There’s no getting away from politics at the minute. Indeed politics seems to be changing by the minute.
Harold Wilson is credited with saying “a week is a long time in politics”. What would he make of the events of the past week?
I finish writing Eyes & Ears on a Thursday night/early Fridaymorning and set the timer to send this out to you via email at 6am.
I’ve tried my best to make sure there’s nothing written in this edition that could change by the time I wake up in the morning - but you never know!
Locally, regionally and nationally there is a lot going on - and a lot at stake.
In last week’s edition (Eyes & Ears 08.05.26) and on Monday (What now?), I highlighted the importance of devolution, collaboration and regional growth. I think that will be on the agenda for some time.
Also this week, our universities got the chance to demonstrate collaboration and innovation, food waste heroes, the importance of communication, and why you could be saying ‘rollo de salchicha, por favor’ when you go on holiday.
There’s also a particularly good ad break this week from 2013. It’s a controversial ad that treated forgotten Marmite jars like abandoned pets, done in a fly-on-the-wall documentary style. Just what you need if you want cheering up.
Cabinet mix
An additional blend of youth and experience will be available to North East Mayor Kim McGuinness when she next convenes a North East Combined Authority meeting.
Of the four new faces to take a seat at the Cabinet table, one will be 30-year-old financial adviser Chris Eynon, who has been elected Reform’s group leader on Sunderland City Council. Another will be Paul Mackings, whose description as a “local businessman” does not do justice to a career which has spanned senior roles across the North East’s property, leisure and education sectors.
A former chief executive of Newcastle Falcons and the Sir John Hall company Cameron Hall Developments, he founded hospitality group Kymel in 2013 and led the redevelopment of Spanish City in Whitley Bay in 2018.
He will represent South Tyneside in the NECA Cabinet after being elected group leader of Reform - the party that Sir John switched to supporting two years ago after being a long-term Conservative donor.
‘Nightmare’ scenario
With two places left to fill in the NECA Cabinet, there has been no white smoke from Gateshead Civic Centre which means the Reform group has still to decide who will be their leader.
The leadership question on Newcastle City Council is something of a conundrum - or “a bloody nightmare” as a senior figure described the situation to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
You need 40 seats to have a majority but Friday’s count left the Lib Dems with 25 and the Greens and Reform with 24 each.
“The next two weeks are set to be dominated by backroom negotiations and discreet phone calls, ahead of a council AGM on May 27 where a new leadership should be appointed,” said reporter Dan Holland.
Colin Ferguson, who was reappointed Lib Dem leader on Monday, said: “At times like this, with so much upheaval and uncertainty, our city needs stability, reliability and experience. We have the track record and the vision to deliver real change for Newcastle, and we remain committed to working with anyone who shares our values to deliver the renewal our city needs.
One direction
The Reform group on Hartlepool Council has selected 54-year-old Graham Harrison as leader after the party won all 12 seats up for election. There are now 15 Reform councillors in Hartlepool, with 14 Labour and seven Independents. Negotiations will have to take place to decide who will lead the council.
Harrison said: “I'll make sure this council works for the people of our town and every councillor in our group has the clear direction and solid support they need to deliver real progress for Hartlepool.”
New faces
Reform has a new leader in Northumberland - even though there wasn’t an election in the county. Monday’s edition of Eyes & Ears (What now?) was something of a post script to the elections but also included the story of a division in the Reform ranks in Northumberland where the party is the official opposition.
It is understood that leader Mark Peart, deputy Natalie Rolls and group secretary Denise Nicholson did not seek re-election to their roles at the group’s AGM on Monday. Rick Baker has been elected leader with Karl Green as deputy.
United in innovation
The five North East universities were able to demonstrate the power of their collaboration when members of the UK Research and Innovation board visited their campuses this week.
Board members divided into groups to hear about research and innovation work taking place in each institution. That was followed by an evening reception at Northumbria University which brought together researchers, innovators, university staff and governors and business leaders.
UKRI chief executive Professor Sir Ian Chapman said: “We’ve heard some fascinating examples of how research and innovation in the region is making a real difference – from advancing healthcare to driving clean growth and strengthening the UK’s technological capabilities. Visits like this play an important role in UKRI delivering its mission to advance knowledge, improve lives and drive growth for the whole nation.”
Waste not…
Food waste heroes are today beginning to collect surplus food from Lidl stores in Newcastle and Northumberland as part of a pilot scheme between the supermarket, redistribution platform Neighbourly and food-sharing app Olio.
The Olio volunteers (aka food waste heroes) will collect items including chilled food, meat, fish, and poultry, and bakery goods, from Lidl stores in Alnwick, Ashington, Hexham, Morpeth, and Newcastle, before sharing it locally for free via the Olio app.
If the trial at 20 stores in London and the North is successful it will be rolled out nationwide with the expectation of redistributing more than 5,000 tonnes of food annually, the equivalent of close on 12m meals.
