Podcasts about Tees Valley

With Nigel Farage's Reform UK muscling in to key parts of the country, Westminster Insider Host Sascha O'Sullivan speaks to politicians through the North of England, where Labour has an uphill battle to convince their heartlands they can be trusted. Sascha speaks to Labour MP Josh Simons, whose seat of Makerfield had one of the highest proportion of votes for Reform without actually voting in one of the party's MP. Simons tells Sascha about his plans to convince his voters that Westminster – and the Labour Party – speak for them, and how finally building one road, first earmarked as necessary in 1949, could be a symbol for this. And Sascha heads to Darlington, in the North East of the country, where Labour MP Lola McEvoy has competition from Reform, who took over the council in County Durham just 5 miles south, and the Tory stronghold of Tees `Valley, led by Mayor Ben Houchen. Labour MP and member of the Blue Labour group Jonathan Hinder explains why Labour has become disconnected from it's working class roots in the North and how practical initiatives and investment will only go so far. Zoe Billingham, director of the IPPR North, tells Sascha why Boris Johnson's "levelling up" agenda spoke to these voters and how the failure to deliver on many of these promises made Labour's challenge harder. Former Tory MP for Boston and Skegness Matt Warman explains how Reform UK managed to win his constituency – and what it will take for some of these Labour MPs to fend them off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week the Energy Voice and E-FWD teams have been out and about! With the AREG and SPE event in Aberdeen and E-FWD making its Teesside debut Energy Voice Out Loud takes to the road.   First up, Scottish Energy Futures Conference co-chair Iain Philip gives us the low down on the Aberdeen event while Aberdeen University's John Underhill discusses the futrue of UK energy.    Next up, Ryan talks with Energy Voice's own Jeremy Cresswell about the involvement of China in the UK's supply chain. It's fair to say that Energy Voice's emeritus editor has some strong opinions about how the UK can fund domestic firms.  And finally, Michael and Ed talk over the big topic of how things are - or are not - progressing in Tees Valley. There have been some big wins for the area, most notably the big CCS project, but BP's decision to cancel its green hydrogen plans have raised tough questions.

This special podcast episode was recorded live at the Georgian Theatre in Stockton, where we gathered for the premiere of a wonderful new film called All About Adoption. The film was made by a group of young film makers from Tees Valley, through a new partnership between Blue Cabin and Adoption Tees Valley. Hear from some of the film makers about what they wanted friends, teachers and social workers to know about adoption, and what it was like to receive a standing ovation after their first screening. We ask audience members what they thought of the the film, and Blue Cabin Associate Artist, Nic Golightly, give an insight into the creative process. Find out more about Adopt Bats at wearebluecabin.com/project/adopt-bats/

Co-pilot Halligan is joined by the highly qualified temporary co-pilot Tim Stanley whilst co-pilot Pearson is away from the rocket.Tim gives his take on the flurry of activity during Trump's first days in office and why he is frustrated with Keir Starmer's ‘outdated' ideas.Strapping into the rocket for a return mission this week is Mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, who beams in to give his verdict on the Labour Party and Reform, and why the Conservatives are the future of the Country.Also Liam delivers some harsh economic truths and Tim reveals a surprising talent with his impression of President Donald Trump.Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Read more from Tim: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/t/tf-tj/tim-stanley/ |Read Ben's letter to the Trade Unions concerning the UK Steel industry: https://x.com/BenHouchen/status/1842589896160202996/photo/1 |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Kids in the North, a new series from The Northern Agenda, launched with a focus on the big societal problem that you can't escape if you're talking about children in the North of England: poverty. In the second episode of our podcast, Rob Parsons talks about a part of the country that has so much going for it, but where the high rates of poverty are holding back the potential of tens of thousands of young people. Nearly one in three child are living in poverty in the North East - but local leaders are now taking action themselves to give the region's children a better chance. Speaking to child poverty campaigners, entrepreneurs, top politicians, and charities who are helping reduce the effects of poverty, The Northern Agenda paints a concerning picture of the scale of the problem in the North East, but also highlights the determination of local leaders and communities to find innovative solutions to this pressing social issue. Rob Parsons speaks to: ⬆️ Kim McGuinness, the new mayor of the North East, about how she plans to tackle the root causes of poverty as well as helping families deal with the short term impacts. ⬆️ Paul Lindley, the Yorkshire-born founder of Ella's Kitchen, about why as a society we need to be switching our attention to our young people and take a much more entrepreneurial approach to finding the solutions that work. ⬆️ Sophie Balmer, a 21-year-old child poverty campaigner from Newcastle, about when she first realised she wanted to speak up on behalf of young people like her. ⬆️ Beth Major, chief executive of local charity The Junction, about the "multi-bank" that provides people struggling in the Tees Valley with surplus goods from companies and businesses, including clothes and hygiene products The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North is a Reach Studio production, presented by Rob Parsons with contributions from Annie Gouk. The podcast is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Special Guest this week is Lord Ben Houchen, Mayor of the Tees Valley to discuss the English Devolution White Paper published by MHCLG before Christmas. The proposal gives Mayors new responsibilities for strategic planning and much more. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of the Court of Appeal dated 11 December 2024 which deals in great detail with the service provisions relating to Section 288 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 relating to the statutory right of appeal after an Inspectors decision by way of Section 78 and a detailed examination of the requirements in law relating to both lodging the proceedings in court and service under that statutory provision. This is a seminal decision for anyone who is or might be involved in planning appeals litigation. Decision of an Inspector dated 9 January 2025 which deals with the service of an enforcement notice by Royal Borough of Greenwich relating to a 15 storey and 23 storey residential blocks requiring the demolition of the building in which the Inspector upheld the notice but crucially allowed the retention of the buildings by materially amending the requirements of the notice. Decision of an Inspector dated 7 January 2025 which deals with a significant solar farm proposal for 47.28 MWp in Mid Suffolk District Council in which the Inspector granted planning permission by concluding that the proposal was supported by the planning balance and that the proposal accorded with the development plan as a whole and the appeal should be allowed. Visit our Website: hwgpnfy.com #HWGPNFY

A BBC reporter in Beirut has heard explosions in the south of the city after Israel's army ordered an evacuation of three areas. Israel is reportedly poised to mount a ground incursion into Lebanon. Hezbollah's deputy leader Naim Qassem says the group is ready for an Israeli ground offensive and says the battle "may be long".The Conservative mayor of Tees Valley, Lord Houchen, has told the BBC that all four candidates for the party leadership need to be "more honest" on how they plan to deliver the policies they're advocating.And we speak to the cruise ship passengers who met while stranded in Belfast and became engaged, as they finally prepare to set off on their delayed voyage.

