dementia Disco set to launch in Seahouses](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/dementia-disco-set-to-launch-in-seahouses/) - The joy of bringing music and movement to people with memory loss, and forge connections with a community in Northumberland
- [Reality bites at the South Tees Development Corporation](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/reality-bites-at-the-south-tees-development-corporation/) - Reality check at the South Tees Development Corporation (STDC)
- [What’s in a name? How North East places got their names](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/whats-in-a-name-how-north-east-places-got-their-names/) - From the Celts to the Vikings, the North East is filled with names influenced by the past inhabitants of the lands
- [North Tyneside: councillor DBS checks](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/north-tyneside-councillor-dbs-checks/) - North Tyneside Council chiefs will consider the use of DBS checks for councillors, Mayor pledges
- [The geography of the heart: belonging and voice in Tolu’ A. Akinyemi’s ‘Home in Motion’](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/the-geography-of-the-heart-belonging-and-voice-in-tolu-a-akinyemis-home-in-motion/) - "The accessibility reflects a generosity of craft. The poems do not gatekeep meaning. They trust the reader to enter and remain entertained"
- [The TVCA’s Musical Chairs is an expensive game](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/the-tvcas-musical-chairs-is-an-expensive-game/) - TVCA’s recruitment and retention costs since 31 March 2025.
- [Darlington: anti social behaviour rise](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/darlington-anti-social-behaviour-rise/) - New figures from Darlington Borough Council covering September 2024 and 2025 show incidents rose from 1,379 to 1,821
- [Tyne Tunnel toll decision](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/tyne-tunnel-toll-decision/) - Tyne Tunnel toll increase decision this week with price increasing by up to 20p per journey
- [Religion and belief: live and let live](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/religion/religion-and-belief-live-and-let-live/) - A thought piece by Mary-Ann Curty in north east USA
- [A winter in Oceania: part eight, Samoa and American Samoa](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/travel/a-winter-in-oceania-part-eight-samoa-and-american-samoa/) - Samoa to American Samoa: A traveller’s notes from the far side of the dateline
- [Transport for the North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/transport-for-the-north-east/) - Feasibility of expanding metro and train lines; could buses be a more viable solution?
- [Shared Interest: the power of ethical finance](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/shared-interest-the-power-of-ethical-finance/) - Shared Interest has supported millions of people with limited income to grow their businesses and earn a fair living
- [Chevalier in Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/music/chevalier-in-newcastle/) - The French singer had a special reason for performing at the City Hall in Newcastle
- [Durham: councillor’s post delay concerns](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/durham-councillors-post-delay-concerns/) - Royal Mail has been criticised by County Durham residents in Wingate, Blackhall and Hesleden villages for continued delays
- [Keelmen’s Hospital in Newcastle to become affordable housing](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/history-culture/keelmens-hospital-in-newcastle-to-become-affordable-housing/) - A look at the life of keelmen and the history of the Keelmen’s hospital to commemorate its conversion into affordable housing
- [North Tyneside: council to work on making schools “phone-free” environments for pupils](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/north-tyneside-council-to-work-on-making-schools-phone-free-environments-for-pupils/) - North Tyneside: school phone debate
- [Response to Pearson petition](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/response-to-pearson-petition/) - The government has issued a response to calls for an investigation into an Israel-owned arms factory in Newcastle
- [Reform UK will scrap high-speed rail for the North](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/reform-uk-will-scrap-high-speed-rail-for-the-north/) - Does Reform UK want a "second-class railway" for northern England.
