WITH just weeks to go until the Tees Valley Mayor election, council leaders have announced who they are backing in the forthcoming poll.

Independent council leaders Andy Preston in Middlesbrough, Mary Lanigan in Redcar and Shane Moore in Hartlepool have announced their support for Conservative Ben Houchen, who is standing against Labour's Jessie Joe Jacobs.

The councils in the Tees Valley are also made up of Conservative-led Darlington and Labour-led Stockton.

Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said: “Middlesbrough’s at the very heart of the Tees region so I’m massively pleased that all of our towns are revelling in a new sense of optimism and ambition.  Great things are happening.  

"Ben Houchen deserves huge praise and support for this because he’s personally driven so much of it.  Ben’s determination, positivity and passion for Teesside has won us the UK’s second biggest freeport, which is already bringing thousands of well-paid jobs for Teessiders via the awesome GE Renewable Energy project. 

"Let’s keep this positive momentum and build on it by voting for Ben Houchen on May 6th.”

Redcar's Cllr Mary Lanigan said: “If it wasn’t for the work done by our Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, the former Redcar steelworks would still be languishing, deserted with SSI and the three Thai banks trying to hold our steelmaking communities to ransom by demanding hundreds of millions of pounds.

"Instead, we have control of all the land and we’re getting on and breathing new life into the site with over 500 well-paid jobs already created and thousands more to come.

“We have the freeport that will create 18,000 jobs over the next five-years and plans have been agreed or submitted that will create over 20,000 – smashing the target set in the masterplan for the site’s redevelopment.

"The closure of our steelworks in 2015 was a hammer blow to our town and our communities that many people thought would take decades to overcome. Nobody thought just a few years on from that dark day we would be here, at the beginning of a new dawn for the site and our communities.

"We’ve achieved so much over the last four years, but we cannot risk everything we’ve accomplished by going back to square one. That’s why I want to see Ben re-elected as our Tees Valley Mayor on May 6th.”   

Hartlepool's Cllr Shane Moore said: “For decades our region had been forgotten with investment drying up and jobs being lost, with local people feeling the Government had turned its back on us.

"But under the leadership of Ben as our mayor all this has changed. Our region is being taken seriously in Whitehall like never before; we’re now a magnet for international investment thanks to the Teesside Freeport and the Teesworks site, both of which are creating thousands of skilled, well-paid jobs for local workers.

“We need a mayor who will put local people first, who’s more interested in working with Council’s and Government to improve the lives of people who live in Hartlepool, Darlington and Teesside rather than one who’s more interested in cheap political point scoring. That’s what we get with Ben and that’s why we’ve achieved so much working together.

“Nobody wants to go back to the dark days of our region being ignored and side-lined, but that’s what will happen if Ben is not returned as mayor, so I urge everyone to vote for Ben Houchen on May 6th.”

Mr Houchen, who was elected Tees Valley Mayor in 2017, has vowed to "continue with the plan I've started" if re-elected, including the continued redevelopment of Teesside Airport, the new Teesside freeport, the redevelopment of Teesworks, and improvements to public transport.

Speaking previously, Mr Houchen said: “Over the last four years we have made real progress, we’ve saved our airport from closure and secured new flights to more destinations, we’re breathing new life into the former Redcar steelworks and creating thousands of jobs, the UK’s biggest freeport will be right here in Teesside creating 18,00 skilled jobs that will put more money in the pockets of local workers, and hundreds of government jobs are being created for local workers with Treasury North and Trade North coming to Darlington.

“The choice at this election is clear, we can stick to the plan that’s working and delivering investment and jobs for local people, or we can go back to square one with Labour with a mayor who would rather play political games than work with Government to deliver for local people.”

Last month, Labour's Ms Jacobs unveiled her manifesto which included plans for a virtual reality theme park in Hartlepool, £30m fund to invest in the tourism and culture sectors, and a commitment to improve high streets and create green jobs of the future.

Ms Jacobs said: "I'm not surprised that the independents are supporting the Tory mayor but it’s disappointing leaders feel they need to curry favour for what they can get from the mayor. Under my leadership I will never put party politics above the needs and what is best for our people.

"To that end, I will work with leaders from all parties and our independents for the benefit of their towns and the Tees Valley as a whole should I be elected on May 6th.

"I have built good working relationships with people all across the political spectrum in all our towns and across all sectors of business. I have won endorsements and support from everyone from electricians and construction workers to business leaders. I will work for everyone.

"I will deliver for the whole of the Tees, all our communities and all our people, including those that have been left behind over the last decade. 

"For the benefit of all our people and places we need to end the divisions, stop the Labour bashing and get on with shaping a new Tees that works for all. Unity and working together is the only way to secure the best future for all of us."