Today we speak to Ben Houchen, the Conservative mayor for Tees Valley who was given a life peerage by Boris Johnson. Adam speaks to Ben about his role as mayor, how he got into politics and how he managed to defeat national trends to hold his position in the 2024 local elections.Ben explains why he thinks the party should have gone shorter with their leadership campaign and his relationship with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhereNewscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Gemma Roper and Sam McLaren. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham

On a brutal General Election night for the Conservatives, there were a few bright spots where their MPs managed to defy the swing to Labour and hang onto their seats. In the North East of England - where Labour otherwise swept the board - just one Conservative MP now remains, Matt Vickers, who won in the new seat of Stockton West despite pre-election polling which suggested it would turn red. He speaks to Rob Parsons about how he managed to defy the odds, what it's been like as a Tory MP since returning to Parliament and what the near Tory wipeout means for Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen. Meanwhile, Rob hears from the journalists behind a brilliant new podcast called Everything But a Beach, telling the fascinating hidden stories of Manchester you won't have learned about at school. Find out about 'God's copper' James Anderton, Manchester's scuttling gangs with names like the Bengal Tigers and the Meadow Lads, and where local words like ‘ticklebutt' and ‘arsewood' came from. You can listen to Everything But a Beach at https://everythingbutabeach.podbean.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam and Chern dissect the results from the 2024 set of UK local elections in the final electoral test before the expected General Election later this year. The Conservatives suffered almost 500 Council seat losses, and only managed to win one of the mayoralties up for grabs (Tees Valley), so can the party turn it around in the run up to the General Election? As Labour celebrate big wins and a close contest in the West Midlands, can anything stop a Labour majority? And can the Greens and Liberal Democrats convert local successes into seats at Westminster? All these questions and more answered in this week's episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support

Today, we look at the results that have come in throughout Friday in the local elections.Ben Houchen has won in the Tees Valley mayoral race, in some positive news for Rishi Sunak. Will this be enough to stop any challenges to his leadership from within his party? Overall, it continues to look a bad day for the Conservatives though. Labour have won 3 other regional mayor contests, as well as key councils like Redditch and Thurrock. Adam is joined by Laura Kuenssberg, Chris Mason and Faisal Islam. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Sam Mclaren. The technical producer was Ricardo McCarthy. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The editor is Sam Bonham

Rishi Sunak can breathe a (small) sigh of relief. Ben Houchen, the so-called ‘patron saint of the red wall', has won a third term as Tees Valley mayor. Houchen secured 53.6 per cent of the vote with Labour in second place with 41.3 per cent, despite some polls in advance suggesting it was neck-and-neck between the Tories and Labour. The Conservatives have undeniably had one of their worst nights for a generation, but are there some silver linings?  James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson.  Produced by Natasha Feroze and Oscar Edmondson. 

Psephologist extraordinaire Greg Cook returns to analyse the election results and break down what they mean. Are Labour heading for a victory? If so, could they win a landslide? Does the Tories winning Tees Valley mean as much as they claim as does? Does this feel like 1995, heading into 1997? All the big questions answered! Buy Tickets to see Matt's return to stand-up: https://sohotheatre.com/events/matt-forde-work-in-progress/#performances Follow @mattforde on Twitter for the latest news Follow @euanmccolm on Twitter Email the show: politicalpartypodcast@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It has been a terrible night for the Conservatives who have lost councillors, constituencies, and new Mayoral positions to Labour. Keir Starmer has called this result a sign to move on and for Rishi Sunak to call a general election.So far the Tories have held onto the Tees Valley mayoral position but Labour have won in Rishi Sunak's backyard. So as the rest of the results continue to trickle in, Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, and Ben Walker, senior data journalist, as they analyse what yesterday's elections, and today's results, tell us about the UK wants from its leadership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Conservatives are facing their worst local election results in 40 years - and yet it looks like Rishi Sunak may cling on after Ben Houchen secured a victory in the Tees Valley mayoral vote.  But what next for the Conservative Party? Are they now in the worst of all worlds with a wounded leader facing defeat at the general election or can Rishi Sunak turn it around?  To discuss all this and more we are joined by Spectator editor Fraser Nelson, former Conservative Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and Labour's Leader in the House of Lords Baroness Angela  Smith. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Rob Thomson, Nick Jackson.  

The Conservatives take a pounding in the local elections and Labour are taking councils in former Brexit heartlands. But there's a crumb of Tory comfort in Ben Houchen's victory in the Tees Valley mayoral election – and Labour fail to take key target Harlow. As results continue to roll in, what do the last votes before the General Election mean for Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer? Plus we are approaching a cliff-edge moment on departmental budgeting… good job there's an IfG paper for that. Emma Norris, Akash Paun and Ben Paxton are joined by our special guest, political journalist Rachel Wearmouth, for this week's pod. Presented by Emma Norris. Audio production by Alex Rees. A Podmasters Production for the IfG. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Labour are celebrating big wins in the Blackpool South by-election, in the local elections and in most of the mayoral races that have declared so far.   The Conservatives could lose up to 500 councillors, though their candidate Ben Houchen did hold on to his role as mayor of Tees Valley. A win which gave the prime minister something to be pleased about and will probably help him keep his job for now.  But are these grim results for the Tories enough to see Labour winning the next election? Sky News's projection is that it won't be. They will be the largest party but short of an overall majority.  On the Sky News Daily Niall Paterson talks to Professor Michael Thrasher who carried out the analysis and Sky's deputy political editor Sam Coates on what signals we can take from these results.   Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse  Podcast Promotions Producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John Editor: Wendy Parker

The Conservatives suffered big losses in Thursday's local elections. Labour swept to victory in places like Redditch, Thurrock and Hartlepool, as well as winning the Blackpool South parliamentary by-election. There was some consolation for the Tories in Tees Valley, where Conservative Ben Houchen was returned as mayor.The Kremlin has reacted angrily to Lord Cameron's remark that Ukraine has the right to use British weapons to hit targets inside Russia.And the twisted comedy series that's become a fan favourite, Inside No. 9, is heading to the West End.

It's the morning after the day before for Beth, Ruth and Jess as they pull apart the local election results they have so far.   They discuss what big council losses for the Conservatives could mean for the Rishi Sunak narrative. How does the re-election of Ben Houchen as Tees Valley mayor help him?   Also – are there some niggles for Labour within the results, especially with Muslim communities? Jess explains what she thinks the impact of the Middle East conflict could be in Birmingham.   Plus, all three discuss John Swinney as a contender for Scotland's first minister.   Email Beth, Jess, and Ruth at electoraldysfunction@sky.uk, post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.      Warning: some explicit language.