- [Toxic Tees: why I have launched a High Court challenge to stop the poisoning of our river](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/toxic-tees-why-i-have-launched-a-high-court-challenge-to-stop-the-poisoning-of-our-river/) - "After years of watching the ecosystem of the River Tees collapse...I felt I had no choice"
- [Reform Watch 3: racism, islamophobia, and sexism of Reform's Redcar candidate](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-watch-3-racism-islamophobia-and-sexism-of-reforms-redcar-candidate/) - The Reform candidate for an upcoming by election in Redcar and Cleveland has quit the party following revelations by Reform Exposed about his racist posts on Twitter/X
- [The North East’s Green Super Port: 18 months on, the opportunity remains vast](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/the-north-easts-green-super-port-18-months-on-the-opportunity-remains-vast/) - The next step is decisive action. Done right, the Green Super Port will not just coordinate ports and airports - it will transform the North East economy
- [Reform: a home for failed Tories](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/national-news/reform-a-home-for-failed-tories/) - A look into the recent high profile Tories that have joined Reform
- [Shall we think again?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/shall-we-think-again/) - Poem by Peter Sagar
- [Mission accomplished for Donald Trump?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/mission-accomplished-for-donald-trump/) - How desperate is Trump to hold to power?
- [Former North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll selected by Newcastle Green Party to run for Monument ward](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/former-north-of-tyne-mayor-jamie-driscoll-selected-by-newcastle-green-party-to-run-for-monument-ward/) - Jamie Driscoll will stand for the Greens in next year's all-out election
- [How does the under-16’s social media ban include or exclude the voices of young people?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/how-does-the-under-16s-social-media-ban-include-or-exclude-the-voices-of-young-people/) - Banning under-16s from social media is proposed to protect young people. Let’s start by listening to them
- [The birth of trade unions in North East England](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/the-birth-of-trade-unions-in-north-east-england/) - Methodism offered education to young men and boys in the late 18th and into the 19th centuries, a subsequent influence on trade unionism
- [Make one more resolution for 2026 says wildlife charity](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/make-one-more-resolution-for-2026-says-wildlife-charity/) - Northumberland Wildlife Trust are asking Northumbrians to make one more resolution for 2026; to support the region’s wildlife during the coming year
- [Building recovery in Middlesbrough - delivering dignity, opportunity and hope](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/building-recovery-in-middlesbrough-delivering-dignity-opportunity-and-hope/) - The impact and success of recovery services
- [North East: Metro winners and losers](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/north-east-metro-winners-and-losers/) - The big winners and losers from Tyne and Wear Metro's new fare cap explained
- [McDonalds Secret Menu](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/food_drink/mcdonalds-secret-menu/) - "The Big Arch burger has been around before; I tried the delicacy in Spain a few years ago. The burger is basically a bigger version of a Big Mac"
- [Act of cowardice from Starmer](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/act-of-cowardice-from-starmer/) - Starmer is clearly running scared from a challenge for his position, should Burnham have been successful in the by- election
- [Seed Social: 28 February; Seed Swap and Potato Day 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/seed-social-28-february-seed-swap-and-potato-day-2026/) - The fourth annual event; bigger and better, in a new location at the Linskill Centre, and with more space for all to explore what's on offer
- [Progress expected to stall as deep poverty and child poverty reach record levels](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/equality/progress-expected-to-stall-as-deep-poverty-and-child-poverty-reach-record-levels/) - Both child poverty and deep poverty have reached record levels, Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s (JRF’s) state of the nation UK Poverty 2026 report finds
- [The Middlesbrough Development Corporation: where dreams come to die](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/the-middlesbrough-development-corporation-where-dreams-come-to-die/) - After two decades of false starts and rebrands, Middlesbrough’s Gresham project - now “Crown Square” - faces yet another pause
- [Another community](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/another-community/) - Poem by Peter Sagar
- [Another Houchen body runs into trouble](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/another-houchen-body-runs-into-trouble/) - More problems - this time in Hartlepool
- [Tees Valley care crisis: the care-to-crime cliff edge](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/tees-valley-care-crisis-the-care-to-crime-cliff-edge/) - The evidence is clear. Poor outcomes are not inevitable, but they are predictable
- [Holocaust Memorial Day: a day for remembering](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/history-culture/holocaust-memorial-day-a-day-for-remembering/) - "Never again"
- [Burn Baby Burn: Teesside’s incinerator craze continues](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/burn-baby-burn-teessides-incinerator-craze-continues/) - "When TVERF begins operation... all 12 local authorities in the North East of England will send their waste to Teesside to be burned."
