The system is broken
Our son is, without a doubt, the smartest, most curious and most imaginative six-year-old I have ever met.
He will tell you about volcanoes and the Voyager spacecraft. He will create worlds for he and his friends to play in, full of dinosaurs and freeze rays and superhero-like stretchy suits.
There is not one single thing about him I would change - but I would rip up every single part of the process we have just been through.
Those are the words of Arlen Pettitt, author of the Wor Room newsletter on Substack and a contributor to The QT.
Arlen’s son is one of the 14.2% of pupils in England who receive support for special educational needs (SEN), and has recently become one of the 3.3% to have an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP).
Arlen used his platform as guest editor of Stephen Waddington’s Management and Publications newsletter this week to highlight a creaking system where funding fails woefully to keep up with the skyrocketing number of EHCPs.
As the Government prepares to publish a Schools White Paper in the autumn, he has a survey for parents on the whole SEN system.
Even when we win…
A Government consultation on proposed reforms to the English local government finance system will close next Friday.
A report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) said the Fair Funding Review would create big winners and losers, with around a quarter of councils in England set to lose money.
Basically, the North and Midlands councils would gain at the expense of London and the South. But the report says: “Gains in the North East may be lower than expected given its low council tax revenue capacity, in part because its population has grown slowly in recent years.”
The report goes on to say: “Some deprived council areas – such as South Tyneside and Sunderland in the North East – are set to be big losers from the reforms, in part reflecting their slow population growth now being accounted for.”
Co-author Kate Ogden said: “It is welcome that the nettle of funding reform is being grasped, and some councils will benefit substantially. But the changes will sting for those councils that are assessed to currently receive too high a share of the overall funding pot.”
Data centre approved
A huge AI data centre at Teesworks has been approved by Redcar and Cleveland Council despite objections from BP who say the centre would be incompatible with its proposed H2Teesside blue hydrogen project - and that there’s a physical overlap between the two sites.
Third runway backed
Newcastle International Airport is backing Heathrow’s third runway proposal because it sees the expansion as a strategic boost for the North East’s connectivity, economy, and global reach.
Chief executive Nick Jones said an expanded Heathrow would feed into the airport’s ambition to serve up to nine million passengers and contribute £1.9 billion to the North East economy by 2040.
“It would also create new cargo opportunities for local businesses, enabling them to access key international markets and help drive further growth and investment in the region,” he said.
Job guarantee
A guaranteed job for all trainees and a starting salary of £35,000 - that’s the attractive proposition on offer at Airbourne Colours, which opened an aircraft painting facility at Teesside Airport last October.
The company has 24 trainees completing its new 21-month course and works with major airlines including Jet2.com and Lufthansa. It plans to recruit and train new cohorts every year to meet growing international demand.
Teesside-born founder and chief executive Steven Darbyshire said: “There can’t be many other firms on Teesside offering this jobs guarantee, but that is how serious I am about making sure we cement ourselves here and grow here.”
The initiative was developed in partnership with Hartlepool College of Further Education and tailored through the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s bespoke skills programme.
Giant rat caught
A giant 22-inch rat, the size of a small cat, has been found in a house in Normanby, prompting councillors in Redcar and Cleveland to call for a “full vermin survey and treatment plan” to be implemented in council-owned areas across the borough.
Train tribute
A 1959 diesel-electric shunting locomotive, repurposed by AV Dawson, is to be installed on a roundabout in Middlehaven as part of commemorative efforts for the bicentenary of the Stockton and Darlington railway.
It’s a tribute to the railway that built Middlesbrough, both literally and economically. A spokesperson for port owners AV Dawson said: “This line was opened to support the export of locally produced iron and coal which was brought to the port by train. The extension of the railway and the port made Middlesbrough what it is today as before the railway extension it was a hamlet with fewer than 30 residents.”
Green ferry progress
A milestone meeting at the Port of Tyne brought UK and Dutch partners together to advance the Green North Sea Shipping Corridor, which aims to decarbonise ferry links between Tyneside and Amsterdam.