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:(1) Labour have taken a parliamentary seat from the Conservatives in northern England. It's the first major setback in a predicted slew of defeats for Sunak's Tories, as results from local council elections across England plus key mayoralties like London, Tees Valley and West Midlands are announced on Friday and over the weekend. (2) Apple shares jumped in late trading after the company posted stronger-than-expected sales last quarter and predicted a return to growth in the current period, sparking optimism that a slowdown is easing.  Apple also announced the biggest stock buyback in US history. (3) The Bank of England's effort to stimulate the economy during the pandemic is responsible for all £115 billion ($144 billion) of the net losses on quantitative-easing that UK taxpayers will have to cover, analysis by Bloomberg shows. (4) Bloomberg has found that Huawei Technologies, the Chinese telecommunications giant blacklisted by the US, is secretly funding cutting-edge research at American universities including Harvard through an independent Washington-based foundation. (5) Goldman Sachs is preparing to scrap an EU-era cap on bonuses for hundreds of its staff in Britain, paving the way for some successful and highest-paid traders and investment bankers to make many times their base salaries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rob Parsons reports from a​ sports hall in the town of Thornaby-on-Tees - where he's witnessed perhaps the only bright spot for Rishi Sunak in what ​w​as a miserable local and mayoral election night for his Conservative Party. ​T​he Tories ​look to be on course to lose 500 local election seats in what could be their worst showing in 40 years.​ They were thrashed in the Blackpool South by-election and even managed to lose the mayoral race in Rishi Sunak's backyard in North Yorkshire. ​But there was a silver lining in the form of ​Ben Houchen, described by many as the poster-boy for Conservatism in the North of England, who was re-elected mayor of the Tees Valley region but saw his majority over Labour dramatically cut, ​securing almost 82,000 votes compared with the 63,000 votes received by Labour's Chris McEwan.   Rob hears directly from Lord Houchen after his victory and watches a remarkable confrontation between the mayor and one of his main critics, journalist Richard Brooks of Private Eye. There's also voice notes from local journalists Joseph Timan in Greater Manchester and Susan Newton at the Blackpool South by-election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lokalvalgene i England var ventet å gå dårlig for det sittende regjeringspartiet og Tory statsminnister Rishi Sunak. Det gjorde også. Det betyr at Labour og Keir Starmer er i rute for å vinne neste parlamentsvalg som kommer senere i år. Men Labour fikk motstand i enkelte områder og De konservative holdt ordføreren i Tees Valley, et område Labour drev tung valgkamp. Få med deg alle detaljer og analyser i denne episoden av Pod Britannia.Øivind Bratberg og Erik Mustad i samtale med Trine Andersen.

This week Rob Parsons focuses on the parts of the country where millions of us live - the so-called coalfield or ex-mining communities - and find out what the future holds for them. There's a new report out this week from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust setting out how the areas whose miners used to power industrial Britain are still lagging behind the big cities when it comes to jobs. But crucially they have a vision for how they can catch up, and Rob speaks to Andy Lock from the charity to hear what needs to happen. Also, there's a week to go until large parts of the North go to the polls on May 2 and there's plenty on the line - not just in places like the Tees Valley and North East which are electing metro mayors but also towns and cities where control of local councils is at stake. But where are the most interesting races in the North and how much do they matter? Rob is joined by Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of the Local Government Information Unit - a not-for-profit organisation which produces an annual report on the local council elections to watch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Government is due to announce new funding for National Parks in England along with plans to identify an area for a new National Park. This follows news that new community forests will be created in Derbyshire and the Tees Valley...with a competition also held for a new National Forest as well. So will more community forests and a woodland competition help meet - or at least get nearer reaching - tree planting targets? The Woodland Trust says that while it will draw attention, what's really needed are long term commitments. The Landscape Recovery programme in England is billed by DEFRA as taking 'a radical and large scale approach to environment and climate goods'. We visit the border between Devon and Dorset where just over thirty farmers are signed up for a project which aims to keep agriculture productive whilst lessening its impact on the River Axe.And the Welsh Government is facing calls to prove its commitment to farmers and maintain the rural affairs budget next year. It follows cuts to that budget this year and the ending of the Glastir scheme in a month's time. Glastir pays farmers for environmental work and will be replaced by the Habitat Wales scheme. The Welsh Government says that will cover more farms. But some farmers say the payments under Habitat Wales will be much lower than what they got under Glastir.Presented by Charlotte Smith Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

Hear the leaders of pioneering cities and regions sharing their approach to providing the most liveable, healthy and desirable environment while enabling an increasing number of high-value well-paid jobs. Learn how different strategies are being applied to attract low carbon infrastructure and technology investments, in line with local conditions and challenges. Featuring Prof. Greg Clark CBE (Chair, Connected Places Catapult and 3Ci), Ben Houchen (Metro Mayor, Tees Valley), Mark Atheron (Director of Environment, Greater Manchester Combined Authority), Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh (Mayor, City of Malmö), Philip Glanville (Mayor, London Borough of Hackney), and Joana Balsemão (Deputy Mayor, City of Cascais). The inaugural Innovation Zero Congress at Olympia London in 2023 convened 6,866 passionate, forward-looking experts who exchanged critical knowledge, debate and discussions around the implementation and scaling of the innovations needed to meet the Paris goals. Learn more via www.innovationzero.com.

Grow - Ps Jonathan Harris | Destiny Church Tees ValleyThis podcast episode was released late because of a copyright issue, sorry for any inconvenience.- Destiny Church Tees ValleySupport the show

The Eye team discuss failing ceilings, the return of Big Liz Truss, wave goodbye to Mohammed Fayed and reveal why the Tees Valley isn't suing us (yet). Featuring Jane Mackenzie, Adam Macqueen, Helen Lewis, Andrew Hunter Murray and Ian Hislop.