- [War with Russia? “I tell them we’re going to lose and they don’t like it”](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/war-with-russia-i-tell-them-were-going-to-lose-and-they-dont-like-it/) - Professor Michael Clarke, the founding director of the Centre for Defence Studies. spelt out just how bleak the future looks
- [Three phone scams and other scams doing the rounds](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/three-phone-scams-and-other-scams-doing-the-rounds/) - The latest alert from Which? has highlighted 3 phone scams and a number of other scams to look out for
- [Darlington: residents respond to parking zones](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/traffic/darlington-residents-respond-to-parking-zones/) - The concerns were shared after Darlington Borough Council announced a review of Resident Parking Zones
- [Northumberland Reform councillor in public clash with council’s top lawyer over council tax debt](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/northumberland-reform-councillor-in-public-clash-with-councils-top-lawyer-over-council-tax-debt/) - Barry Elliott, a Reform councillor in Northumberland has clashed with the county’s top lawyer about council tax arrears and other money he owes to the council he sits on
- [The things that make me cry](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/the-things-that-make-me-cry/) - Poem by Chris Humble
- [Reform Watch: part two](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-watch-part-two/) - Here's the second in our series following the doings of Reform UK. Anything to add? Please email editor@northeastbylines.co.uk
- [A winter in Oceania: part six, more time on Fiji](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/travel/a-winter-in-oceania-part-six-more-time-on-fiji/) - Making friends on a cruise ship
- [ICE targets Native Americans](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/ice-targets-native-americans/) - Multiple news outlets are now reporting that Native Americans are being profiled and targeted in what are supposed to be ‘immigration raids’
- [Northumberland: Prudhoe Castle to partially reopen as “new way” of operating under development](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/northumberland-prudhoe-castle-to-partially-reopen-as-new-way-of-operating-under-development/) - A historic Northumberland castle is set to reopen in a limited way as work on a “new way of operating” continues
- [Fewer patients waiting for treatment at South Tees Hospitals, albeit trust sees only small 1.5% reduction](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/fewer-patients-waiting-for-treatment-at-south-tees-hospitals-albeit-trust-sees-only-small-1-5-reduction/) - The organisation, which runs Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, is part of a 'further faster' NHS medical initiative
- [What next for Iran?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/international/what-next-for-iran/) - A look into the latest developments in Iran, and what might happen next
- [Myanmar sham elections - what happened to its former leader?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/myanmar-sham-elections-what-happened-to-its-former-leader/) - Former State Counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi, is detained in prison following a military coup in 2021. As elections approach, her shadow remains
- [Signs and symbols: applying the ‘Batman Effect’ to the North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/signs-and-symbols-applying-the-batman-effect-to-the-north-east/) - Thinking with a purpose; put dignity at the heart of every decision to disrupt routine acknowledgement of poverty
- [In the light of tariffs and Greenland, our security must rest on European partnerships](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/in-the-light-of-tariffs-and-greenland-our-security-must-rest-on-european-partnerships/) - "Let us be clear, attempts by any state to bully another nation or lay claim to its territory undermine the basic principles of international law and collective security on which peace depends"
- [When the North took on England](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/when-the-north-took-on-england/) - For a few years on either side of the First World War the North had its very own football team
- [Seeing life as vibrant and dynamic: "Live and let live"](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/seeing-life-as-vibrant-and-dynamic-live-and-let-live/) - Thoughts on transgender from one of our American writers
- [No to Hassockfield campaign group step up their action to  demand closure of Derwentside IRC](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/no-to-hassockfield-campaign-group-step-up-their-action-to-demand-closure-of-derwentside-irc/) - Statement from No to Hassockfield following the publication of the HM Inspectorate of Prisons report
- [Myanmar regime making lives a nightmare](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/myanmar-regime-making-lives-a-nightmare/) - Update on Myanmar
- [One hand cannot clap alone: interview with Mai Abuhawa](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/one-hand-cannot-clap-alone-interview-with-mai-abuhawa/) - Volunteer organizations strengthen communities, promote stability, and reduce risks linked to poverty. Here is one person who tries to help
- [Labour’s Northern Powerhouse Rail announcement: 10 out of 10 for sheer chutzpah](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/labours-northern-powerhouse-rail-announcement-10-out-of-10-for-sheer-chutzpah/) - The minister began by saying that she “get(s) why people there are sick to the back teeth of Westminster politicians promising the earth and delivering absolutely nothing.”