Port chief executive Matt Beeton said: “The insights shared following this feasibility stage highlight the project’s potential to deliver lasting benefits, from green job creation to the development of next-generation port infrastructure for electrification and methanol refuelling.”
The session spotlighted collaboration across borders and sectors—laying the groundwork for a wider rollout of green corridors across Europe.
Councillor censured
South Tyneside councillor Ernest Gibson has been formally censured by the council’s Standards Committee following a long-running investigation into his conduct toward South Shields MP Emma Lewell.
An external legal firm was brought in to investigate. They did not find evidence of harassment or a factual finding of “unlawful discrimination”, but found that Councillor Gibson’s conduct on balance “did constitute bullying in breach of the code”, and said several emails disclosed to the MP via the subject access request were “offensive, malicious and insulting”.
For Bradley
Former Sunderland player Jermain Defoe has handed over £70,000 cheque to the Bradley Lowery Foundation to support the development of Super Brad’s Pad, a £600,000 holiday home in Scarborough for children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
Defoe developed a unique bond with six-year-old Bradley, who sadly died from neuroblastoma cancer in 2017. The former England striker has been a long-time supporter of the foundation, headed by Bradley’s mum Gemma, which helps families of sick children access treatment not available on the NHS, and provide respite and unforgettable experiences.
STACK stalled
It’s not just the Milburngate development that is stalling - Durham MP Mary Foy has said it is “disappointing” that there continues to be delays with the city’s STACK development at the former Marks and Spencer building in Silver Street.
“I hope that STACK will be able to commit to a new timetable in the near future, and residents and visitors to Durham will at least have an idea of how long it will be before this prominent site in the city is no longer left standing empty.”
A quick word
Rover wristbands for this year’s Great North Run are now available on the Nexus website. Runners and spectators can have unlimited travel on the Metro, buses and the Shields Ferry for £6.95 for the day of the race, Sunday September 7. Keir Starmer and Tony Blair were among those to pay tribute to former Labour general secretary Lord Tom Sawyer who helped steer reforms through the party in the run-up to the landslide election win in 1997. He was 82. The delayed opening of Bedlington station on the new Northumberland line is down to ageing stonework and having to move a water pipe under the station car park, said Northumberland County Council leader Glen Sanderson. The Unite union has called off bus strikes planned for Monday and Tuesday to ballot 600 members on an improved pay offer from Stagecoach North East. Charity Action for Children is closing its short break respite service at Monksfield House in Hexham because of difficulties recruiting and retaining staff. The complex demolition of The Golden Eagle hotel in Thornaby, dubbed a blot on the landscape, has begun as part of plans paid for by Stockton Council's £23.9m town improvement fund. All 25 residents have left Howlish Hall in Bishop Auckland after the Care Quality Commission uncovered serious concerns during a visit last month. Campaigners trying to reopen the village pub in Whorlton were celebrating after Durham County Council turned down an application by the owner to turn The Bridge Inn into a house. Sunderland Labour councillor Denny Wilson has been suspended by the local party due to his involvement in a motion to save the National Glass Centre. He continues to represent the Castle ward as an independent. A large-scale solar farm near the village of Whittonstall, in Northumberland has been voted down by Northumberland County Council planning committee. Former Hartlepool Borough Council leader Mike Young has defected from the Conservatives and joined Reform UK, becoming the fourth Reform member on the local authority.
Everybody out
Two company directors turned the former Bishop of Newcastle’s 17th century Grade I Listed mansion into an illegal House of Multiple Occupation (HMO).
The 14-bedroom property, also known as East Denton Hall, was found to be in such a dangerous state that fire officers ordered it to be shut immediately, forcing the 21 occupants, mainly care workers and family members who received accommodation as part of their employment, to pack up and go.
Judith Elizabeth Bango and Abid Hussain, directors of Newcastle-based House of Peace Enterprises, were each fined £30,000 for operating an unlicensed HMO.
Magistrates commended the two council environmental health officers, Clair Weber and George Jackson, for their work on the case including securing alternative accommodation late at night for the occupants, who included two children.