It's a question everyone in the North should care about: Why are so many young people in our region planning to move elsewhere for a better life? On the week of a new report being published about the 'Northern brain drain', Rob Parsons speaks to young people and political leaders about what we need to offer to stop them leaving. And it's been a busy week for our two best-known metro mayors, Tees Valley's Ben Houchen and Greater Manchester's Andy Burnham, who've been hitting the headlines for very different reasons. Rob discussed their fortunes with Henri Murison of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and asks whether Alastair Campbell was right to say there's no such thing as the North-South divide. *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, The Northern Agenda podcast takes a look at the North's second big by-election in December to elect a new MP. After Labour romped to victory in the City of Chester, can they do the same in the Greater Manchester seat of Stretford and Urmston?Rob Parsons speaks to Local Democracy Reporter Nick Jackson about what's happening ahead of the by-election on Thursday.And when you hear the Government talking about their much-trumpeted concept of levelling up and its benefits to Northern communities, it's a pretty safe bet they'll be looking at Teesside, that's places like Redcar, Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees.One of the few areas with anything tangible to show from the Government's flagship domestic agenda, this former industrial area now has a gaggle of Tory MPs where Labour politicians used to be and a Conservative metro mayor hoping to replace the old steel-making jobs with those powered by clean energy.But are the prospects for Teesside getting any better with all the attention it's had lavished on it by government?Rob asks Karl Pemberton, the managing director of Active Chartered Financial Planners, based in Stockton-On-Tees) and the Chair of the Institute of Directors in the North East (South). He looks after business interests in the Tees Valley so is a great person to give us a balanced view on what's going on there.The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin.You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Metal Movers: Metal Movers: Lithium supply in EU with Tees Valley Lithium  Listen to our latest podcast to learn about the new 96,000t lithium hydroxide project from Tees Valley Lithium with Thomas Kavanagh, Associate Editor, Argus and John Walker, CEO, Tees Valley Lithium.  This episode also touches on the LFP vs NCM debate, the logistical challenges of establishing a European lithium supply chain and the battery material demand oulook for 2030. 

Our guest today is Ben Houchen, Mayor of the Tees Valley since 2017. When he first ran, his odds were 200/1 but he has gone on to become the Conservative politician with the largest electoral mandate in the North of England.Born in Teesside, you can hear Ben's passion for his area - after growing up there and seeing no real change he is on a mission to bring huge-scale businesses into the region- and he's succeeding. We asked him what the job of a mayor entails and his plans for rebuilding the Tees Valley, his thoughts on the Mini budget, and the importance of being true to your word as a politician.In this episode we discuss: How pleased he was to see the 45p tax cut scrappedWhat is the job of the Mayor? Not what you see in Hollywood!What has surprised him most about being Mayor?What does success look like- what makes a ‘good' mayor?How do you reposition an area for a new type of work?What does he want the Tees Valley to be known for?The exciting companies in Tees Valley we might not have heard ofWhat are ‘investment zones' and how to create them.What does ‘Dreamland' look like?What's Ben's ‘secret sauce'?  What was the moment Ben decided to stand for Mayor?And how he accidentally won!The use of modern technology in running a political campaign.Subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every Wednesday.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift- you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. You can sign up to Jimmy's Notebook here. Once ...

In the last week of Boris Johnson's premiership, Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen joins Northern Agenda editor Rob Parsons to discuss the outgoing prime minister's legacy.The Tory metro mayor tells Rob about what voters in the North East think about Johnson, his impact on Tees Valley, and whether the levelling up agenda will survive under either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak's leadership.And The Northern Agenda has unveiled its new star signing this week: award-winning cartoonist Graeme Bandeira. The Middlesbrough-born artist, who spent 23 years at the Yorkshire Post, discusses his career, and what it is like to satirise today's crop of politicians in cartoon form.You can see Graeme's take on the news every Friday in the Northern Agenda newsletter, and his cartoons will feature in Reach's Sunday print titles in Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle.The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons and Daniel O'Donoghue, and it is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin.You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patrick Maguire questions whether the levelling up agenda is dead under a new Prime Minister. He hears from Ben Houchen, the Conservative mayor of the Tees Valley, Tory MP for Rother Valley Alex Stafford and Adam Hawksbee, the head of levelling up at Onward.PLUS Hugo Rifkind and David Aaronovitch discuss Penny Mordaunt's leadership endorsement and smartphones not rotting your brain. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On today's episode of Dan Wootton Uncancelled:Does the Jubilee prove that the monarchy have moved on from Harry and Meghan? Lady Colin Campbell gives her insight into what the future holds for the royals and the exiled Sussexes. Is the confidence vote a betrayal of conservative with voters living in fear of a socialist coalition of Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP and the Greens? Best-selling author Lionel Shriver joins Dan.Plus, as the PM survives the Tory rebellion, major Boris backer and the Conservative Mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, joins Dan to give his view from the Red Wall. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 5 of our Building Talks Net Zero podcast series features an interview with Ben Houchen, Tees Valley mayor, on his ambitions to make the region a hub for the government's so-called “green industrial revolution”. Houchen is a strong advocate for hydrogen production and carbon capture and storage technology, and in this episode he criticises recent Whitehall policy that delayed any decision on whether to develop hydrogen as a fuel source until 2026. We hear why he is so critical of the strategic decision to back heat pumps and why he calls for a “technology agnostic” approach to net zero research and development. We also hear from Maria Smith, who is director of sustainability and physics at Buro Happold and has been involved in the Built Environment Declares recent survey of the sectors attitudes to radical net zero policies. Simon Wyatt, partner at Cundall, provides our regular jargon buster session, this time explaining the term carbon sequestration, the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide which is most commonly associated with trees growing and then turning those trees into timber. But how do we get the maximum benefit and how should carbon accounting work? To get in touch with the show go to: Twitter: @BuildingNews, Email: newsdesk@building.co.uk. We'd love to know how you are working towards net zero on your project. For more news and analysis go to www.building.co.uk. Hosted by Building's editor Chloe McCulloch with Elizabeth Hopkirk, assistant editor at Building Design. Audio production by Tariq Aziz. 

More than five months into his second term, the Mayor joined Chief Executive Andrew Carter at this year's Conservative Party Conference for an in-depth discussion on what's on his agenda for the future of Tees Valley, his expectations for the upcoming Levelling Up White Paper and his views on further devolution. This episode is part of the Centre for Cities City Talks podcast series. We invite you to rate, review and share the episode if you enjoyed it.

The Northern Agenda returns with a look ahead to the Conservative Party Conference this weekend. Host Rob Parsons is joined by The Northern Agenda's Westminster editor Dan O'Donoghue and Kate Proctor, the political editor of PoliticsHome and The House Magazine, as they discuss the reaction to Keir Starmer's speech at the Labour Party conference in Brighton - as well as what to expect from the Tory gathering in Manchester.Tees Valley metro mayor Ben Houchen delivers a frank assessment of his Labour counterparts, calling out their "chest-beating" and political "posturing".He also talks to Rob about the Tory government's levelling up agenda and whether Teeside can remain blue.The Northern Agenda podcast is presented by Rob Parsons and Dan O'Donoghue, and it is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. It is a Laudable production for Reach.Don't forget to subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who is Ben Houchen and how did he help the Tories topple the red wall? Sebastian Payne, Whitehall Editor at the Financial Times joins the podcast to discuss the Tees Valley mayor that Boris Johnson is reportedly "obsessed" with, as well as the wider themes in his new book Broken Heartlands. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this month's episode of 'A Change of Perspective' our host, Lizzie Lovejoy, talks to Patrick (Pat) Chapman of The Northern School of Art and the North East division of the Arts Council. We discuss his experience in supporting and developing important arts projects, how to work creatively in the Tees Valley area and the upcoming Festival of Illustration in Hartlepool! Links for The Northern Festival of Illustration: https://www.facebook.com/festivalofillustration/ https://thefestivalofillustration.com/ https://www.instagram.com/festivalofillustration/ Links for Patrick Chapman: https://twitter.com/PatChapmanReive https://www.instagram.com/patpatrickchapman/ Links for The Northern School of Art: https://www.instagram.com/thenorthernart/ https://northernart.ac.uk/