- [Plea to revive plan for Metro or trams to Newcastle West End](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/plea-to-revive-plan-for-metro-or-trams-to-newcastle-west-end/) - Tram lines to connect Newcastle West End to the rest of the city as a viable and effective option
- [Northumberland council house tenants set to face increased rents](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/northumberland-council-house-tenants-set-to-face-increased-rents/) - A CPI plus 1% rent increase is expected for social housing this year
- [‘Reform and Farage’ the new Steptoe and Son](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/fun/reform-and-farage-the-new-steptoe-and-son/) - "Climb up, get on board the Reform and Farage scrap wagon. In the back, obviously, with the others"
- [The long lost winters](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/the-long-lost-winters/) - Poem by Peter Sagar
- [Martin Luther King Jr comes to Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/history-culture/martin-luther-king-jr-comes-to-newcastle/) - Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an annual holiday in the United States on the third Monday of January. He is fondly remembered in Newcastle
- [“Fair funding “ works for Durham council tax payers](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/fair-funding-works-for-durham-council-tax-payers/) - Durham’s Reform-led county council looks set to impose a below-inflation council tax rise this year after receiving a more-than-expected annual support grant from the government
- [New scams and scam information](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/technology/new-scams-and-scam-information/) - Amazon ‘one-time passcode’ scams, avoiding identity theft and more scam-related information
- [Durham: 3.1% council tax increase proposed](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/durham-3-1-council-tax-increase-proposed/) - Durham County Council has announced its intention to increase bills to help balance its budget
- [“No reply” - a letter to Rachel Reeves](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/no-reply-a-letter-to-rachel-reeves/) - A look into the unanswered letter sent to Rachel Reeves in response to recent trade agreements with Saudi Arabia, highlighting concerns around human rights
- [Gateshead: Council proposes £10mn in cuts for 2026/27 including possible job cuts](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/gateshead-council-proposes-10mn-in-cuts-for-2026-27-including-possible-job-cuts/) - £10 million in cuts proposed for the upcoming Gateshead Council Budget
- [Darlington climate change and nature plans “remain important priorities”](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/darlington-climate-change-and-nature-plans-remain-important-priorities/) - Darlington Borough Council have reiterated their plan to reach net zero carbon emission by 2040 as the climate crisis worsens and there is evidence that getting to net zero will save money
- [Former Lord Mayor welcomes the Long Walk for Sudan to Newcastle](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/international/former-lord-mayor-welcomes-the-long-walk-for-sudan-to-newcastle/) - Two young Sudanese men are walking the length of Britain to raise funds for primary schools for displaced children in Sudan
- [Is Reform UK putting foreign billionaires ahead of our NHS?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/is-reform-uk-putting-foreign-billionaires-ahead-of-our-nhs/) - A Reform government would look to cut funding to the NHS by £26 billion. At the same time, they are looking to give tax breaks to people who can afford private healthcare
- [A winter in Oceania: part five, river tubing in Fiji](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/travel/a-winter-in-oceania-part-five-river-tubing-in-fiji/) - Turned out I was a water tubing virgin
- [Grainger Market upgrade: the historical context](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/grainger-market-upgrade-the-historical-context/) - Why is the Grainger Market so important to Newcastle?
