DESPITE his reputation as a hard-line Conservative MP Lord Heseltine managed to win over the people of Liverpool when he drove through ambitious regeneration plans in the 80s.

Defying his leader, Margaret Thatcher, the so-called Minister For Merseyside led a determined effort to bring new business and enterprise to the city in the wake of the Toxteth riots in 1981.

Government papers that were released in 2011 showed how Heseltine said to other cabinet members that he would never have stood by and allowed the city to be abandoned.

And as a result of his dedicated fight he was given the Freedom of the City in 2012 after winning over Labour councillors.

Whether the 82-year-old Tory grandee still has the energy to transform Tees Valley in the wake of thousands of job losses remains to be seen but his past record on Merseyside is a good starting point.

His appointment as the chairman of the Tees Valley Inward Investment Initiative has received a mixed reaction in the area but he does have a proven track record for delivering regeneration.

The resurrection of the Albert Docks area was attributed to Heseltine’s desire to keep the city alive despite reservations from colleagues about wasting money on the North West.

The docks were at the heart of the city’s employment and character but throughout the 70s the work started to dry up as concrete was poured into the area leaving it a barren land.

One of Liverpool’s first moves in its drive to bring the city back to life was to re-open Albert Dock and transform its fortunes.

Now a booming area for innovation and arts, the area is a beacon of regeneration in the city.

Whether transforming the steelworks site at Redcar will be on the cards or not, Lord Heseltine’s steely determination could be tested to the limit across the Tees Valley.