Columnists: Ben Houchen
Ben Houchen: Building on the shoulders of giants
5:50am Monday 26th November 2018
WHEN our transport system works well you might barely notice it, but when it doesn’t meet the public’s expectations it can quickly become a make or break issue for politicians.
Ben Houchen: getting the post-Brexit boost in funding out to the regions
6:22am Monday 29th October 2018
TODAY’S Budget is hugely significant, as it will be the last time it is delivered while the UK is still part of the European Union.
Ben Houchen: Take That shows region is on the rise
5:04pm Sunday 23rd September 2018
A FEW weeks ago, TransPennine Express (quietly) put forward a proposal that would've seen a swathe of train cancellations across the Tees Valley, just so it could ease congestion in Manchester and the North West!
Ben Houchen: Ours is a region that is on the up
2:58pm Friday 31st August 2018
ACROSS the Tees Valley, our economy is on the up. Over the past year, almost 1,000 new companies have started up, exports are up six per cent, advertised salaries are up five per cent, our A-Level results are the best in the country, and unemployment has fallen to its lowest level in history.
Ben Houchen: New branch for railway revolution
5:51am Monday 30th July 2018
LET’S bring train-building back home.
Ben Houchen: Breaking free from EU bonds
2:41pm Friday 22nd June 2018
WHILE Westminster politicians were at each other’s throats over the EU Withdrawal Bill last week, I was also in London making sure our voice was heard in the Brexit negotiations.
Ben Houchen: Green shoots are sprouting from devolution
5:02am Monday 28th May 2018
ONE year ago this month, I had the honour of being elected Tees Valley Mayor, representing the area I have always been proud to call home.
Ben Houchen: Trying to bring rugby home to the region
3:16am Sunday 29th April 2018
IN the past few months, I have been working hard to get all eyes on the Tees Valley, shouting about the brilliant things our region has to offer.
Ben Houchen: Lights, camera and lots of action in the Tees Valley
7:49pm Saturday 24th February 2018
ONE of the best parts of being mayor is that you’re the area’s number one ambassador on the national stage. This month the Tees Valley has been thrust into the national spotlight, with barely a day going by where I haven’t been contacted for radio, television or press interviews.
Ben Houchen: Embracing the free port opportunity
5:54pm Sunday 28th January 2018
WHEN we leave the EU, Britain will find itself with more freedoms than at any time in almost half a century. Whether you voted Leave or Remain, we need to look to the future and at the opportunities that are ahead.
Ben Houchen: Now I must deliver for the people
10:53am Monday 27th November 2017
IN September, I chaired a board meeting of the South Tees Development Corporation in Redcar.
Ben Houchen: Putting a spring in the Tees Valley's step
4:54pm Friday 27th October 2017
THE launch of the new South Tees Development Corporation re-enforced to me the serious attention our local economy is being given by the Government, and by international investors and big business. The fact that the Prime Minister put the weight of her office behind the only Mayoral Development Corporation outside London has caused those in leadership positions to pause and give our area a second look.
Ben Houchen: I will deliver on airport promise
5:00am Monday 25th September 2017
NEXT week marks the halfway point in the public sector financial year. In Tees Valley, it marks the special moment that is the start of some of the extra spending that is possible as a result of the unique devolution deal between the Conservative mayor, our local authorities and the Conservative Government.
Ben Houchen: Visit of Theresa May to Tees Valley was 'an important moment in our local story'
1:59pm Tuesday 29th August 2017
LAST week the Prime Minister came to Tees Valley to officially launch the new South Tees Development Corporation.
Ben Houchen: A welcome shift in the balance of power
1:27pm Monday 7th August 2017
I THINK we can all agree that for too long, decisions affecting the Tees Valley have been made by civil servants in London who’ve had no real idea about the facts on the ground.
Monthly column from Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen.
Hannah Chapman
Opinion on the issues of the week by The Northern Echo's editor.
Mike Amos
Stories of the characterful people and colourful places that make the North-East.
Chris Lloyd
Strange and trivial fascinations in a quest to understand today’s world.
Peter Barron
Weekly columns from The Northern Echo's former editor.
Chris Moncrieff
Weekly political comment from political correspondent Chris Moncrieff.
Harry Mead
An offbeat view of the week's events and how they affect the region.
Julia Breen
Anti-injustice, pro-equality, sometimes ragey.
Jo Morris
Regular ruminations of a 30-something reporter from Teesside.
Ben Houchen
Monthly column from Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen.
Mike Barton
Durham Constabulary Chief Constable Mike Barton's monthly column on policing.
