The devil is in the detail, as the saying goes. And there’s a lot of detail still to come following Wednesday’s Budget.
Journalist Susie Boniface, aka Fleet Street Fox, says if you are truly desperate to know what the Budget means, there are two sensible options open to you: 1 - Ask a gilt trader; 2 - Wait.
Well, the gilt traders have given a mildly approving shrug to John Healey’s deliberately boring Budget. And, while we wait, we can reflect on some good news - the International Investment Summit coming to Gateshead in 2027, an £85m investment to transform the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult’s facilities in Blyth and funding for the regeneration of Gateshead Quays (more detail required on that one).
Budget announcements are a common thread that runs through today’s edition.
The chancellor gave the go-ahead for mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy from 2028 - prompting one deputy council leader to accuse Kim McGuinness of being a “megalomaniac mayor”.
Data centres will have to abide by a new set of rules - which includes protecting water supplies and investing in local communities - and changes to the Treasury’s Green Book could see the dualling of the A1 back on the table.
Also in this edition, there’s an apprenticeship brokerage scheme coming to the North East in April next year which will create employment for 1,500 young people - with the prospect of more funding to extend the scheme.
The Turner Prize exhibition is pulling in visitors to Middlesbrough and The Source’s story on the threat to the Local Healthwatch network has had an immediate impact, with Health Secretary Yvette Cooper pledging to retain and strengthen them.
Newcastle, still basking in the glory of a successful Mercury Prize award ceremony (and Fringe), has announced that the 6 Music Festival is coming back to the city next year for the first time in 12 years.
And I get a bit sentimental about the death of Patrick Stewart - one of the best nights of my life was spent in the company of him and two other celebrated raconteurs.
Chance to shine
Gateshead was a big winner in Wednesday’s Budget and MP Mark Ferguson was keen to make the most of it - with good reason.
“Gateshead helped build Britain’s industrial past, and by hosting the upcoming International Investment Summit, we now have the chance to show the world how we can help build Britain’s future,” he said. “We can showcase on the world stage Gateshead’s leading advanced manufacturing innovation, thriving creative industries, ambitious local businesses and brilliant schools and colleges developing the skills of the next generation.
“I’m also pleased that the Chancellor has announced new financial powers for mayors to invest in major projects. That creates opportunities to make progress on the long-awaited regeneration of Gateshead Quays, including the proposed arena. We’ve waited too long to see that site fulfil its potential.”
The financial powers he talks about lie within the new North East Good Growth Fund which comes with a pot of money still to be announced and the ability to raise loan funding for specific projects. That, along with fiscal devolution, we need to hear more about.
Mayor McGuinness said: “After years of fighting for the investment we deserve, I’m delighted we now have a North East Good Growth Fund helping us to deliver projects like a new arena in Gateshead and film and TV studios in Sunderland and these will just be the start.
“We will also get new powers to keep tax raised from these major developments and others. It’s about time we stopped sending all of our tax to Westminster and instead use it right here in the North East. It’s good to see the Government agrees.”
Plan for apprentices
The North East has secured its place in a new Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) apprenticeship brokerage programme, expected to bring up to £10m of investment over three years and support 1,500 additional apprenticeship starts by March 2029.
At least 375 places will be for young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Due to launch in April 2027, the pilot will initially focus on housing, leisure and tourism, and advanced manufacturing.
The plans were signed off by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority on Tuesday - not the most difficult of votes the Cabinet will face - and the scheme could get even bigger with the mayor’s office expecting a second tranche of funding from the DWP.
Cabinet member Christopher Eynon, the leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “If a young person misses out on one apprenticeship, we should be doing everything we can to help them find the next one, understanding the challenges, and making it easier for the small businesses that are the life blood of our economy to harness the potential they have to offer.”
Taxing times ahead
A vote on helping young people into employment may have been an easy one for the North East MSA to make. I suspect the Cabinet would find it far harder to get an accord on an overnight visitor levy - aka the Tourist Tax.
It was in North East Mayor Kim McGuinness’s manifesto and it was confirmed in Wednesday’s Budget that mayors and other strategic authorities will have powers to introduce a levy from 2028. The four Reform council leaders in the North East have already made it known they are against it - as is the Conservative administration in Northumberland.
The issue was raised at a meeting the Prime Minister had with regional mayors last Thursday where McGuinness asked if the levy would require Cabinet approval or not.
This prompted Durham’s deputy leader Darren Grimes to later accuse her of being a “megalomaniac mayor”. He said: “In May last year, the people of the North East voted in their hundreds of thousands for councils that would stand up for them. Kim McGuinness has just asked the Prime Minister to make those votes worthless.” A comment that probably doesn’t stand up to too much scrutiny.