Lord Heseltine has devoted much of his long and illustrious career to the question of regeneration and regional growth. A Member of Parliament for 35 years, former Cabinet Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, he is arguably the grandfather of ‘levelling up' – famously devising 30 ideas for Liverpool's regeneration after the 1981 Toxteth riots. In 2015 he became an adviser to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, chaired the Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission, co-chaired the Estate Regeneration Advisory Panel, made key recommendations for developing the Tees Valley area and co-commissioned The National Infrastructure Commission. After leaving government in 2017, he published his own version of what the Industrial Strategy should be and has most recently written about English devolution. This special in-conversation between CPP and Lord Heseltine came ahead of May's local, mayoral and Scottish Parliament elections, as questions – and tensions – rise as to the future of devolution in England and the future of the Union.Key questions will include: what has coronavirus shown us about the power of local and regional leaders in shaping and delivering government policy? How might we envision the next stage for devolution in England and the wider UK if we are to drive inclusive growth and economic recovery? What is the role of the regions and how can systems of Mayoral accountability best reflect this? How should the government best invest in communities to address inequality and shared prosperity across the UK? What should the government do to support business and industry and incentivise investment, especially in so called ‘left behind' places?The event was chaired by Charlotte Alldritt, Director, Centre for Progressive Policy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lizzie Lovejoy, one of ARC's Artists of Change, introduces the first in a series of podcasts from their A Change of Perspective project. In this podcast, they talk to two incredible female working class artists based in the Tees Valley. Paige Livingstone and Bettie Hope share their experiences of collaboration, their favourite female artists and how the local creative scene has shaped their work. Content Warning: Discussion of the word ‘Slut' in relation to female run business and algorithmic bias. Paige Livingstone Social Media: Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wildlambillustrations/ Bettie Hope Social Media: Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/slutmouthdesign/ Website – https://www.slutmouth.co.uk/ Paige's Favourite Artists: Annegret Soltau – https://www.annegret-soltau.de/ Katie McCann – https://www.beetleblossom.com/ Mary A Johnson – https://www.maryajohnson.com/work-2016present Bettie's Favourite Artists: Lara Jensen – http://larajensen.co.uk/ Kristen Liu Wong – https://www.instagram.com/kliuwong/?hl=en Sophie Bryant – https://www.instagram.com/sophiebryantfunnell/?hl=en Let Us Eat Cake: www.facebook.com/events/1039179726587151 wildlambXslutmouth@gmail.com

In the most recent podcast instalment for the A Change of Perspective podcast, ARC's Artist of Change Lizzie Lovejoy, talks to Victoria, a neurodiverse creative and one of the directors of ‘Whippet Up.' They discuss autism, textile creativity, the controversy of misrepresentation in visual media as well as some recent projects launching in the Tees Valley area. Links: www.whippetup.org.uk https://www.facebook.com/Neurodivergent-Creatives-100754195135859

With mental health services facing unique challenges, Brent Kilmurray (Chief Executive of Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust), joins Tom Clarke (Director, Mtech Access) to explore the challenges of leading mental health services in the NHS.As Chief Executive of the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, and with almost 20 years of experience in strategic and operational roles in the NHS, Brent is well placed to explore the challenges facing mental health services and what can be done to deliver change in this area.The Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of mental health, learning disability and eating disorder services for the people living in County Durham and Darlington, the Tees Valley and most of North Yorkshire.This recording was first broadcast as a live webinar on 29th January 2021 as part of our #WhispersWordsofWisdom​ series.

Panel: Benet Northcote (CEN Board, Chair), Ben Houchen (Tees Valley Mayor), Jacob Young MP (Chair, Hydrogen APPG), Enass Abo-Hamed (Co-founder & CEO, H2GO power ltd) & Dr Angela Needle (Director of Strategy, Cadent Gas) Low carbon hydrogen will be critical to meeting the UK's net zero target, as an alternative to fossil fuels for heating homes, industry and transport and in supporting the ‘levelling up' of communities affected by the loss of jobs in fossil fuel industries. Currently, the dominant source of hydrogen is natural gas. With new green methods of producing hydrogen being developed using renewable electricity, unleashing a green hydrogen economy is important for this Government's ambitious plans for clean growth, but how should ministers look to kickstart the industry? What storage and distribution infrastructure is needed and how can private-sector investment be stimulated? Combined with renewable electricity, hydrogen can be produced, stored and used without causing harmful greenhouse gases. Hydrogen is already deployed in innovative projects across the country – such as blending it into the gas network at Keele University in Staffordshire and hydrogen transport innovation being progressed in Tees Valley. Hydrogen will be critical for decarbonising heavy industry such as steel. In homes and commercial buildings, hydrogen could be used for heating, while there is also potential to decarbonise heavy goods vehicles, shipping and aviation. The panel will discuss how much green hydrogen is likely to be available, and in which sectors it should be deployed. Analysis from the IEA found that the cost of producing hydrogen from renewable electricity could fall 30% by 2030 as a result of declining costs of renewables and the scaling up of hydrogen production. To seize this opportunity, the Government has set up the Hydrogen Advisory Council and published a report on possible business models for low carbon hydrogen production. This event is a prime opportunity to discuss the benefits of low carbon hydrogen and how a new cross-government hydrogen strategy could unlock its potential.

The Yorkshire Post's Westminster Correspondent Geri Scott is joined by Tees Valley mayor Ben Houcen, while Political Editor Rob Parsons chats with David Spereall about the latest news from Wakefield. 