- [REM in sync with Buster Keaton](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/film/rem-in-sync-with-buster-keaton/) - Sherlock Jr is showing in various Cineworlds, Odeons and Vues. It can also be seen – and heard – at the Tyneside Cinema
- [Signs of Roman industrial hub discovered at site in Sunderland](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/wearside/signs-of-roman-industrial-hub-discovered-at-site-in-sunderland/) - A new discovery at Offerton on the banks of the Wear adds to our regional heritage of both Roman remains and industrial sites
- [Darlington: Children’s social care cost pressures](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/darlington-childrens-social-care-cost-pressures/) - Darlington Borough Council has warned about soaring costs for children’s social care services
- [From the heart of Gaza](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/international/from-the-heart-of-gaza/) - No safe shelter, no walls, no warmth...this is the reality for families in Gaza
- [WASPI women and the reactive state](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/waspi-women-and-the-reactive-state/) - WASPI: a campaign group for women born on or after 6 April 1950 - 5 April 1960 who saw increases to their State Pension age without adequate notice
- [Houchen's South Tees Development Corporation fails to meet finance code](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/houchens-south-tees-development-corporation-fails-to-meet-finance-code/) - Every stone turned over at Houchen's TVCA group uncovers a new worm hill
- [Seeds of peace: lessons for Israel and Palestine from Northern Ireland and the Peace Process part two](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/international/seeds-of-peace-lessons-for-israel-and-palestine-from-northern-ireland-and-the-peace-process-part-two/) - Learning from the Northern Ireland Peace process and applying it to Palestine and Israel
- [Is the Iranian regime about to fall?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/is-the-iranian-regime-about-to-fall/) - Update on the current situation in Iran
- [More good news on the Northumberland Line](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/more-good-news-on-the-northumberland-line/) - Update on the Northumberland Line
- [UK and EU: Single Market or Customs Union?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion/uk-and-eu-single-market-or-customs-union/) - Analysis by Peter Morris
- [Newcastle: Grainger Market restoration update](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/newcastle-grainger-market-restoration-update/) - Sneak peak inside Grainger Market restoration as new photos show progress on £9m plans
- [Newcastle’s Budget: transformation in words or in practice?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/newcastles-budget-transformation-in-words-or-in-practice/) - A three-year funding settlement gives Newcastle an unprecedented opportunity to turn statements of ambition into real change
- [Life in Saudi Arabia: Part 28 December 2025](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/life-in-saudi-arabia-part-28-december-2025/) - A look at news coverage regarding Saudi Arabia in the last month of the year
- [Northumberland: Council’s gritter teams working ’round the clock’ to battle cold weather](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/northumberland-councils-gritter-teams-working-round-the-clock-to-battle-cold-weather/) - Council's gritter teams working 'round the clock' to battle cold weather
- [Teesside scrap metal firm pays nearly £30mn in dividends](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/teesside-scrap-metal-firm-pays-nearly-30mn-in-dividends/) - Teesworks Limited published its 2024/25 accounts this week
- [Northumberland Wildlife Trust raising money for major nature recovery project](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/northumberland-wildlife-trust-raising-money-for-major-nature-recovery-project/) - Northumberland could see the biggest land sale in England in a generation as Northumberland Wildlife Trust wants to buy the land to undertake a huge land recovery project
- [A winter in Oceania: part seven, saying goodbye to Fiji](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/travel/a-winter-in-oceania-part-seven-saying-goodbye-to-fiji/) - Goodbye Fiji, and thank you for your colour, your beauty, your lovely people, and yes, even your noise…
- [A winter in Oceania: part four, Vanuatu - Luganville/Port Vila/Mystery Island](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/travel/a-winter-in-oceania-part-four-vanuatu-luganville-port-vila-mystery-island/) - Vanatu is a former colony of both the UK and France; a beautiful collection of small islands
- [A fairy-tale start to the year](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/a-fairy-tale-start-to-the-year/) - A former mining village with woodlands and magical fairies: celebrate the new year with a touch of magic
- [A winter in Oceania: part 3 Solomon Islands, Tulagi](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/travel/a-winter-in-oceania-part-3-solomon-islands-tulagi/) - "We had been ferried round our brief tour in three vehicles. I counted six on the whole island"
- [A predawn op in Latin America](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/a-predawn-op-in-latin-america/) - The US has been here before, but the seizure of Venezuela’s Maduro is still unprecedented
- [AI is not your doctor: survey shows potential risks](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/ai-is-not-your-doctor-survey-shows-potential-risks/) - Survey shows that Google AI Overviews put people at risk of harm with misleading health advice
- [Trump attacks Venezuela: it’s all about oil](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/trump-attacks-venezuela-its-all-about-oil/) - Trump's attack on Venezuela will simply lead to greater instability and uncertainty in an already dangerous world
- [Reform and the NHS: more concerns](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/health/reform-and-the-nhs-more-concerns/) - What changes might a Reform government make to our NHS?
