Coal from Newcastle: the way to level up
Not everyone sees levelling up in the same way as many in the North of England do, including its politicians and this website. While this site supports devolution as a…
North East on low road to devolution
The full extent of the uncertainty into which the future management of the North East’s struggling economy has been allowed to fall by negligent councillors as it battles to recover…
Counting the cost of levelling up
One of the most useful results of the levelling-up process will be the promised establishment of a government data and analysis strategy at the subnational level. If that sounds a…
Silly season arrives early
‘It's the time of year when the smallest slip-up by a politician is seized upon with relish by their opponents’, comments today’s Northern Agenda on a story in ChronicleLive that…
North East Chamber speaks out on devolution
The North East is talking to the government about a new devolution deal covering the six councils in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, a regional business leader confirmed today as…
Devolution can help tackle health disparities – Haldane
Worsening health among the most deprived households requires co-ordinated local solutions, which would be assisted by devolution, according to one of the authors of the Levelling Up White Paper published…
Why does this North East constituency offer no A-level education?
The Sunderland constituency of Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Philipson is one of only eight in England without a school or college offering children the opportunity to study for A-levels,…
Political absenteeism could put North East devolution deal at risk
North East council leaders have the opportunity to do a ‘really ambitious’ devolution deal, official papers reveal. But they are in danger of undermining their credibility with the government by…
EU, UK, WTO and green energy: a tricky mix
News reported in The Journal, Newcastle*, and elsewhere that the European Commission (EC) has challenged UK government subsidies for renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, at the World Trade Organisation (WTO)…
Levelling up missions ‘will not reduce regional inequality’ – report
The 12 targets set by the government for measuring the success of its levelling-up policy will not reduce regional inequality, according to a new report. The Institute for Government (IfG)…
Levelling up: no more chopping and changing
There have been more than 50 local growth policies initiated by governments since the 1980s in a so-far unsuccessful attempt to correct regional imbalances in the UK economy, of which…
Why North East bus users cannot expect a fares cap
It has taken the best part of a year for the implications of the failure of North East politicians to deliver the best possible public transport package to come home…