There’s growing momentum behind English devolution, and that’s a good thing. After decades of decisions being taken too far from the people they affect, returning powers to local areas is long overdue. But devolution is not simply about structures and funding, it must strengthen the voice of place, so let devolution be the accelerant for Newcastle’s soul.
In Newcastle, place means everything. Newcastle has a soul that no other city can replicate. It’s the story of the city – a legacy of invention, resistance, and reform. It’s in the roar of St James’ Park and the rhythm of the Ouseburn. It’s in the current of the Tyne and the blood sweat and tears of the factory floor and the parks and stadium, and it’s the artistic pulse of the theatres and the beats of the recording studios, venues and bars.
Our heritage isn’t just about castles and coal – it’s about radical thinkers, pioneering engineers, and world-changing artists. From Joseph Swan to The Animals, from the Lindisfarne Gospels to modern-day makers and musicians, Newcastle has always punched above its weight culturally, economically, and imaginatively.
We’re a city of stories, not slogans. We must continue to do everything to retain this identity.
Having moved to the city in my late teens, apart from two years spent in Italy, I’ve spent my life working to make this city better – in business, public service and the community and voluntary sector. On becoming council leader, I knew only too well of the immense potential but was struck by the lack of unifying vision. We started to change that. We worked across sectors and communities to develop a shared purpose: the first Inclusive Economic Strategy, its first Anti-Poverty Strategy, initiating a Joint International Strategy with Gateshead, attracted the MOBOs, and importantly establishing a Shaping the City Group, made up of key partners and stakeholders from across the city, working together to clearly define the vision for the city collectively. These weren’t off-the-shelf policies. They were built in and for Newcastle.
Because no other place can tell our story.
Newcastle’s identity
Newcastle’s identity runs deep. It’s in the way we speak, the way we support each other, and the way we dream. It’s in the proud heritage of invention, resistance, and reform. You hear it in the roar of the Gallowgate and the rhythm of the Ouseburn. It lives in our buildings, our bridges, our music, and our movements.
And most importantly – it lives in the people. There isn’t just a history. There is a culture of making things happen.
It’s in the words we speak and the way we tell our stories. The Geordie dialect is not just accent – it’s identity. It carries a sense of place, of humour, of solidarity. Creativity is stitched into everything from shipbuilding and science to theatre, writing, and song.
We’re not just another northern city. We are Newcastle – and our future must reflect that.
“Newcastle’s power is its people. Our strength is our story. And our future depends on staying true to both.”
Reading the recent council statement on the city’s vision and future, “a place where people live healthy, happy, and successful lives” – I agree with the sentiment, who wouldn’t? but I couldn’t help but ask: where is Newcastle in this vision? Could that aspiration be said of any city in the country – or the world?
Devolution brings huge opportunity for the city, but it shouldn’t shape the city. The future of Newcastle must be led by Newcastle itself—driven by a clear, long-term vision that reflects our own identity. Devolution should give us the tools to realise our ambitions, not the blueprint to follow.
A vision for this city must be rooted in the culture, the economy, our history, and our hopes.
Newcastle: bold, not bland
This is not about nostalgia. It’s about confidence. Newcastle must continue to do what it has always done, lead with courage, care, and creativity.
A city that builds, believes and belongs
My belief in this city is unshakeable. We need a bold, clear, and locally owned vision that reflects our real story – and dares to imagine its next chapter.
Let’s be a city that builds on its radical past, believes in its people, and belongs to itself before it tries to belong to someone else’s idea of “progress.”
I hope that Newcastle will be a city that dares to do things differently, rooted in its proud past of invention, resistance, and reform, and driving forward as a place where radical ideas become real. From the banks of the Tyne to the world stage, we can lead with creativity, care and conviction, building a city that works for everyone—and never stands still.
What we stand for
Grit and Ingenuity – Newcastle has always built what others thought impossible—bridges, ideas, communities, movements. We carry that spirit into the future: solving problems with creativity, facing challenges with courage, and making things work in a way that only Newcastle can.
Belonging and fairness – Whether you’re born here or drawn here, Newcastle is a place where people are welcomed and looked after. We’re a city of shared purpose, where fairness means lifting each other up—not leaving anyone behind.
Culture and character – This is a city that lives loud—from the roar of the Gallowgate to the rhythm of the Ouseburn. Culture is not just something we show—it’s how we live, how we create, how we remember, and how we move forward.
Ambition without arrogance – We don’t pretend to be the biggest. But we aim to be the best at being ourselves – confident, collaborative, and future-facing, with a global reach built on northern roots.
Let’s be bold. Let’s root our vision in our city’s heritage, language, character, and ambition. Let’s tell our story in our own voice. A city that builds, believes, and belongs – to the world, and to itself.
Newcastle is not just a place. It’s a way of thinking. A way of speaking. A way of being.
Newcastle: powered by people, shaped by story. built for the bold.
Author’s note
This article is offered in the spirit of debate and discussion. Not everyone will agree – but in a time of big structural change, we must ensure the voices of place and people are not drowned out by process. Let Newcastle lead Newcastle.
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