ELECTION
TIME !
Tees Valley mayoral candidates battle for business minds
Jessie Joe Jacobs , Labour ’ s mayoral candidate , says she would build a “ future-facing ” region if elected .
I ’ ve also secured millions of pounds of support for local businesses and we ’ ve given grants to nearly 1,000 businesses , so we ’ re directing investment to where it needs to be . Jessie : Get On scheme – revolutionise small business funding and support through removing bureaucracy and taking more chances on start-ups . This means flexible finance and support .
Launch a Keep it Local campaign , using both hard commissioning powers and soft influencing powers to encourage all major institutions and local consumers and businesses to buy local , while also setting up a Made in the Tees online marketplace to rival Amazon .
Finally , an entrepreneurs fund and angel investors network to match those with finance with those with ideas .
What do you feel are the Tees Valley ’ s biggest positives ? Ben : The biggest positive of all is that we ’ re prepared for the future . Unlike other regions , we ’ re ready to take advantage of the post-Brexit world .
We ’ ve secured the UK ’ s biggest freeport , which will create a huge amount of investment and jobs . So , while other regions talk about global Britain , we ’ re actually doing it .
Plus , we ’ re leading the way in creating the clean energy jobs of the future . Very soon Teesside will be home to GE Renewable ’ s factory for offshore wind turbine blades , an investment that will create 3,000 local jobs .
So we ’ re ready to take on the future . It doesn ’ t get more positive than that . Jessie : Our people , our pride and identity , our river , coast and countryside , our industrial experience , our innovation , hard work and courage .
And what do you feel are the Tees Valley ’ s greatest challenges ? Ben : The pandemic . It ’ s been an incredibly tough year for local people .
Yes , we ’ re getting support to families through the furlough scheme . Yes , we ’ re getting support to businesses through grants and investment .
But recovering from the pandemic will be a big challenge . That ’ s why we can ’ t afford to stop our work or slow down . We need to stick with the plan that ’ s working . Jessie : Getting around – we need better transport . Getting on – closing the skills gap . Poverty and inequality .
What would be the biggest differences over the next four years if your fellow candidate was elected , rather than you ? Ben : We don ’ t need to guess what the next few years would be like under
Labour . We ’ ve already lived it – for decades , Labour took our region for granted .
We were ignored by decision-makers and we ended up falling behind .
I ’ m making sure that never happens again . I tirelessly bang the drum and get the government to start paying attention to us . And it ’ s working .
That ’ s how we secured the freeport , GE , the millions of pounds invested in local businesses and the Treasury in Darlington . Teesside , Darlington and Hartlepool are now front and centre . So let ’ s not go back to square one with Labour . Let ’ s stick with the plan that ’ s working . Jessie : I won ’ t talk down the mayor but I guess , honestly , I see us just continuing down the same path we always have , chasing big shiny cubic zirconia schemes and ignoring the tiny rough diamonds that are already here .
The same old people making the same old noises and the same old headlines , while nothing really changes . It would mean missing a massive opportunity to relaunch ourselves as a place for culture , tech and innovation , to support local , grow our own and finally begin to turn the tide on years of inequality and decline .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 17