Neighbourly CEO Steve Butterworth said: “By expanding the programme to evening collections and including Olio’s Food Waste Heroes, we are providing Lidl with a robust additional redistribution layer. This isn’t about diverting food away from charities, it’s about opening up new streams of chilled and fresh produce for them, while ensuring nothing goes to waste if a charity can’t make it.”
Cycle route planned
Northumberland councillors have agreed to submit a case for £5m of Borderlands rural investment funding to build a new cycle route connecting some of the historic Roman sites along Hadrian’s Wall and install new measures to improve the experience of visitors.
Meanwhile, the National Parks has announced a new partnership with Funding Circle to support large-scale peatland restoration, starting in Northumberland National Park. The partnership will initially support the restoration of 11 hectares of peatland at Greenlee Lough, located within the Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Grassroots support
The third round of awards from the £1m Mayor’s Opportunity Fund has seen £225,000 go to grassroots organisations delivering support for older people across the North East.
Rob Williamson, CEO of Community Foundation North East, said: “From digital confidence sessions in Newcastle to boxing classes in Blyth and a shopping bus service in Sunderland, the projects are tackling isolation, ill health, the cost-of-living crisis and more for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.”
Michelle Cooper, CEO at Point North said: “We’re pleased to see funding secured by our trusted local groups across Spennymoor, Stanley, Sacriston, and right across County Durham. Our local groups are helping to rebuild connection, confidence and purpose, ensuring older people are supported to live not just longer lives, but better ones.”
A quick word
The Department of Environment and Rural Affairs last night announced that Little Shore at Amble, a crescent of sand between the River Coquet and the North Sea, is one of 13 sites to be awarded the sought-after Designated Bathing Water Status. A bid has been submitted to Historic England to achieve listed status for Sunderland’s National Glass Centre which is set to close at the end of July. The Butterwick and Teesside hospices have agreed to merge in a move that secures the future of Butterwick, which has bases in Stockton and Bishop Auckland. Ouseburn Farm in Newcastle has been free to visit since it opened in 1976 but bosses are warning they may have to consider charging the public if they can’t raise some more funds soon. Sunderland University’s School of Medicine, which only opened in 2019, has been named Medical School of the Year at the Educate North Awards (ENAs) in Manchester. The ENAs also saw Newcastle College win the Community Engagement award for its Open Doors: Beyond Barriers programme, while Lamin Gibba, who studies at the college’s university centre, received the University Student Achievement of the Year award. Rothbury-based Neil Armstrong has been shortlisted for the prestigious £10,000 Aesthetica Art Prize. Durham Constabulary has been given 100 Sleep Pods so that neighbourhood policing teams can provide temporary shelter to people sleeping rough. The latest Consumer Council for Water survey names Northumbrian Water as the most trusted water company in England and Wales. And it is ranked top for Customer Satisfaction and Customer Experience in Ofwat’s league table for 2025-26. North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has launched a survey to understand how safe women and girls feel when travelling in the region. It’s part of her manifesto commitment to tackle violence against women and girls. Karbon Homes is installing defibrillators at all 38 of its housing schemes. The project is being delivered in partnership with the Red Sky Foundation, a charity that supports people living with complex heart conditions.
Rollo de salchicha, por favor
Greggs’ first modern overseas shop opens this month in the departure lounge at Tenerife South Airport, marking the chain’s return to international trading for the first time since it closed in Belgium in 2008.
Chief executive Roisin Currie said: “Tenerife South Airport is a hub for millions of UK and international passengers each year, making it the ideal location to test spreading our wings in an overseas setting.”
Air we go
Talking of airports, it was only last week that Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary criticised airports for selling alcohol before early-morning flights. This week the Mirror had footage of a Ryanair “flight from hell” from Newcastle to Ibiza featuring rowdy passengers, loud music, dancing in the aisles and a refusal to obey air crew.
Alcohol was involved.
High Tide alert
Talking of rowdy behaviour, temperatures are expected to pick up next week so it’s likely that the police operation Coastwatch High Tide will be on the alert for large numbers of youths using Snapchat and What’s App to arrange meet-ups at Tyneside beaches.
Hundreds of youths were said to have gathered at Tynemouth Longsands recently where large amounts of alcohol was taken, fires were lit and property damaged.
Special performances
Dementia Action Week starts on Sunday and the Jubilee Dementia Choir, which meets weekly at the Newcastle charity Silverline Memories, is putting on two special performances. The first is on Tuesday night at St Aidan’s Church in Brunton Park and the next the following lunchtime at the Grainger Market.
“The Jubilee Dementia Choir is about so much more than singing,” said the charity’s founder Sandra Hastings. “It’s about belonging, breaking down barriers, and showing that a diagnosis does not define a person’s ability to contribute, perform and bring joy to others.”