- [New Year](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/new-year/) - Poem by Rachel Burns
- [An uncertain future as protests break out in Iran again](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/an-uncertain-future-as-protests-break-out-in-iran-again/) - The protesters on the streets maintain that they will stay there until they see real change. They want to apply the lessons learned from the protests three years ago
- [Food Justice in the North East: from lived reality to regional leadership](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/food-justice-in-the-north-east-from-lived-reality-to-regional-leadership/) - Food justice is not about banning food, policing diets or moralising what people eat. It is about fairness
- [Fury as rail timetable changes remove key Metro Centre link for Northumberland town](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/northumberland/fury-as-rail-timetable-changes-remove-key-metro-centre-link-for-northumberland-town/) - “This isn’t joined up transport planning. We have been fighting for more services from Cramlington but the ending of the direct service to the MetroCentre, Hexham and Carlisle is a poor decision"
- [Tyne Bridge 2026 update](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/tyneside/tyne-bridge-2026-update/) - We can expect to see more big changes on the famous landmark through 2026
- [A winter in Oceania: part two, Solomon Islands - Honiara](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/travel/a-winter-in-oceania-part-two-solomon-islands-honiara/) - "We finally reached the riverbed, where somewhat forced jollity abounded concerning the prospect of the return journey"
- [Ponteland Wheelbarrow Race: the tradition lives on](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/fun/ponteland-wheelbarrow-race-the-tradition-lives-on/) - The esteemed annual tradition which looked under threat, is to go ahead after local businesses rallied round to support it
- ['Changemaker’ brings different communities together in Redcar and Cleveland](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/changemaker-brings-different-communities-together-in-redcar-and-cleveland/) - "A lot of us [migrants] are here because our ancestors fought for this country and our families were born under British rule with British passports, who had the right to come here.”
- [More sham elections in Myanmar](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/more-sham-elections-in-myanmar/) - "I don't think anybody believes that those elections will be free and fair.” UN Secretary General António Guterres 27 October 2025.
- [Political prospects for 2026](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/political-prospects-for-2026/) - This government has time to become one of our great reforming governments. It needs to political will to do it
- [Seeds of peace: lessons for Israel and Palestine from Northern Ireland and the Peace Process: part one](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/seeds-of-peace-lessons-for-israel-and-palestine-from-northern-ireland-and-the-peace-process-part-one/) - Lessons learnt from the Northern Ireland peace process
- [New scam alerts](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/new-scam-alerts/) - The latest scam-related news
- [Reform Watch: part one](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/reform-watch-part-one/) - The first in our new Reform Watch series
- [Reform Special Education policy promises chaos](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/reform-special-education-policy-promises-chaos/) - Whilst the future is unclear, what we can be sure of is that the SEND system is currently broken, and that a Reform government is unlikely to fix it
- [A winter in Oceania: part one, Papua New Guinea](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/a-winter-in-oceania-part-one-papua-new-guinea/) - Chris Humble reports on his travels this winter in Oceania
- [Teesside councils win in “fair funding” stakes](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teesside/teesside-councils-win-in-fair-funding-stakes/) - Middlesbrough is the biggest winner, with a 20.6% CSP rise next year compared with 2024/25, increasing to 40.6% in 2028/29
- [Priced out of education: the student housing crisis hitting the North East](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/education/priced-out-of-education-the-student-housing-crisis-hitting-the-north-east/) - Addressing the student housing crisis requires coordinated action rather than piecemeal solutions
- [Ceasefire proposal in Sudan, while another massacre is revealed](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/ceasefire-proposal-in-sudan-while-another-massacre-is-revealed/) - The news of a ceasefire proposal is welcome but has to be seen in the context of a civil war that is one of the most brutal and deadly that the world has seen
