Universities play a big part in today’s edition. All five of our region’s higher education establishments joined forces with the mayor yesterday to launch a fund which will hopefully pay dividends in the years to come.
Three of the five will also share in an £80m pot to equip students for a (well-paid) career in the defence sector.
Also in this edition: opportunity knocks on stadium development in Newcastle, a plea to keep our councillors safe, a big success story in Teesside/Cleveland (?) on recovering money for the victims of fraud, a record year for tourism in Northumberland, and could Mike Ashley re-emerge in the region as the new owner of the Metrocentre?
There’s also an interesting take from economist JP Spencer on regional boundaries that includes Teesside/Cleveland (?) but Darlington in particular.
Capital gains
The five North East universities and the North East mayor came together yesterday in what was described as a smart move by investment heavyweight Sir Nigel Wilson, the former boss of Legal & General.
He praised the North East Spinout Inspire Fund which was launched with an aim to turn academic research into businesses that create jobs in the region - and make money!
The mayor is putting £10m into the fund with an additional £12.5m coming from the universities. It will focus on transforming cutting-edge research into high-growth new businesses based here in the North East.
The Inspire Fund will support early-stage spinout businesses, where risk is higher and funding is often harder to secure from private sector investors alone. The North East MSA and the universities have identified this as a critical gap in the current set-up. In its first five years, the fund will support at least 30 businesses.
Speaking at a launch event at Northumbria University yesterday, Sir Nigel, a Newcastle United supporter from County Durham, said the North East was doing the right thing by pooling resources: “Collaboration to get capital,” he called it.
Mayor McGuinness said: “Our five universities have joined with us in a bold move to ensure their spinout companies can succeed for our region, and that shows the rest of the country how we do business here in the North East. We’re making deals that recognise the talent on our campuses to launch new enterprises, create jobs and grow the economy.”
Success for trio
Staying with HE, Teesside, Newcastle and Durham are three of 24 universities and colleges to be awarded a share of £80m to offer up to 2,500 student places so that more young people will be equipped with the skills needed for a career in the defence sector. The funding will also be used to improve facilities for courses which are vital to national security including defence-focused engineering and computing.
The art of devolution
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness is to use new powers under the ‘Right to Request’ process to reshape arts funding in the region to ensure it supports economic growth.
The powers are part of the expanded regional devolution rolled out at a recent meeting of the Mayoral Council in York where England’s mayors met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Under Right to Request mayors can formally request new controls, funding and partnerships from government, which is legally required to respond within six months.
Mayors have chosen to assume powers over different aspects of their region’s life, reports Peter Morris in North East Bylines - youth justice in Greater Manchester, the use of tech to transform public services in Liverpool City Region, flood resilience in South Yorkshire and improving outcomes for young children in the West Midlands.
“In the North East, according to the Government, the mayor and strategic authority ‘will work with Arts Council England to strengthen alignment between national and local investment in culture, including… discussions on the design of future operating models, such as regional boards. By aligning funding more closely with local priorities, the aim is to use arts investment as a driver of economic growth and a richer cultural offer for communities across the region’.”
Sporting chance
A Stadium Regeneration Accelerator programme got lost in the headlines when the Government announced last month that it would look at the feasibility of the North of England bidding to host the Olympics.
This new cross-government programme will work with sporting bodies on sports infrastructure development projects that can help deliver local regeneration and commercial growth - with Newcastle named as one of the cities with “planned projects”.
Henry Kippin, chief executive of the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, said: “While detail on the initiative is still being developed, it is intended to take a more focused and coordinated approach to a pipeline of investment and regeneration opportunities catalysed by sport. In some locations, these opportunities are already confirmed and underway; in others, they remain at an earlier, more exploratory stage.
“Any decision on the redevelopment or refurbishment of a stadium in Newcastle is, of course, a matter for Newcastle United Football Club. However, it is positive that Government is taking a proactive role, and locally we would seek to work in partnership to maximise the wider economic, regeneration and community benefits for the residents of Newcastle and the wider North East.”
‘Keep councillors safe’
Former Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes has called on the Government to set up a ‘national councillor safety co-ordination unit’.
Lord Forbes highlighted two “absolutely shocking” recent cases in Newcastle which involved attacks on councillors’ homes and warned that physical and online attacks were having “serious and detrimental effects” on whether councillors can serve their communities effectively.
Speaking in a House of Lords debate, he said: “We need to act now to make policing consistent, online platforms accountable, public meetings safe and support for those affected accessible. Local democracy should be a calling, not a hazard. Let us make it safe to serve.”
A case in point…
A Northumberland Labour councillor was subjected to “coordinated attacks” of online abuse after campaigning with would-be MP Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election campaign.
