The government has launched the ‘Clean Energy Sector Council’ but was Ben Houchen appointed to it as a Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) press release stated? No, he absolutely wasn’t. Let’s dig into it.
Members
When North East Bylines asked the government for clarification on who sits on the Council we were sent a list of members:
- Matthieu Hue, EDF
- Nick Winser, Electricity Network Commissioner
- Tim Stone, Nuclear Risk Insurers
- Richard Sandford, BP offshore wind
- Jane Toogood, Hydrogen Delivery Council
- Olivia Powis, Carbon Capture & Storage Association
- Charlotte Lee, Heat Pump Association
- Nic Crowe, Grissan Renewable Energy
- Lewis Roberts, Amentum
- Tracy Brabin, Chair of UK Mayors
- Guy Newey, Energy Systems Catapult
- Rhian Mari-Thomas, Green Finance Institute
- Peter Levi, International Energy Agency
- Greg Jackson, Octopus
- Mika Minio-Paluello, TUC
When was Ben Houchen appointed?
The Tees Valley Combined Authority announced that Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen had been appointed to the Clean Energy Sector Counci both on their website and social media on 16 January North East Bylines sought clarification from the government when indeed this happened. The government responded, “Ben Houchen was not appointed, no.Tracey Brabin was appointed to the Clean Energy Sector Council in her role as the Chair of UK Mayors. She was unable to attend the meeting on 13 January and delegated to Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and North East Mayor Kim McGuinness.”
The facts of the matter are that Metro Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin, in her role as Chair of Mayors, provided two substitutes for one meeting. One of those substitutes was Metro Mayor for the North East Kim McGuinness alongside Mayor Ben Houchen. One can assume that Lord Houchen and his Combined Authority may be over-egging the pudding here by announcing a full appointment to the council when he was a mere substitute for one meeting alongside a fellow North Eastern Metro Mayor.
North East Bylines has contacted Mayor Houchen for comment and is awaiting a response.
Client Journalism
Local media outlets picked up on the TVCA press release and were quick to publish with headlines such as “Ben Houchen has been appointed to the Clean Energy Sector Council”. One could maybe forgive them for trusting a Combined Authority press release.
Strangely enough after a local Facebook Page titled ‘Teesside Resistance’ called out this misleading headline it was changed to “Ben Houchen sits in on Clean Energy Sector Council meeting”. This reads very differently. Personally, I prefer citizen over client journalism, but perhaps I’m showing my bias.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR CROWDFUNDER
HELP US BECOME STRONGER SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER POWERFUL CITIZEN JOURNALISM!
