I UNDERSTAND a top agency has been given the job of finding a new brand for Middlesbrough. I suggest there is an obvious front runner, arrogantly ignored for decades.
Like my own borough, Middlesbrough is still part of the North Riding of Yorkshire.
Arthur Mee’s ‘Yorkshire North Riding’ (1941) describes the town as being ‘the only county borough in the Riding, with a population above 150,000 and a name known all over the world’.
Is it just coincidence that the Yorkshire connection coincides with Middlesbrough’s glory days?
It is time our local Labour leaders admitted that their repeated attempts to brand our area with trans-Tees labels have failed. Teesside and Cleveland County were both abolished and it won’t be long before Tees Valley goes the same way. Meanwhile, Yorkshire has gone from strength to strength and is now one of the world’s strongest brands.
Instead of turning its back on this great success story, Middlesbrough should shout its Yorkshire identity from the rooftops. Why look elsewhere when the answer’s there on a plate?
Steve Kay, Redcar & Cleveland Independent councillor
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here