So, here we are. Devolved! The North East has its first Mayor. The months up to the election saw an accumulation of hope for — and demands on — what our Mayor should do. At the many hustings and debates that took place, I lost count of the number of times candidates were asked ‘what …
The long-awaited devolution deal in the North East — proper, real devolution with the money for transport until now held back — is finally here. The final count was delivered before the Bank Holiday weekend, way ahead of the rest of the country. As most people got on with enjoying their long weekends, I waited …
It’s been quite a week. The first North East Mayor has already chaired her first meeting of the new combined authority. Kim McGuinness was one of 10 Labour mayors elected last week. Further south, Ben Houchen gave the Conservatives their only success when he comfortably held on to his position in the Tees Valley for …
AIDEN KING (Liberal Democrats) What have you liked hearing most from any or all of your rivals? We’ve had a number of hustings since the start of the campaign and, although there are definitely things we all disagree on, I’m pleased that all six candidates agree that this deal is only the first step on …
Bookmakers don’t often make mistakes. There may be six runners attempting to be first past the post in the race to be North East mayor, but they make it a two-horse race. Labour candidate Kim McGuinness is favourite at 1-2 while independent Jamie Driscoll is a 13-8 shot. That means if you put £1 on …
“Life moves pretty fast,” Ferris Bueller, the title character from 1980s cult movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, reminds us. “If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Life has undoubtedly moved pretty fast in the North East in recent decades yet sometimes the changes are easy to overlook. …
So here we go again. A moment of stupidity coming back to bite a politician on the bum. The bum in question this time belongs to Kim McGuinness, a well-regarded figure in the Labour Party who hopes to be elected as the first North East Regional Mayor and who currently serves as Northumbria Police and …
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