This week on the regular version of Tech’s Message:Lloyds Promises to Help Unsubscribe You From All the £7.99 a Month Fun Thingshttps://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2020/07/lloyds-unsubscribe-app-help/ Teens ride hired Tees Valley e-scooters on A19https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-tees-53447777Vodafone's Curve is a GPS tracker to help find lost items https://www.engadget.com/amp/vodafone-gps-tracker-curve-194351017.html Patreon supporters have access to our ad-free, longer version of the show, which includes the above as well as additional discussions about:Worms Armageddon updated after more than 20 yearshttps://www.engadget.com/worms-armageddon-update-21-years-225928208.html- Outtakes and more!TECH’S MESSAGE IS: Hosts: Nate Lanxon, Ian MorrisRecurring Guest Hosts: Andy Hoyle, Naomi Kerbel, Kate LanxonProduction and Editing: Nate LanxonVoiceover Artist: Marta SvetekMusic: Audio Network & Pond5Certain Artwork Elements Designed By: macrovector / FreepikPublisher: AcastCopyright © Nate LanxonAds are not endorsements, nor controlled by Tech’s Message. Read Nate’s ad policy.Visit Us: UKTechShow.comWANT MORE? Access ad-free, extended versions of each episode, download our weekly sister show Extra Message, listen to us recording live or download a full uncensored copy on demand, and much more, by joining us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/uktech. You’ll get instant access to our entire back catalogue of extended shows, Extra Message, our Discord member’s club, higher quality MP3s, and there’s zero commitment required. Give us a try and support me and the show in the process! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Xavier a participant on our youth employment programme joins us for this week's podcast. We talk about his career goals, what he has been working on during lockdown and the issues facing young people in Teesside. He is a fantastic example of someone that is working hard to reach their goals and a great ambassador for young people in Teesside. If anyone wants to join us on our Podcast or has any feedback please get in touch. Enjoy, The Groundwork Youth Employment Team, Tees Valley

Matthew from Groundwork joins us for this week's Podcast. We talk about his role behind the scenes on our YEI programme, he shares some great advice on how to get ahead at work and gives us his recommendations for films, books and music to pass the time during lockdown. If anyone wants to join us on our Podcast or has any feedback please get in touch. Enjoy, The Groundwork Youth Employment Team, Tees Valley

HEART ATTACK is when blood flow to the heart is blocked, causing damage to heart muscles. In this episode, Dr. Uche Anyanwagu dealt on the symptoms, Causes and management. Dr. Uche Anyanwagu MD PhD, is a clinical epidemiologist, and a primary care physician. He obtained his first degree in Medicine and Surgery, from Abia State University, Nigeria. He enrolled for a master's in public health at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria but proceeded to the United kingdom, where he obtained a Master's Degree in Applied Epidemiology from the University of Nottingham, under the common wealth scholarship. Uche is an Associate Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the Division of Graduate Entry Medicine of the School of Medicine, University of Nottingham. He conducts researches in Clinical Epidemiology, focusing on Cardiovascular & Metabolic events associated with the use of insulin & novel glucose-lowering agents in Type 2 diabetes. Presently a Trainee Registrar at Durham and Tees Valley, UK. A creative writer, and poet with various published literary works. Connect with him via Facebook: Uche Anyanwagu. Twitter: Uche Anyanwagu. IG: @ucheanyanwagu. LinkedIn: Uche Anyanwagu.

During the lockdown we are having to adapt to how we normally engage with our participants and we thought a podcast might be a good way of doing that. Our main aim with the podcast is to help you move closer to employment or training, and hopefully keep you entertained during lockdown. We are going to be talking to a range of people in different sectors, finding out how they got in their role, any advice they would give to other young people and see who will finish top of our leaderboard with our quiz. Any feedback about the podcast would be great! We hope you enjoy it :) The Groundwork Team, Tees Valley

Andrew Allison interviewed Ben Houchen, the Mayor of Tees Valley, and discussed a wide range of issues affecting people in the North East of England. Ben highlights why a Tees Freeport will bring more economic prosperity, and tells Andrew about his innovative solution to revolutionise bus travel in his patch. Using free markets and new technology, you can bring prosperity to a region that has clearly demonstrated through the ballot box that it wants much more.

My Friends in the North   My Friends in the North is a twenty-minute podcast series from North East entrepreneur Sarah Waddington in which she interviews some of the North’s leading business figures.   Here she speaks to Ithica Films Managing Director Matt McGough about:   How the video industry has exploded in the last few years Predictions for the future of video marketing Good and bad briefs Tees Valley as a business hub Being custodians for the next generation Managing mental health in the workplace     If you’d like to keep up to date with what Matt’s up to, you can connect with him on Twitter @IthicaMatt.     To feature on the podcast, please email Sarah Waddington - Sarah@Astute.Work.  

Phil Forster is responsible for returning the recently rebranded Teesside International Airport, back to it's former glories.  In this episode Phil talks to us about the massive opportunities his airport has to position itself as the gateway for an entire region which includes the Tees Valley, Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire.

Are you living for a higher purpose? What is your life's mission? Pastor Jonathan relates the story of Nehemiah's call to serve God and his people to our lives today. Will you turn your devotion into motion?