Councillor Caroline Ball said: “A lot of it when you started going into it was from bots, but some of it was from local people. I get people wanting to be upset and wanting to have their say, but being angry doesn’t give you an excuse to be so horrible. Just because you’re in the public eye, you shouldn’t be subjected to abuse.”
Think again
Councillors in Northumberland have agreed to spend £130,000 on consultants to re-examine plans to restructure the debt belonging to its development company Advance Northumberland.
Cabinet member for finance Councillor Nick Oliver said the company’s work was critical to regeneration and housebuilding in the county and said reassessing the decision was the right move.
£1m success
Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey is to write to Chancellor Rachel Reeves calling for stronger national action on fraud victim support.
This follows the success of the charity Financial Fraud Advocates, which he helped fund, which has recovered £1m for people across Teesside.
“Recovering £1m for victims here in Cleveland is an extraordinary achievement, but it is also just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “Behind every case is someone living with shame, fear and isolation for something that was never their fault.
Yes, but not yet
A much-delayed independent report into the culture inside Newcastle Civic Centre will be made public, the new leader has confirmed. Councillor Colin Ferguson said the Local Government Association’s peer review would be published as soon as possible
“We asked for it, we need to get it published with a proper response and an action plan,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. “It is fair to say that there is quite a bit of it that is going to feel historical now because the political make-up of the council has completely changed. But that is not a reason to move away from it.”
I do not know what the LGA’s report contains but thought it would be prudent to move this story away from the earlier Lord Forbes story headlined ‘Keep councillors safe’.
New Chairs
Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley, the Bishop of Newcastle, and former North Tyneside Council chief executive Paul Hanson, who is now a Director at Newcastle Hospitals, have been appointed as independent chairs of the neighbourhood boards that will help oversee how £40m of Pride in Place funding will be used in Elswick and Walker over the next 10 years.
Record year
Northumberland attracted a record-breaking 11 million tourists in 2025 with visitors staying longer, spending more, and choosing to visit throughout the year. “This is exactly the type of sustainable, high-quality growth we have been working towards,” said Visit Northumberland Chair Andrew Fox.
A quick word
Early years teachers in 10 disadvantaged communities including Middlesbrough and Hartlepool can now apply for £4,500 bonuses under Government plans to attract staff to nurseries. The incentive scheme will be expanded to 20 more areas later in the year. A special service has been held at Durham Cathedral to mark the installation of the new Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Rick Simpson. He now holds the fourth most senior position in the Church of England and gets a seat in the House of Lords. Reform UK has reinstated Sunderland councillor Glenn Gibbins who had posted racists comments online about the city’s Nigerian community. An internal disciplinary process decided a final written warning was sufficient. Redcar councillor Jack Symon has rejoined the Conservatives just three months after moving to Restore Britain. Northumberland County Council has officially designated a stretch of land to be used to build a Blyth relief road. A life-long collection of Doctor Who memorabilia which belonged to the late Workington football club chairman Dale Brotherton fetched almost £50,000 at auction this week. The next phase of the work to demolish the Gateshead flyover will mean the closure of the Five Bridges roundabout from June 21 to July 16. Drivers have been warned to expect “significant disruption”. Women's Super League 2 side Durham has said the football club “will have to cease operations at all levels” unless a buyer can be found in three weeks. The club was founded in 2007 as an under-10 girls’ team before expanding quickly, with some players from that original side now members of the first-team squad. You will have heard of ‘long-running battles’ but former footballer Paul Bracewell can finally celebrate after a 22-year battle to build houses on his land in Durham.
Ruff seas
Bruce, the kayacking Alsatian, had a lucky escape after being blown out to see off the Bamburgh coast before his owner could get on board. The coastguard launched a multi-vessel search for Bruce, who was eventually found by the two-man crew of the Serenity which had just dropped off passengers at the Farne Islands when it received the request to help.
Captain Jimmy Reid and crewman Aaron Fordy, who has two Alsatians at home, found Bruce some two and a half miles from shore. “So, when we actually got him on board and knew he was safe and knew the hard bit was over, we were both very elated,” said the captain.
Metrocentre sale
The Metrocentre is up for sale for around £500m with Frasers Group, owned by former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, reportedly interested. It is not known how the sale will affect a planned neighbourhood, a collaboration between the Metrocentre Partnership and Gateshead Council that would see thousands of homes built on land around the giant shopping centre.
Big yards deal
APCL Group, owners of the A&P yard on the Tyne, has been bought by maritime engineering and shipbuilding group Balaena in a move that will create a combined workforce of more than 2,000.