Lynx effect
Lynx became extinct in the UK about 1,300 years ago - but there’s a plan to introduce the wild cats to Kielder Forest, the only part of the UK deemed suitable for their return.
A year-long social consultation carried out by The Missing Lynx Project and led by The Lifescape Project, in partnership with Northumberland Wildlife Trust and The Wildlife Trusts, found that 72% of people living in the project area – which includes parts of Northumberland, bordering areas of Cumbria, and southern Scotland – support the reintroduction.
The results of the survey coincide with the release of a peer-reviewed paper which says releasing 20 lynx into the area over a few years would create a population of around 50 of the shy animals which are slightly smaller than a labrador - but bigger than a giant rat.
Lynx have been reintroduced in several European countries, including Germany, Switzerland and France. Conservationists say they bring many benefits such as hunting deer that overpopulate woodlands and eat bark off trees, which destroys them.
Streaming service
Otters, trout and heron are among wildlife that have returned to a stream at Houghton-le-Spring - helped by suitcase-sized solar-powered monitors that provide real-time pollution detection to Northumbrian Water.
Dave Ford has a monitor installed in his back garden which backs onto the stream. He said: “The stream has changed quite dramatically and we now even have trout visiting regularly from about May to November. I've seen a number of otters in the stream, and I also know that it's got a very healthy population of freshwater shrimp.”
Northumbrian Water are investing more than £50m in the monitors and have installed 31 so far in areas including Houghton-le-Spring and Rainton, with 390 more to be deployed over the next four years in locations from north Northumberland to North Yorkshire.
City Hall revamp
A disused section of the city baths will be used in a revamp of neighbouring Newcastle City Hall. The aim is to modernise the building and its facilities and help attract more big names to a venue that has hosted the Beatles and Rolling Stones.
More misery
The two people behind the art studio at the former Wilko store in South Shields which was trashed by vandals have been dealt another blow.
The Market Gallery has received more than £1,500 in crowdfunding to help “get them off the ground again” - only to discover that a fake crowdfunding campaign appeared on another site, claiming to be for their studio.
Bigger venue
A £28.4m plan to redevelop the The Maltings in Berwick into a large cultural and entertainment complex has been approved by Northumberland County Council despite a petition signed by 1,000 people against the scheme. Most of the money is coming from the Government-funded Borderlands Deal for Northumberland.
Join the club
The North East business community is getting behind women’s basketball with the launch of the W Club which will provide financial and strategic support for Newcastle Eagles.
Founding group member Carl Swansbury, partner and head of corporate finance at Ryecroft Glenton, said: “Whether you’re a small business or a major employer, this is your chance to give back and stand up for women in sport. We’re inviting others to join us.”
With respect…
Hartlepool United owner Ray Singh has written to opposition clubs to “kindly and considerately” ask them not to extend boardroom hospitality to former Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling, who stood down as honorary president in May in protest at stalled takeover talks.
Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash has sent a counter-lettern urging clubs to treat Stelling with the “respect and courtesy that he has most certainly earned.”
Business bites
The Tees Valley Business Board, which provides strategic advice to the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) is recruiting a new Chair. It’s an unpaid role. More than 100 fully-funded courses to upskill employees in sectors including manufacturing, finance, education, esports and digital skills, will be provided by Sunderland University for another year thanks to £1.18 million funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Newcastle Building Society has delivered a “solid” performance in its latest results with a loss in operating profit but a slight increase in underlying operating profit. Life sciences marketing agency ramarketing, which now operates across Europe and North America with bases in Boston and Toronto, is moving its North East HQ to The Catalyst at Newcastle Helix. Newcastle-based True North Construction is looking to expand after doubling its workforce and growing turnover by 60% in a landmark year, driven by demand across residential and commercial sectors. Large-scale investments at County Durham-based flexible chip innovator Pragmatic Semiconductor are behind their latest results which show a rise in operating losses from £36.7m to £55.1m. Tyneside fire safety and security tech business ABCA Systems has bought North London-based Raam Construction in an undisclosed deal - its fifth acquisition in 12 months. North Shields-based audit technology group Inflo has seen a big increase in American companies signing up to its platform this year and is to create 60 jobs to support expansion in the UK and in North America. OneClickComply, the Sunderland-based cyber security and compliance firm formerly known as FAT32, has just secured funding of £580,000 and will look to invest in “people and innovation”.
