46 | Tees Business
TEES TALK
Anthony McCarthy, director solicitor,
Macks Solicitors
“No! Tyneside is too dominant and hoovers
up the little money that’s available, without
any tangible benefits trickling down to us. The
Geordies have the best deal when it comes
to funding the arts, business and major
facilities and projects – in fact pretty much
everything except football. The best hope for
a bright future is a strong, independent voice
for Teesside, and that means doing away with
the unitary local authorities that just aren’t big
enough to be heard.”
Paul Griffiths, managing director, Industrial
Marine Hydraulics
“Newcastle is vibrant and successful - and
this is the wider perception of the NorthEast. It is a wonderful city but that’s through
major investment from the public purse and
government energy. There’s clearly not a fair
share of such investment coming to Teesside
because we have always stood on our own
feet through the diverse industries based
here. Grit and determination has been our
Achilles heel. We must devolve. We have
few friends in the North-East - if we did, we
would have seen a fairer share of the energy.
It’s not just about public money.”
Andy Preston, investor in business and
charity founder
“Teesside deserves a much better deal. The
reason we don’t get a better deal is not the
fault of people in Newcastle or London but
because we lack a strong, intelligent and
credible voice that represents the area. Our
politicians need to build on the strengths of
our businesses and help us to grow as an
area, instead of blaming outsiders for all our
problems. We all have to look to ourselves
to resolve our issues and overcome our
challenges.”
Jayne Stephenson, director, Marton
Electrical
“I think we do benefit from being part of the
North-East though Newcastle, as a major
city, gets by far the better deal and the higher
profile. The truth is that a lot of good things
happen on Teesside but they don’t always
get the publicity they deserve. Unfortunately,
people outside the region don’t have a
positive view of Middlesbrough and Stockton,
so I think it’s to our advantage to unite under
the Teesside banner whenever we can.”
With devolution for the Tees Valley now set to become a
reality, the focus has fallen on whether Teesside really ever
benefits from being classed as part of the North-East when
so much investment goes to Tyneside. So does Teesside
get a fair deal from being part of the North-East?
Idrees Rashid, director, CVFM Radio
“The North-South divide within our region
is very much a reality. I believe Teesside
has been disenfranchised by the incoherent
policies of successive governments. This
has resulted in stagnation of the process
to redefine ourselves successfully and gain
stronger post-industrial footing. I become
extremely annoyed when I hear the subregion being described as Britain’s rust belt
or Britain’s Detroit. Despite the Herculean
challenge, the future prosperity is within our
hands, and we will see an economic, cultural
and social change to reverse long-standing
decline. The infant Hercules will rise again.”
Mike McGeary, owner, McGeary Media and
The Memoir Man
“The misconception that Newcastle is the
North-East’s capital is damaging for Teesside
and the rest of the region. I like Geordies, but
I’ll be honest, I’m jealous of Newcastle. Every
time I go there I see more new development,
mostly funded out of the public purse. I
don’t feel anything more in common with the
city than with Manchester or Liverpool. Its
subsidised success has no positive spin-offs
for Teesside – if anything, it makes it harder
for us to compete.”
Martin Gilbey, managing director, Midas
“I am extremely proud of living and working
in Teesside. Every day I meet and work
alongside ambitious, tenacious and creative
people. Within the North-East region I
believe we are overlooked, especially within
the SME sector. We have historically been
under-funded and under-represented on a
regional and national level. However, given
recent talk of devolution of power from
Westminster to the North-East, we have an
opportunity within the Teesside community to
have meaningful debate with our North-East
partners to harness the great potential within
Teesside.”
Mike Roberts, owner/director, Oliver’s Fish
and Chips
“No, I don’t think Teesside does get a fair deal
from being part of the North-East. We’re not
classed a major city and we lack investment
into the area. That, in turn, has an impact on
our economy and the job prospects of local
people. Nothing much in terms of investment
ever comes to Redcar a