But the government cannot devolve resources and responsibilities to local authorities that are too risk-averse to accept them. So this site will also examine the role of local politicians in the region, who must play their part. That will require unity, a common sense of purpose and a willingness to collaborate with each other, other sections of civil society and the government.

There must be no repeat of the mistakes of 2016 when £30m a year was thrown away and the area’s economy was split in two because council leaders could not agree to do a devolution deal.

The present government’s devolution model is far from perfect, and under-funded, but right now it’s the only game in town.

The publisher: Peter Morris was a North East journalist for 28 years, specialising in regional politics, and later worked in communications for 14 years for the NHS and the Government Information and Communications Service. In retirement he studied regional devolution at Newcastle University and was awarded a PhD in 2020. You can read his thesis here

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