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 va
Protesters have arrived at Parliament as part of a nationwide day of action , as the coalition Government prepares to unveil its first Budget this afternoon.
Police are urging people to allow extra travel time with a day of nationwide protests due to kick off early tomorrow. Protesters are being urged to meet up.