The mayor said: “When I was elected I said my plan is to introduce a small charge on hotel rooms and use this to fund major events in our region. I guarantee this will create jobs and bring in thousands of tourists. There is no Reform plan to grow tourism. Nothing.”
The power of The Source
Or should that be The Source of power? No sooner had The Source drawn attention to the inadvisability of abolishing Healthwatch England and the 153 branches of Local Healthwatch, (Who’ll look after your health? 26.10.26) when along came the new Health Secretary, Yvette Cooper, pledging to retain and strengthen them. This is quite the turnaround from the plans of her predecessor, Wes Streeting, who resigned on the very day his mammoth Health Bill landed in the Commons.
Cooper’s decision now begs even bigger questions, says our columnist Bob Hudson. What happens now about the proposed abolition of NHS England, for example, and the savage cuts to the main commissioning bodies, the regional Integrated Care Boards? NHS reorganisations rarely go smoothly but this one seems to be unravelling before it has even begun.
The power of The Source
Chancellor John Healey made a committment to provide an additional £430m to tackle rough sleeping, alongside a package of support for social housing and construction.
He said: “We’ve already promised everyone sleeping rough a route off the streets this winter, and today I can confirm a further £430m to keep that offer open for the rest of this Parliament, not just this winter, but every winter. This is a moral mission for me. It’s a moral mission for the Prime Minister. It is a moral mission for the Labour Party.”
This came just two days after Abu Ali, a corporate finance partner at FRP Advisory in Newcastle, wrote a column in The Source about how his childhood friend Lee Halpin decided to spend a week sleeping rough as part of a documentary he was making on Tyneside’s growing homeless problem - and never woke up.
That is why Abu has been driven to do what he can to end the homeless epidemic - more people are homeless in Britain today than at any point in our history. You can read that article below - along with ways to support CEO Sleepout UK.
Question of priorities
Two wildlife trusts are set to take over the 9,500-acre Rothbury Estate after a £1.9m grant from the Government helped them close in on the £30m required to purchase it from the family of the Duke of Northumberland.
But not everyone is happy. Councillor Guy Renner-Thompson, chairman of Northumberland Conservatives, said: “This Government has its priorities wrong. Farmers were left scrambling for SFI funding in an application window that opened and closed the same day. Yet ministers can find nearly £2m to help a charity buy an estate. Defra should be focusing its support on our farmers and fishermen, the people producing our food and sustaining Northumberland’s rural and coastal communities.”
The trusts attracted support from the likes of Sir David Attenborough and said there is the potential to develop a “40-mile nature recovery corridor stretching from the North East coast to Kielder on the central Scottish border”.
Miners’ pension boost
Former miners have been battling since 1994 to stop the Government taking half of any investment surplus from two of their pension funds. Their victory was signalled in the Budget when Chancellor John Healey said the 50-50 agreement would end and all surplus cash would be paid to pension holders.
Burt Moncur, who worked at Murton Colliery in County Durham, told the BBC it was “the best news” but urged pay-outs were made as quickly as possible as former miners were dying every day.
A real head-Turner
Around 13,000 people have visited Middlesbrough in the first month of the Turner Prize exhibition opening at MIMA. Dr Laura Sillars, dean of culture and creativity at Teesside University and director of MIMA, said: “I was always confident that Middlesbrough would rise to the challenge of hosting the Turner Prize but it is fantastic to see this delivered and people coming here from across the country to witness the cutting edge of British art.
“The response from critics has been incredibly positive, but just as important is the opportunity to introduce thousands of children and young people to the Turner Prize. With the schools programme fully booked until January, the Turner Prize’s impact will continue well beyond the exhibition.”
Cautious covenant welcome
Blyth and Ashington MP Ian Lavery has given a guarded welcome to Chancellor John Healey’s Budget announcement of a set of rules for data centres which means they must protect water supplies, create local jobs and invest in communities.
US firm QTS is building a giant £10 billion facility at Cambois in south-east Northumberland and a further two applications have been made to the county council for data centres nearby.
“I need to understand what this AI data centre covenant actually means,” the MP told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. “But, broadly speaking, it does address the issues I have been raising and I am pleased with that – but I am not sure whether it could cover the impact of having three or four data centres within two square miles.”
Green (Book) light for A1?
The dualling of the AI north of Morpeth could be back on the Government agenda after an announcement of a rule change in how decision-making is carried out (we’re talking Green Book here which has taken on almost mythical status over the years).