The deal - which has been welcomed by unions - will give Baleana a network of 12 dry docks and strategic reach across the UK and the Mediterranean. Simon Gillett, founder and group chief executive said: “This acquisition reinforces our long-term commitment to British maritime capability - creating jobs, expanding apprenticeships, and driving innovation in line with the ambitions of the Strategic Defence Review and the UK’s Industrial Strategy.”
Big town deal
Plans to build a 50,000 sq ft office development opposite the new Darlington Government Hub, which is currently under construction, have been approved. And land at the town’s science park will also be released for a new STEM Centre development.
The facility has been hailed as “groundbreaking” for Darlington and future generations. It will deliver technical vocational training and provide local teachers and students with access to cutting-edge equipment and resources in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics industries.
Business bites
Paul McEldon is to step down as chief executive of the North East BIC after 25 years. He will remain in post while the recruitment of his successor takes place with the successful applicant expected to start by Christmas. Business confidence among North East entrepreneurs has reached its highest level since 2024, despite ongoing concerns around rising costs, cashflow pressures, and economic uncertainty, according to the latest Pulse Survey from the Entrepreneurs’ Forum. The quarterly survey of 108 business owners found that more than four in five (81%) are optimistic about their business prospects over the next 12 months, up from 71% in February. Alpro Capital has completed the purchase of well-established County Durham firm Lee’s Coaches. The acquisition marks the launch of Alpro Capital’s strategy to acquire and grow profitable regional businesses, with a focus on supporting existing management teams. Workers at Amcor’s factory in Cramlington, which makes packaging for medicines, have ended strike action after accepting a pay deal worth 12.3% over three years. National wealth management firm Fairstone, which is based in Sunderland, is continuing on its growth curve by opening a hub in Cardiff. Chief executive Steven Cooper said: “This is an important milestone in our plans to build a stronger, scaled presence across Wales.” Team Valley-based ceiling product maker Zentia has gone into administration with the loss of around 170 jobs. Experian Market IQ ranks Ward Hadaway as the top legal adviser in the North East on mergers and acquisition after working on 12 deals, with Mincoffs coming in second having advised on nine. Azets was the most active financial adviser, working on five transactions, one ahead of Clive Owen Corporate Finance.
1987 ad break
After the sad death of actor Anthony Head, there could only be the one ad to show you this week - his first Gold Blend ad with Sharon Maughan which made its TV debut in 1987. The ads became something of a mini soap opera thanks to the ‘will they, won’t they’ nature of the relationship between the two neighbours and ran for six years.
THE WIDER VIEW
Where is Darlington?
Economist JP Spencer posed the question ‘Where is Darlington?’ this week. Not because he doesn’t know where it is - he used to work there - but as an example of a patchwork of public service boundaries that need to be aligned.
Writing in ThinkLabour’s Quick Thoughts, he said residents sit simultaneously in different police, health, and strategic authority areas. This fragmentation, he says, undermines accountability, weakens public understanding, and forces government to waste time managing overlapping systems rather than improving services.
The Institute for Government and Bennett Institute took a look at this issue in 2023 and found at least 10 different boundaries in use - on top of strategic and local authority boundaries. The authors created a gif to show the absurdity of the situation at the time. Here it is:
“Every other advanced economy manages its subnational services around local democratic boundaries,” says Spencer. “In this context, the 2024 Devolution White Paper made a bold statement, saying that there would be: ‘Action to deliver greater public service boundary alignment in the long term, making more Mayors responsible for fire, police, and engaged in Integrated Care Partnerships, and supporting the mayoral convening role in public services, so Mayors and Strategic Authorities can support partners in driving public service reform. This includes clearer expectations for Mayors’ roles in local health systems and in improving population health.’
“This is a very sensible policy,” he says. “Boundary misalignment and consequent complexity is a hidden part of our state failure.
“Take our Darlington example. It is a separate unitary authority with historic links to neighbouring County Durham (which is its own separate unitary). The two unitaries are covered by the Durham Constabulary. But Darlington is part of the Tees Valley Strategic Authority, whereas County Durham comes under the purview of the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority. The health service covers the whole of the North East region (which also includes Tees Valley), but also brings in North Cumbria for health purposes too.”
So why are we not pressing on with this alignment?
Spencer says: “It seems that health and police rationalisation are being developed in departmental silos with teams trying to devise the ‘right’ boundaries for delivery of their service - but without prioritising the impact on other services or on local democracy and understanding.”
Nicholas
I’m out
There is something of a football strip war that takes place in my family before the start of every new season. I want my wee grandson to wear Newcastle United tops but his dad is a Rangers fan and my brother continues to tempt him with Leeds United kit.
I think I’m going to have to wave the white flag this year and not take part. It’s as if Newcastle have decided to announce they are open to selling their best players by putting the barcode on their jerseys.