Business bites
Vertu Motors chief executive Robert Forrester has reported a “solid” set of results with an increase in revenue while pre-tax profits dipped from £24.7m to £20.2m. RG Corporate Finance is celebrating its 15th anniversary after reporting another record year of transactions, with the firm continuing to grow its team and operating nationally and internationally from its North East base. Cyber security specialist Precursor Technology Group has received more funding from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II, managed by NEL, to move into new markets and create two jobs in Newcastle. Executive search and recruitment firm Blair West has secured a seven-figure investment from Frontier Development Capital to support its growth plans. As part of the transaction, co-founder Simon West has completed a partial exit, becoming a non-exec, while David Blair remains as CEO. Engineering consultancy RWO, which has offices in Newcastle and Stokesley, has reported a 30% increase in revenue with turnover growing to more than £5m for the 2026 financial year. Wallsend-based subsea specialist SMD has seen growth in revenue and profits and is on track to see revenues reach £100m. Newcastle firm Black and White Engineering has reported an increase in operating profits from £2.2m to £7.7m and says the global data centre market is expanding at pace and with all signs pointing to more activity in the years to come. Managing partner Jonathan Moreland has announced he will retire from Durham-based Swinburne Maddison at the end of the year after 35 years with the firm. He will be succeeded by Victoria Walton, current partner and head of commercial property.
2013 ad break
There’s nothing like a bit of controversy to get you noticed. There were calls for this Marmite ad to be banned when it was first shown in 2013. Shot in a mockumentary style, the ad treated forgotten Marmite jars as if they were neglected pets that had to be “rescued” from an unloving household, cleaned up, and rehomed.
Michael Buerk was chosen to narrate to mimic the style of Animal Hospital‑style reporting.
I think it’s brilliant but the ad generated over 250 complaints in 24 hours, eventually surpassing 500, from viewers who felt it trivialised the work of animal rescuers. Makers Unilever responded to the controversy with an £18,000 donation to the RSPCA, equivalent to one day of inspectorate costs.
THE WIDER VIEW
Get the message?
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said something about it, briefly, on Sunday’s Politics North programme on BBC 1, when she was giving her verdict on why so few people had voted for Labour in the council elections.
Communication.
People voted for change two years ago and the Government have done some good things since then, although delivery has not been quick enough, she said, before adding: “And, let’s be honest, communication of what they are doing is absolutely shocking - and that is a huge problem as well.”
Quite.
Labour got a lot done in their first parliamentary session. Planning reforms; skills and FE restructuring; NHS workforce changes; policing and criminal justice directives; housing and rental reforms; local government finance adjustments; industrial strategy interventions; energy and net‑zero regulatory shifts… the list goes on.
But they’ve been terrible at communicating that and, it pains me to say it, the media have been terrible at letting us know what they’ve done - when it’s something positive that is.
In September last year, Alastair McCapra, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, wrote in politics.co.uk that “the issue for Labour is that very little of their achievements seems to be able to cut through. Communications, or the lack of it, remains the thread binding Labour’s challenges.”
Sir Keir Starmer may well be paying the price for this messaging failure, but the media can’t escape criticism either when it comes to messaging - on what they report and how they report it.
Do you remember the donkey field? Starmer’s mum, who loved donkeys, suffered from an aggressive autoimmune disorder. So in 1996 he bought the field behind his parent’s house for £20,000 so she could see her donkeys there. He placed the land in a trust, an arrangement that was dissolved after they died more than 20 years later - in the meantime the land had increased more than 10 times in value, leading to headlines of tax avoidance.
Imagine what the media would have done to him if he accepted a payment of £5m.
This is not me sticking up for Labour or Keir Starmer, by the way. I’m talking about communication. It’s the game I’m in - and I like to see it played properly. Fairly.
I don’t think we have seen that this week. We were getting minute by minute, hour by hour, reports of how many MPs had called on the Prime Minister to go. It was days before I learned that a larger number of MPs had publicly come out in support.
Southport MP Patrick Hurley highlighted this lack of balance.
Sign of the times
The country’s shoplifting epidemic is getting so bad that Waitrose is preparing to lock up bottles of champagne in ‘smart cabinets’ to stop the pilfering. The supermarket is also trialling nets around joints of meat and has installed protective screens at counters at some stores to stop people from jumping over to steal cigarettes.
Hole lot of trouble
A pothole repair lorry has become something of a tourist attraction in a Somerset village. Contractors were sent to sort a country road riddled with craters and potholes but had to abandon their lorry after the uneven surface gave way and left their vehicle in a hole and resting at a 45-degree angle. To be fair, a look at the pictures suggests this particular thoroughfare is more ‘country’ than ‘road’ - but it’s not a good look to see the lorry with the company name, Stabilised Pavements, in such an unstable position.