DAVID Cameron's second term in power is in its infancy but there are encouraging signs that he really does want to live up to his promise to govern for the whole country.

In the midst of his shuffling of the pack, we welcome two appointments in particular: Middlesbrough-born Greg Clark has taken over from the combative Eric Pickles as Communities and Local Government Secretary; and James Wharton has been rewarded for his retention of the Stockton South seat by being chosen as the man to drive the Northern Powerhouse plan.

These are thoughtful selections by the Prime Minister. He knows that the disproportionate impact of public sector cuts in the North-East is a thorny issue, so having a North-East man overseeing councils is a clever move. He will also be well aware that the Northern Powerhouse plan so far benefits mainly the North-West. Having a man at the helm who is not only a North-East MP but a Tees Valley MP will, in theory at least, help address the imbalance.

On the day after the election result, The Northern Echo voiced its concern that the North-East is in danger of being overshadowed by a greatly empowered Scotland and a Conservative Government built on southern heartlands. We called for greater unity in the north to ensure our voice is heard and more devolved powers to give our region a fighting chance.

The appointments of Mr Clark and Mr Wharton are early steps in the right direction. Mr Clark grew up on Teesside and, regardless of party politics, Mr Wharton has proved himself to be a hard-working, effective constituency MP. We wish them both well in their important new roles.

The North-East is not naive enough to expect favours from either of them – but a greater understanding of what matters to this region will at least be a start.