1992 ad break
It was intended to demonstrate the ‘hit of real oranges’ and it proved a massive hit for soft drinks brand Tango - unfortunately a lot of youngsters took the ‘hitting’ bit a bit too far.
The ‘You Know When You’ve Been Tango’d’ ad mashed together slapstick with a parody of football analysis that was taking hold at the time thanks to Andy Gray’s animated, opinionated and replay-heavy style of broadcasting.
The ad features comedian and actor Hugh Dennis and former Chelsea and Manchester United footballer Butch Wilkins in the role of spoof commentators. The Orange Man only becomes apparent in a slow-motion replay which spawned the famous line after he slaps the unsuspecting Tango drinker across the cheeks.
It is commonly accepted that the ad was banned because of a playground craze where youngsters would go around slapping others and repeating the line: “You’ve been Tango’d”. But a Tango ad exec told a Channel 4 programme in 2000 that they voluntarily pulled the ad after a surgeon told them that he had performed surgery on a youngster for a perforated ear drum who had told him ‘I got Tango’d’.
Sales of Tango rose by more than a third after the ad was shown and later versions were toned down including one where the Orange Man places his hand on the drinker’s mouth and kisses it.
THE WIDER VIEW
Don’t buy it
The young me never understood Margaret Thatcher’s right-to-buy policy which allowed council tenants to buy their homes at a huge discount then barred councils from reinvesting the proceeds into building more houses.
The young me had two sets of grandparents who lived in council houses. Many of my school friends lived in council houses, while we had a tied house thanks to my dad’s work on a farm.
The young me grew up never thinking that having a roof over your head and a front door to call your own was ever going to be an issue. ‘Affordable housing’ was a phrase that hadn’t been invented.
The older me is appalled at what has happened since - something brought home (sorry) to me this week by the Common Wealth thinktank who said the policy had fuelled vast shortages in social housing and turbocharged inequality.
It said the right-to-buy scheme has cost UK taxpayers almost £200bn, describing it as one of the “largest giveaways in UK history” - and today one in six private tenants in England now rents a former council house.
Unattributed, unaccountable and unchecked
New research shows that 69% of Google searches now end without a single click. That means almost seven out of every ten times someone turns to the world’s most-used search engine, they don’t actually visit any of the websites listed in the results, writes Kyle Taylor in Byline Supplement.
Instead, they get a pre-packaged answer directly from Google — increasingly powered by its Gemini AI model.
This isn’t just a shift in user behaviour, he says. It’s a seismic change in how people access information — and it’s already proving catastrophic for news organisations.
Publishers are still doing the work: reporting, verifying, editing. But audiences are no longer reaching them. Instead, their facts are being scraped and reassembled into Gemini’s answer — unattributed, unaccountable, and unchecked.
Taylor is the co-author and editor of The Little Black Book of Press Barons and says the new system gives tech platforms “the ability to influence and filter the majority of the world’s information with just a few keystrokes.” These companies aren’t merely curating the news. They’re defining truth itself.
And while it may feel like this signals the decline of traditional press power, the opposite is also true. In an algorithmic ecosystem that feeds off scale and sensationalism, the legacy giants — like the Daily Mail and Murdoch’s empire — become even more powerful. “Their headlines are now the default inputs for AI summaries, giving them extraordinary influence over what gets surfaced and what gets ignored.”
Goodies and baddies
Another thing I remember from growing up is that the world seemed full of ‘goodies’ and baddies’. I was always on the side of the goodies of course. That came to mind, for some reason, this week as I read the headline ‘Millionaire big game hunter was gored to death by buffalo he was stalking’.