How do you go from being a global cybersecurity expert to running a successful property business as well being an angel investor/business mentor? Well, Chris Jones has done exactly that, in this episode, Peter interviews Chris, on his journey in business, how to make sure that you are diversifying your income streams, and what it takes to make property a business, not a hobby. In this fantastic interview, Chris talks through how he has learnt to grow a property business and how anyone can be a property investor. Learn from his experience on how to make sure you're not putting all your eggs in one basket, and diversifying your income streams. Key Takeaways I always wanted to be a spaceman. Having not been able to do that, I started as a 3D designer and fell into computers. I have a brain that stores useless information and 90% of computers is useless information. I have run my own Cyber Security firm for the last since 2003. World War III is happening in cyberspace. If you are ok with computers I highly recommend getting into the cybersecurity business as their will always be work in the future. But in my business, I came to realise that I was working in the business, not on the business. I didn't realise the mistakes I made until I went to the Multiple Streams of Income course with Progressive Property. It was successful but I was working 12 hours a day, every day a week. 2008 hit and I thought we had diversified as a business, as we had different customers but they were similar business customers in the same sector. All of a sudden they all stopped spending money, and I had to lay off half my staff. It took me a while to realise that I hadn't diversified enough. My first foray into property then was 2013. It was risk mitigation. In 2008 in the financial crisis, I realised that we had put all the eggs in one basket in the shape of my business so I set about learning all I could about property from the best. I realised that I needed to buy an asset. I always wanted to build a new business out of property. What are the differences between the people that treat property as a hobby or as a business? Two things, systems and teams. When it's a hobby you don't need systems. You can be lucky and be successful without systems but I focus on business ability, not on luck. You need systems. Then the second is the team, if you get a team then you can spread the load, one brain is good two brains is better. People think you should train to be better at the things that you at bad at. Whereas you should focus on the things that you are good at and then employ people who are better at you to do that job. I've always been bloody-minded. I don't allow things to be a problem, they are either a whip to charge me forwards or an opportunity to develop a sense of self-reliance. Persistence is something that is both learned and born with behaviour. Those people who are persistently persistent are people who have worked through adversity. What happened next when you completed the course? I completed the course in November and then bought a property in January. We were working with a homeless charity to help young men get a house. We started with my wife and two very good friends. We gutted the house and made it a really nice house. This was meant to not have loads of profit, but be a long term asset. We were going to buy a big Victorian house, but one of my friends pulled money from the property and the deal fell through. That set us back at least a year in our growth.   I completed VIP and it was the best decision I made. Within the IT world, I am very good at what I do, and I wanted to be very good at property. The best way is to learn from the best. VIP is one of those things where the more you put in the more you get out. I turned up every month, completed all my mentor's actions and networked the hell out of the room. This kickstarted my passion for angel investing, which means that I am a professional business mentor, and angel investor now. I'm a qualified business mentor through the Institute of entrepreneurs. I would do that from 5.30am until 7.30 in the morning. Mentoring and investing are both things that have come from progressive VIP courses. How did Hive start? Like bees, we wanted to have a Hive like mind, where we all working together for the common good. It started as a club with people for mutual support where we would work on our own things but support each other. Made sure we did the planning. The banks would not give us a bank account, and we formed a limited company to buy property, do bigger possibilities. We did ok, and with any venture, we had to change the way we did things so we were all aligned.  Over the two years we have pared down, and we are left with a core group. What is your vision for the property business? We are continuing to do buy-to-let as it's a really good money earner, which I hadn't realised they are so profitable before getting into property. We are doing some HMO's, and looking at some commercial property as well. I'm always looking for investors. If we are talking about property investing, then we are looking at 70,000 onwards, either as a loan or a joint venture. The wider angel investing, I'm working with a wide range of business, from media to print. We are looking from £250,000, up to £2.5 million, in different ways. They either need to be sophisticated investors or individuals high net worth. Why start a property business in Hartlepool, and Middlesbrough? The attraction is the low cost of access, and the rental we get is very good. The property which would cost us £60,000 we are able to rent out for £500 a month. There can be little property growth, however. Part of the Tees Valley has had a lot of investment recently which has seen higher property prices. There is a lot of things happening in the northern parts of the country which can sometimes be ignored if you only look t the media. Where are you going to be in five years? The intention is to leave a legacy of properties that we own and manage. I find it difficult to find a vision in five months, I work in dynamic markets so I focus on 6-12 months. But the long term vision is to have a substantial property portfolio and to have each sector of the property portfolio which allows me to do things better. Best Moments ‘It took me a while to realise that I hadn't diversified enough.' ‘Reality is never the same as your perception.' ‘We can all see the same thing and see very different things.' ‘You have to treat property as a business.' ‘You need systems, to make a business of property.' ‘Getting the systems, and the team in means it's not a hobby or a business.' ‘Mind-set is really important.' ‘People who have been through adversity either collapse or rile against it.' ‘The more you are determined to carry on the more you will carry on.' ‘If you carry on doing the right things, then you will be successful.' ‘Having to restart after a deal fell through taught me a lot.' ‘I turned up every month, completed all my mentor's actions and networked the hell out of the room.' ‘What I have to offer is how business work and globally, and my wide networks.' ‘Part of the difficulty is being focused.' ‘It took me a long time to learn to say no.' ‘You can't help poor  if you are poor yourself.' ABOUT THE GUEST Chris Jones is a successful Company Director, Serial entrepreneur, Angel Investor and Board level advisor for many startup companies. Co-author of the latest International standard for Business resiliency and disaster recovery.   CONTACT METHOD Email: Chris.jones@nbv-ltd.co.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christopher.jones.7549185 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-jones-b01442/   ABOUT THE HOST Peter Jones is a Chartered Surveyor, an author and a serial buy-to-let property investor. He has been involved in property for over 35 years and now owns 78 letting units. He is still actively involved in buying and renovating the property, and regularly flips properties for profit. Peter has written a number of successful property books. The first, An Insider's Guide to Successful Property Investing, was first published in 2000 and was one, if not the very first, the book of its kind which was written for what we'd now call buy-to-let investors. On the back of its success, he was invited to be a guest writer for Property Secrets and wrote Spanish Property Secrets, French Property Secrets, and Portugal Property Secrets. He has since written a number of other successful titles dealing with UK investing including 63 Common Defects in Investment Property and How to Spot Them, the highly acclaimed The Successful Property Investors Strategy Workshop and The Property Renovator's Workshop ,in which Peter describes step-by-step how he built his own property portfolio, starting with virtually none of his own money. CONTACT METHOD - Peter Jones http://www.thepropertyteacher.co.uk/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The beautiful Tees Valley plays host to episode 15, as we discuss taking career breaks, whether business needs to get better at dealing with sexual harrassment and if the North East feels left out of the Northern Powerhouse.   Professor Jane Turner OBE, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Teesside talks candidly about the professional and personal challenges she has faced and in Ask The Hive: How to switch off from the dreaded work email!   Plus, all the Northern Power Women news you need.    

We’re just over halfway through Sadiq Khan’s term as mayor of London – and just under half-way through most of the various other metro mayors’ own terms elsewhere in the country. What better time, then, to drag the New Statesman special correspondent Stephen Bush back into the podcast bunker to ask how this whole mayor thing is going?To that end, we discuss the three candidates on the shortlist to be the Tory candidate in London’s 2020 mayoral election, how good Khan’s record really is, and whether he’s in any way beatable. We also discuss how the Labour primary is destined to become the real contest in Manchester and Liverpool; how the Midlands, Tees Valley and West of England are likely to be up for grabs next time round; and why more mayoralties are unlikely to materialise any time soon. Oh, and also how the Sheffield City Region, tragically, may not be long for this world.On that note: next week, we’re off to Yorkshire. Skylines is the podcast from the New Statesman’s cities site, CityMetric. It’s hosted by Jonn Elledge.Skylines is supported by 100 Resilient Cities. Pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, 100RC is dedicated to helping cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21st century. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Margaret Thatcher would not have voted for Brexit, her former private secretary has said. Caroline Slocock, who worked for the former Tory Prime Minister in 10 Downing Street from 1989 to 1991, said she would have preferred to stay in the European Union and fight to reform it. Leave supporters have sometimes used Baroness Thatcher’s euroscepticism in the later years of her premiership and in her retirement to suggest she would have voted to leave the European Union. However, speaking to Chopper’s Brexit Podcast, Ms Slocock said that she would not have voted to leave the EU. The comments echo those of Lord Powell of Bayswater, Lady Thatcher’s most trusted foreign adviser in Number 10, who said the former PM would have voted to stay in the EU in September 2016. Ms Slocock said: “My view is that she wouldn’t and I share this view with Charles Powell who advised her on foreign affairs as private secretary when I was there. “My justification for that is she would not have got into this mess in the first place. She had form and the form was to stay in and fight. “On the rebate she fought for five years to get the right deal – and I just think that David Cameron walked away far too early from those discussions with the EU. “She would have done a much better job and we probably would not have had a referendum at all. “She was very much against the idea of the European super state. She said in her famous Bruges speech that she had not rolled back the frontiers of state in Britain to see them rolling forward in Europe. “She was angry about it but the fundamental thing is that she was fighting her corner, she wasn’t walking away and she valued immensely the trading relationship that we have with the EU. “She – who regarded the single market as her greatest achievement in Europe – would just be non-plussed to be finding us walking away from trading relationships with effectively 70 per cent of our trade is with Europe or through European trade agreements – doing that speculatively in the hope that we will get better trading agreements elsewhere. “The mistake of the government was to sign article 50 – now it has got no real negotiating strength - if you are inside the EU threatening to leave you have got a much better negotiating position.” Also on Chopper’s Brexit Podcast, from 6am on Friday morning, Jake Berry MP, the Northern Powerhouse minister, supported calls for Donald Trump to visit the north of England when he visits the UK later this summer. Pointing out that Ben Houchen, the Tory mayor for Tees Valley, has invited Mr Trump to visit his region, Mr Berry said it was important that the UK sought a better trading relationship with the US “whatever people’s views of Donald Trump”. Mr Berry added: “I would be delighted if Donald Trump visits the north of England. He would be probably welcomed in manufacturing areas who want to build that very close trading relationship  and we shouldn’t let our personal views whatever they may be about his politics stand in the way of having a successful visit for our closest ally and that visit must be focused on creating a close trading relationship between the manufacturers of the north and the manufacturers of the United States.” Other guests include George Freeman MP, ex-chairman of the Conservative policy board, Jeremy Warner, the Telegraph’s Assistant Editor and Ed Malnick, the Telegraph’s Whitehall Editor. The podcast also features the first #BrexitPoems which were submitted by Twitter.