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “I’ve been pushing for a change in the rules on how the Government decides what schemes represent value for money because for decades those rules have been holding our region back.
A petition calling for the dualling of the A1 and signed by almost 15,000 people has been delivered to Downing Street. The signatures were gathered by the Northumberland A1 Safety Alliance during a five-day walk from Berwick to Newcastle last week. It was handed in by co-founder Kezz Petronelli-Stone and Tory Borders MP John Lamont.
The balaclava problem (contd)
Cleveland Police said there is a “substantial” problem with very young males wearing balaclavas and causing “fear and alarm within our communities”. Redcar and Cleveland and Middlesbrough councils are drawing up public space protection orders (PSPOs) which could see offenders who refuse to comply with being asked to take off balaclavas fined or taken to court.
The force, meanwhile, is to receive a further £3.2m in the wake of a crash that killed two officers and five young men and prompted a large-scale operation tackling organised crime. The cash is on top of £2m previously pledged, but not yet paid, by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood amid claims the force was unfairly penalised by national funding rules.
The joy of 6
They’ve barely finished sweeping up the confetti from last week’s Mercury Prize ceremony, but Newcastle already has another major music event to look forward to. BBC Radio 6 Music has announced that its flagship festival will return to the city next spring, 12 years after Newcastle and Gateshead hosted a memorable weekend of live performances, conversation and musical discoveries.
The 6 Music Festival will take place from Monday, March 15 to Friday, March 19, 2027, with five days of gigs and DJ sets across Newcastle’s independent and grassroots venues. The full line-up and participating venues will be revealed in 2027.
Sunderland’s 6 Music presenter Lauren Laverne, who hosted the Mercury Prize on Tyneside for the second time last week, sounded buzzing to have a working reason to return to the region in 2027. “Having grown up in the North East, I know just how much music means to people here and the important role it plays in local culture and communities.” Sam Wonfor has more in Cultured. North East here.
Showcase for students
While the stars of British music were taking centre stage at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena for last week’s Mercury Prize ceremony, students from Newcastle College were busy making their own contributions behind the scenes.
From creating bespoke gifts for shortlisted artists and VIPs to preparing food for the awards dinner and welcoming guests, students from across the college put their skills to work at the high-profile event. Principal Jon Ridley said: “The Mercury Prize is a massive event in British music, and Newcastle College students delivered it.”
Charity inquiry
The Charity Commission has launched an investigation into “serious concerns” about the management of Adapt (North East) following allegations of “significant” payments being made without full approval of trustees.
Chief executive Hannah Harniess, who joined a year ago, said she raised concerns about financial arrangements. Based in Hexham, Adapt provides community transport, wheelchair hire and other help for people with sensory, physical and learning disabilities in Northumberland, Tyneside, Sunderland and Durham.
Commission bosses said they began assessing financial and governance concerns in July this year and later opened a regulatory compliance case to examine possible misconduct or mismanagement.
Harniess told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that Adapt’s services would continue to operate. “I welcome the commission's inquiry and will continue to assist its work,” she said.
A quick word
Tickets for Sam Fender’s stadium tour next summer had to be pushed back 24 hours after the ticketing website was hit by a “sophisticated bot attack”. Plans have been lodged to knock down The Fish Shack in Amble and replace the wooden structure with a two-storey building with roof terrace which “seeks to retain the charm and distinctive character of the existing establishment, while enabling the business to expand its catering offer and improve ancillary facilities”. North Tyneside Council has set aside £1.7m to rebuild the causeway at St Mary’s Island which is visited by 100,000 people a year. The Save the National Glass Centre campaign group has failed in its attempt to get listed status for the building which closed in July. Site custodian Sunderland University, meanwhile, is holding an open online auction for around 200 pieces equipment from the centre. A Redcar and Cleveland councillor who said he was too ill to attend meetings and then attended one in time to avoid losing his seat has now resigned. Lib Dem Graham Jeffery was said to suffer from a lung condition and received advice to avoid large indoor events and air conditioned places.
Vape laws welcomed
The North East tobacco control agency Fresh has welcomed new laws aimed at stopping children getting hold of vapes and other nicotine products.
Ailsa Rutter, director of Fresh and Balance, said: “Tobacco smoking is our single biggest preventable killer, and it is vital we encourage adults who smoke to switch completely to vaping. However, it is important the law is tightened up to reduce the appeal and the access of children to nicotine products.”
The new laws make it illegal for adults to buy or attempt to buy vaping or nicotine products on behalf of someone under 18, and ban promotional giveaways, substantial promotional discounts, and vending-machine sales of such items.
