DEVOLUTION
The deal between the councils of County Durham , Newcastle , Sunderland , Gateshead , Northumberland , North Tyneside and South Tyneside will see a new mayor for the region – similar to the role of Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen – elected by the public in May 2024 .
We spoke to local businesses and the local MP to get their views on the deal …
Ian Brown , CEO , Excelpoint “ As a North-East business owner and a local lad , I am passionate about the region , so welcome the announcement of the North-East Devolution Deal .
“ It is good to see the vision , focus , and real action taking place backed by a guaranteed investment .
“ I believe more power and autonomy are what we need to deliver the right initiatives to level up the North-East .
“ At this early stage , there are many questions and concerns – £ 1.4 billion sounds like a lot of money , but it is guaranteed over 30 years ! Will those numbers stack up when considering education , housing , and transport ? If we focus on transport alone , it requires considerable investment to meet requirements !
“ I am excited about the future and believe we are moving in the right direction . We will accomplish our goals with a clear roadmap and careful consideration of future investments .
“ We will achieve success under the direction of an energetic , aspirational , and charismatic leader who involves key stakeholders to ensure we realise the needs of the North-East people .”
Kerina Clark , chair , Aycliffe Business Park “ This is a positive step forward for the North-East with the opportunity to resource the local economy in the most effective way .
“ A crucial key to the success of any deal will be making sure the right people are in the right positions to lead and facilitate this .
“ Our business community is ambitious , optimistic and collaborative , something that I believe is reflected across the whole of the North-East .
“ Unity as a region going forward will give the best foundation for ensuring the benefits of any devolution deal are widespread .”
John Elliott MBE , chairman , Ebac “ I believe devolution is wrong because one country should have one government rather than different governments pulling in different directions . Organisations are run from the top . The people at the top set the policy . Devolving power to someone who may have different beliefs does not make sense . “ However , there can be absolutely no doubt that those running the country from Westminster are incompetent . They have been incompetent for as long as I can remember , therefore the problem must be the system we use to elect them .
“ If we look at the bests run organisations , none pick their leaders by the population at large voting for them . Imagine the boss of Tesco being selected by their customers voting for them based on a TV interview .
“ If the people running the country from Westminster were competent , we would not need devolution .
“ It is true that different regions have different needs , but the fundamental policies would be the same , simply adjusted to local conditions , which may also vary within regions .
“ Rather than an elected mayor , who could easily have different political views to the government in power , we need an implementer of government policy rather than another politician .”
26 | Aycliffe Business