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
Reports from tees valley. An icon of a vibrant an icon of a vibrant industrial an icon of a vibrant industrial past, now out of action, symbolising area struggling to find its feet. Tees valley, and infinite hercules in its day, a white capital of imake income is now clearing a site 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 map, and now a mayoral contest with high stakes mayoral contest with high sta kes from mayoral contest with high stakes from the two main parties. A poster boy of the red bull, 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, and a winnerfor heartland for his party, and a winner for chris heartland for his party, and a winnerfor Chris Mcewan Heartland for his party, and a winner for chris mcew
trend. a local labour stalwart, hopes to win back what was once a heartland for his party, and a winnerfor heartland for his party, and a winner for chris heartland for his party, and a winnerfor chris mcewan heartland for his party, and a winner for chris mcewan would ease keir starmer s pass nationally. and the lib dems outsider, placing the outsider of child poverty at the heart of his campaign. 0ver outsider of child poverty at the heart of his campaign. over the past decade or so, tees valley felt neglected by the party that thought it was the area s champion. so voters delivered a series of bloody noses to labour, try electing a conservative mayor and then injecting labour from the conservative mayor and then injecting labourfrom the prized parliamentary seat of hartlepool in a by election, the lowest of low points. injecting labour. that is why this may or context reverberates further beyond here, the tory win, and rishi sunak will grab a lifeline. a labour win and keir starm
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 neglected by the party that thought it was the area s champion. and so voters delivered a series of bloody noses to labour, twice electing a conservative mayor and then injecting labour from the prized parliamentary seat of hartlepool in a by election, the lowest of low points. and so that s why this mayoral contest reverberates way beyond here. a tory win and rishi sunak will grab a lifeline. a labour win and keir starmer, well, he will believe he really is on a roll. i think this is the headline grabber.
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 red wall 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 mcewen would ease keir starmer s path nationally. and the lib dem outsider placing the fight against child poverty at the heart of his campaign. over the past decade or so, tees valley felt neglected by the party that thought it was the area s champion.