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
of more than 70 years. andy edwards from stoke is beginning to fashion a historic piece of public art. and this is how his finished statue of queen elizabeth ii will look. i do feel that pressure but i do relish it because it is what you aspire to, it s the highest honour, to sculpt the queen. and for that to be commissioned by your hometown is even more so. it s a visit in 1973 which has inspired the sculpture. queen elizabeth and prince philip were here to mark the 800th anniversary of newcastle borough s royal charter. the details from that visit are being carefully observed and cast in bronze. the aim is also to capture the spirit of the day. it s so evocative, its just shows what it s like to see people on the streets, being happy, celebrating something. there s not enough of that. even though i couldn t be
of more than 70 years. andy edwards from stoke is beginning to fashion a historic piece of public art. and this is how his finished statue of queen elizabeth ii will look. i do feel that pressure, but i do relish it because it is what you aspire to, it s the highest honour, to sculpt the queen. and for that to be commissioned by your hometown is even more so. it s a visit in 1973 which has inspired the sculpture. queen elizabeth and prince philip were here to mark the 800th anniversary of newcastle borough s royal charter. the details from that visit are being carefully observed and cast in bronze. the aim is also to capture the spirit of the day. it s so evocative, itjust shows what it s like to see people on the streets, being happy, celebrating something.
further in my background and circumstance than the queen, i come from a council estate, not a royal estate, but it s the difference between people that brings us closer together and i think it s important that we feel that we can celebrate things like the queen returning to newcastle. this will be the statue s eventual home. here in queens gardens, there is a statue of victoria, and queen elizabeth s sculpture will be placed so she looks towards her great great grandmother. i think it will be a really fitting tribute to be in such a beautiful place where so many people from good old stoke can see it and people from newcastle under lyme, so i think it s wonderful. she has been queen all my life, she was queen all my life and i admired her. ijust think it will be a very nice idea. work on the statue should be complete by september. 0nce unveiled, queen elizabeth will take her place at the very heart of this town. rowers at oxford university are naming one of their boats river action in h