Obtaining finance is a perennial issue for businesses. But there are probably more options than ever before, with specialist and peer-to-peer lenders offering alternatives to the high street banks. In this podcast Mike Robinson, an asset finance broker and partner in Mulberry Asset Finance in Burton-in-Kendal, explains what’s available. And we introduce the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, which offers loan and equity finance to Cumbrian SMEs. There’s more in the ‘Financing Your Business’ section of the Cumbria Business Growth Hub website, or call the Growth Hub on 0844 257 84 50. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is supported by the European Regional Development Fund, the European Investment Bank, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and British Business Finance Limited, a British Business Bank group company. The NPIF covers the following LEP areas: Tees Valley Combined Authority, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Humber, Leeds City Region, Sheffield City Region, York, North Yorkshire and East Riding. The project is receiving up to £140,359,192 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information click here. The funds in which Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund invests are open to businesses with material operations, or planning to open material operations, in, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West and Tees Valley. The British Business Bank has published the Business Finance Guide (in partnership with the ICAEW, and a further 21 business and finance organisations). The guide, which impartially sets out the range finance options available to businesses and provides links to support available at a regional level, is available here.

Obtaining finance is a perennial issue for businesses. But there are more options than ever before, with specialist and peer-to-peer lenders offering alternatives to the high street banks. In this podcast Mike Robinson, an asset finance broker and partner in Mulberry Asset Finance in Burton-in-Kendal, explains what’s available. And we introduce the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, which offers loan and equity finance to Cumbrian SMEs. There’s more in the ‘Financing Your Business’ section of the Cumbria Business Growth Hub website, or call the Growth Hub on 0844 257 84 50. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is supported by the European Regional Development Fund, the European Investment Bank, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and British Business Finance Limited, a British Business Bank group company. The NPIF covers the following LEP areas: Tees Valley Combined Authority, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Humber, Leeds City Region, Sheffield City Region, York, North Yorkshire and East Riding. The project is receiving up to £140,359,192 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information click here. The funds in which Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund invests are open to businesses with material operations, or planning to open material operations, in, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West and Tees Valley. The British Business Bank has published the Business Finance Guide (in partnership with the ICAEW, and a further 21 business and finance organisations). The guide, which impartially sets out the range finance options available to businesses and provides links to support available at a regional level, is available here.

I’m very excited about this week’s guest – so excited that one point this was going to be the Christmas special, but I got too excited to wait. I’ve even pitched this guest’s identity as a mystery at the start of the show, so in an ideal world I wouldn’t even name them here at all. But that’d be terrible SEO, so I’m going to get on with it and just hope that nobody actually bothers to read this thing. So:This week’s guest is Sue Jeffrey, the leader of Redcar & Cleveland council, and Labour’s candidate to be mayor of the Tees Valley. Sue was, tragically, unsuccessful in that race, losing 49/51 in the final round to the Conservative Ben Houchen. This result caused much consternation in the New Statesman office, and on this podcast – so much so, that it’s still an election that people reference to Stephen Bush and myself.Anyway: having accidentally turned Sue into a meme, I decided it was time to actually interview her. From her office in Redcar, she explained to me why devolution matters to regions like her own; why heavy industry needs more attention from central government; and what can be done to boost the economy of regions like the Tees Valley.Incidentally, meeting Sue took me on a day out that involved six trains and visiting two cities I’d never been to before (Middlesbrough and York). This was fun, obviously, and I’m gradually trying to get to all of the cities in the Centre for Cities database, and have only done around half – so if you’re in one of the others, why not invite me to a thing? Can’t blame a boy for trying.Skylines is the podcast from the New Statesman's cities site, CityMetric. It's hosted by Jonn Elledge. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A hundred years ago, England’s municipal governments were the envy of the world. Every city ran its own trams, power and water systems, and the town hall was often the best looking building in town. Today, CityMetric’s excitement about the rise of the metro mayor notwithstanding, England is one of the most centralised countries in the western world. So what went wrong? To take us on a whistle stop history of municipal England, I’m joined by self-professed local government nerd Emma Burnell. Our conversation takes in everything from Joseph Chamberlain to Clement Attlee to Derek Hatton to the Grenfell fire. After that, we ask the audience: what’s the strangest local government name/boundary/job title you’ve come across? From the responses, incidentally, I am delighted to see that we’ve accidentally made the Tees Valley’s own Sue Jeffrey into a meme. PS: if you’d like to give us a nice review on iTunes, it'd help other people discover the show, which we'd, y'know, like. So, thanks. Skylines is the podcast from the New Statesman's cities site, CityMetric. It's hosted by Jonn Elledge. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A £145m European fund could help North East businesses create up to 3,500 jobs, the changing nature of the Tees Valley’s industrial heritage is to be documented and Dale & Valley Homes is offering residents the opportunity to gain a Level 2 qualification in Food Hygiene