- [Political rows in Stockton over 2025](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/political-rows-in-stockton-over-2025/) - A look at some of the proposals and policies in Stockton during 2025
- [Starmer’s Foreign Aid cuts are weakening Britain - and handing Putin an opening in the Balkans](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/starmers-foreign-aid-cuts-are-weakening-britain-and-handing-putin-an-opening-in-the-balkans/) - Starmer’s foreign aid cuts are undermining UK security abroad while empowering Putin and harming the world’s most vulnerable
- [Did Dickens murder Christmas?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/books/did-dickens-murder-christmas/) - In 1800, around one in three children died before their fifth birthday, compared to four deaths per thousand births by 2020
- [Why local leadership needs integrity, not just ambition](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/why-local-leadership-needs-integrity-not-just-ambition/) - With local elections around the corner, voters should consider voting for candidates that stand for more than just ambition
- [Regeneration by design - or by default?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/regeneration-by-design-or-by-default/) - Who really decides the future of the North East?
- [Northumberland: councillors clash over looming council tax rises ahead of next year’s budget](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/northumberland-councillors-clash-over-looming-council-tax-rises-ahead-of-next-years-budget/) - Labour leader raises concerns regarding looming council tax rises
- [Northumberland: Government waters down controversial ‘family farm tax’ proposals](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/northumberland-government-waters-down-controversial-family-farm-tax-proposals/) - Inheritance tax for agricultural assets changes the threshold from £1 million to £2.5 million per person
- [Christmas acrostic](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/christmas-acrostic/) - Poem by Liz Gregson
- [Priorities first: concrete infrastructure over concepts and committees](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/economy/priorities-first-concrete-infrastructure-over-concepts-and-committees/) - Newcastle and Gateshead need strategic, place-based leadership focused on delivery - on the ground, in the city, and in the real projects that will shape the future of the region
- [When worship becomes community](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/religion/when-worship-becomes-community/) - Inside WHISP with Feast of Praise 2025 at Newcastle Civic Centre
- [What is Christmas all about?](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/what-is-christmas-all-about/) - Thoughts on the meaning of Christmas
- [UK sanctions four senior RSF commanders over atrocities in Sudan](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/world-news/uk-sanctions-four-senior-rsf-commanders-over-atrocities-in-sudan/) - Sudan’s civil war is now the world’s worst humanitarian crisis as the UK sanctions RSF commanders over mass atrocities
- [Just a little room](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/just-a-little-room/) - Poem by Peter Sagar
- [Chris Rea RIP](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/culture/poetry/chris-rea-rip/) - Poem by Harry Gallagher
- [A big political player meets an insurgent, “serious party”](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/a-big-political-player-meets-an-insurgent-serious-party/) - North East political heavyweight Jamie Driscoll joins Zack Polanski’s surging Green Party
- [Stuck in Paris and flying home for Christmas](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/europe-news/stuck-in-paris-and-flying-home-for-christmas/) - As the government announces the return to the Erasmus programme, I can't help reminiscing about a particularly memorable journey home from Europe for the festive season
- [Houchen’s £200mn vanity project collapses, leaving Middlesbrough to pick up the pieces](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/business/houchens-200mn-vanity-project-collapses-leaving-middlesbrough-to-pick-up-the-pieces/) - Imposed against the council’s will, Lord Houchen’s MDC has collapsed, leaving wasted millions and unanswered questions
- [Formal bid to extend Northumberland line](https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transport/formal-bid-to-extend-northumberland-line/) - The North East Combined Authority has been asked by Northumberland County Council, to extend the Northumberland Line, which would see the line connecting south-east Northumberland to Tyneside, as far as Newbiggin-by-the-Sea

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