AS a piece of high political drama, it’s fair to say there wasn’t much to worry Frost/Nixon or Francis Urquhart in House of Cards and I can’t see the film rights being sold any time soon.

However, the mayoral hustings for the business community was interesting nonetheless.

It was certainly a grand enough setting with the business community gathered in the ballroom of Wynyard Hall to hear what each of the candidates held in their plans for the economic renaissance of the Tees Valley.

As would you would expect, skills were high on the agenda, both in terms of what the mayor would do to create more apprenticeships and solve youth unemployment, along with our sometimes considerable skills gaps.

At the other end of the scale there was also a question concerning getting older workers into work and aiding changes in career.

All the candidates agreed both things were a good thing and it should be something the new mayor needs to make a priority but discussion faltered slightly when it came to what to actually do about it and, crucially, for candidates seeking to be the economic figurehead of the Tees Valley, there were no challenges to the business community to play their part in addressing the skills gap.

And that is the point, we know at election time, people want to hear how a particular candidate will tweak the various levers of power to achieve their political goals and we then judge them on whether we think they will tweak in the direction of our liking.

Politicians will always kiss babies and (sometimes) steal their lollipops, but they always promise to solve problems to win votes.

But the post of Tees Valley mayor is slightly different.

Yes the politicians have to win votes but, once in power, they will have to work with an array of their fellow politicians of all colours and a large advisory board of businesses brought together in a spirit of co-operation to move the Tees Valley forward.

To do that, a mayor cannot be afraid to robustly challenge the businesses they work with, especially on something like apprenticeships and skills and it will be the candidate who can do that without alienating those they are working with who will succeed.

A frank and honest working relationship on both sides will keep us on the right course, particularly if the water gets choppy.

Any new mayor needs to recognise that.

Rachel Anderson is head of policy and representation at the North East England Chamber of Commerce