Business bites
Founding shareholders Gordon and Gill Green have sold Team Valley-based marine civil engineering specialist Southbay Civil Engineering for an undisclosed sum to Cheshire company Orange UK Holdings (owned by entrepreneur Simon Orange, the brother of former Take That singer Jason, in case you’re interested). The existing management team of MD Paul Stephenson and operations director Antony Ballantyne will remain in charge. Teesside property agency Orange Sales and Lettings, a firm run by landlords for landlords, has been named Residential Agency of the Year at the National Property Awards in Birmingham. Newcastle-based rail operator Lumo and the Theatre Royal have announced a partnership which involves financial support, discounted tickets and working on community outreach projects. Successful North East business Hodgson Sayers has been acquired by United Infrastructure for an undisclosed sum. Founder and Chair Billy Hodgson said: We’ve built a strong reputation, developed long-standing relationships with our customers and, importantly, invested in the people who have helped make the business what it is today. Joining United Infrastructure represents an exciting opportunity to build on those foundations.” The North East-based owner of the Tommy Tippee brand has significantly reduced pre-tax losses with Mayborn Group bosses now confident of a return to growth. Newcastle-based Atelerix, which is revolutionising cell preservation and biological transport, has signed a two-year memorandum of understanding with Frontier Space, which is building platform technology for in-orbit R&D and biomanufacturing.
1992 ad break
Airplane, Naked Gun, Police Squad!… you knew what you were getting when Leslie Neilsen took on the starring role. It was no different with the series of ads he featured in for Red Rock Cider in the early 90s - “it’s not red and there are no rocks in it”.
The ads were made in the style of Police Squad! but retitled Fraud Squad! This meant Nielsen could play a version of Lieutenant Frank Drebin without anyone paying for the rights to the character. This ad has him ‘undercover’ at Ascot - where he found Hank Marvin lurking in the shadows!
The Red Rock ads were produced by John Lloyd, who is best-known for Not the Nine O’Clock News, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Blackadder, Spitting Image and QI. He also presented the pilot of Have I Got News For You, when it was provisionally called John Lloyd’s Newsround.
THE WIDER VIEW
One of a kind
I was so sorry to hear that Patrick Stewart, the star of Star Trek and X-Men, had died aged 86.
Please allow me to name drop and tell you about one of the best nights of my life. It was on April 23, 2012, and involves Patrick, Sir Ian McKellen and Simon Callow. That’s the end of the name dropping (but what a way to end!).
In 2010 I agreed with Newcastle Theatre Royal that The Journal would be the media partner for a public vote to find the North East’s favourite Shakespeare character - leading to a sculpture being commissioned and unveiled on the Bard’s birthday during the Theatre Royal’s 175th birthday year in 2012.
Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet came out on top. Ramy and Marilyn Zack from the Biscuit Factory funded the statue. Local sculptor Lisa Delarny won the open commission and her bronze sculpture was unveiled by actor Jonjo O’Neill who had played Mercutio on the Theatre Royal stage.
We were all invited to a private dinner after the unveiling, where we were joined by the trio I have just name dropped - who were no strangers to that same stage.
It was a privilege to be in the company of three such raconteurs. I know it was brilliant but for the life of me I can’t remember anything they said - but I’ll never forget how they made me feel.
RIP Patrick. You were a delight.
Serial thriller
On Monday we brought you David Whetstone’s interview with Robson Green as his new TV series The Northumbria Mysteries hit our screens for the first time (Who’ll look after your health 26.10.26). He name-checked commissioner Helen Munson as someone who had returned to her native North East and was making a real difference.
Today, Sam Wonfor talks to Helen about the production, the North East’s growing TV industry, the opportunities for local talent - and her childhood growing up in Wardley, Gateshead, where she would pore over the Radio Times at Christmas, highlighter in hand, planning everything she wanted to watch.
She loved television and knew she wanted to work in it.
What to judge?
You may have come across references to a “well-known” figure who is fighting in the High Court to avoid his name being made public.
The Guardian and ITN journalists have stories about his alleged “inappropriate and exploitative sexual activities” but it is unclear if they will ever see the light of day - even though you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to find out who he is on social media.
The High Court has heard that reporters have spoken to more than 100 people, including women making allegations as well as friends and colleagues of the man, and that it was in the public interest to put the story out there as the similar testimonies given by people who did not know each other indicate a “pattern of behaviour”.
But the man is seeking an injunction on the grounds that he would attempt suicide if the information was made public. His lawyer said publication “would have a potentially fatal impact”.
This is new territory. A decision is expected early next week.