Newsnight s Nicholas Watt reports from tees valley. An icon of a vibrant industrial past, now out of action, symbolising an area struggling to find its feet. Tees valley, an infant hercules in its days as a World Capital of iron and steel making, is now clearing sites of past glories and looking for new ventures. A painful process with economic decline, alongside pockets of affluence. That has placed this area on the National Political map, and now a mayoral contest with high stakes for the two main parties. A Rumbustious Conservative mayor became the first poster boy of the redwall, after his narrow win here in 2017. Re elected in a landslide in 2021, ben houchen is now hoping to buck the national trend. A local labour stalwart hopes to win back what was once a heartland for his party a win for chris mcewan would ease keir starmer s path nationally. And the lib dem outsider placing the fight of Child Poverty at the heart of his campaign. Over the past decade or so, Tees Valley Felt ne
Also this lunchtime. Emergency brexit talks get under way the eu says it has serious concerns about British Government plans to override parts of the Withdrawal Agreement. The roof of a school bus is sheared off in a crash in hampshire three children are in hospital with serious injuries. New coronavirus guidance is issued to englands universities. There should be face to face teaching for priority courses only and no big parties. And wildlife is dying out at a rate never seen in Human History according to a stark new report from the World Wide Fund for nature. Coming up in sport on bbc news with doncaster races ordered behind closed doors, there are concerns the sport faces a loss of £300 million if fans cant return. Good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. The Health Secretary matt hancock has been defending the governments pledge to carry out millions of coronavirus tests every day. His comments in Parliament Brought laughter from the opposition benches, as leaked officia