On Thursday 2nd May 2019 I was elected North of Tyne Mayor. Theresa May was the Prime Minister.
On day one we had 3 permanent members of staff. The journalists and camera crew following me outnumbered us by more than two to one.
Nine months after I was elected the Covid pandemic hit. Like everyone else we went into lockdown. Staff all working from home. New staff joining us and never meeting their colleagues face to face.
War – first in Ukraine, then in Israel and Gaza. Insurrection in the United States. Four Prime Ministers. Six Chancellors of the Exchequer. Countless Government ministers. Brexit.
And yet amongst all that turbulence, all that chaos, we’ve managed to get things done.
What we’ve done
Creating 5,377 full-time, permanent jobs in renewable energy, manufacturing, and creative industries. Smashing the target set by Government by 320%.
Getting 2,133 homes built on brownfield land, protecting our greenbelt. Including council housing and eco-homes with solar panels and air-source heat pumps.
Increasing adult skills enrolments from 22,000 to 35,000 a year on the same budget. A 60% increase in value for money.
Working with 279 schools, including child poverty prevention, climate education, and a whole-school approach to mental health.
And doing all this without adding a penny to your council tax. Instead I’ve levered in over £300 million from the private sector and negotiated more money from central Government.
Of course I’ve also had to multitask. Five years ago I promised to bring the whole region together in an expanded devolution deal for the North East. Since then I’ve worked cross-party to secure the best-funded regional settlement in the country. We’re getting more than Manchester or the West Midlands, despite having a lower population.
We’re no longer a ‘house divided’ with half the region benefiting from the investment that a Metro Mayor brings and half left out in the cold.
I made sure that County Durham was included because I didn’t want anywhere in the natural North East geography left behind.
I made sure that the £6.1 billion coming to the North East was new money. That we wouldn’t lose central government funding for the Metro.
Now some will say, “All of this would’ve happened anyway – it doesn’t matter who the Mayor is.” Would it? Look across to Tees Valley where they are on course for £457 million of debt. The North of Tyne has zero debt. Or to the West of England where the Government recently put their combined authority into ‘special measures’. Or to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have been struggling for 18 months.
Council funding
We also know that whoever wins the next General Election, council funding will not be restored. Only last week Gateshead FC missed out on possible promotion because of austerity. The local council couldn’t provide the guarantees the EFL were looking for as they were in the middle of finding a new operator for Gateshead International Stadium, one of many measures they are pursuing to cut costs.
We cannot rely on Westminster to help us out – we’ll need to do it ourselves.
We can use the new devolution powers and money to build a Total Transport Network. Integrating buses, trains, Metro, bikes, and car clubs. With capped fares and free travel for under-19s and students.
We can provide a good job for everyone who wants one and the careers pathway to get people the skills needed. Parents will no longer have to raise their kids in poverty. Crime will fall. Health inequalities will close.
We can give every child a bright start. A Youth Voice programme, including in the towns and villages away from city centres. Giving young people the chance to tell their own stories. Music, acting, spoken word, or even painting murals on public buildings. Feeling you have a voice changes your life.
And as the North of Tyne Combined Authority comes to an end we can make sure we keep and expand all the successful programmes we’ve run. Including the Mayor’s Community Fund that lets people decide how money is spent. Up to £40,000 for local projects that make a difference to people’s lives.
The North East Mayoral election
The North East Mayoral election is this Thursday, 2nd May, exactly 5 years since I was elected North of Tyne Mayor. Harold Wilson was right – a week is a long time in politics. I don’t see a stable world ahead of us. We need an experienced Mayor who works cross-party and gets results.
Polling released on Sunday confirms it’s a “dead heat” between me and the Labour candidate. Everyone else trails in the distance. The Tories can’t win. Neither can Reform, or the Greens, or the LibDems.
For once, your vote counts. Vote for me, someone who is answerable only to the people of the North East, not their party leader.
