Last week started for me at the Conservative Party conference. This is the second in a sequence of three conferences that take place in what is referred to as ‘conference recess’. This year we started with the Lib Dem’s followed by Conservative and then Labour. These conferences enable the parties to meet their members and listen to interested groups lobbying and also they are a platform for keynote speeches from each party’s representatives. In the case of the Conservatives who are in power these are delivered by the PM and his key Cabinet members whereas for the others it is the appropriate Shadows.
Backbench MPs, like me, take the opportunity to engage in fringe events where they have a particular interest, listen to colleagues and debate opinions, talk to their party about future initiatives or campaigns and lobby Ministers and Secretaries of State about local or national issues.
My primary agendas at this year’s conference were to talk to DLUHC ministers about Levelling Up, Transport Ministers about Ferryhill, The Leamside line and buses generally and anybody else I saw that I could influence to be aware of priorities for my constituents. I took the time to meet many local members who were attending and particularly to attend speeches by the Chancellor and the Prime Minister.
The big policy issue that dominated conference was HS2 due to speculation about potential cancellation of the stretch from Birmingham to Manchester. Whilst I supported HS2 initially, as I believe we need more rail capacity, I am now unhappy as to how things have been re prioritised as at the time I was supporting HS2, I also wanted to see improvements to East-West Rail through Northern Powerhouse Rail alongside the reinstatement of the Leamside line and stations like Ferryhill. Because of the financial pressures delivered through Covid and the War in Ukraine, as well as the spiralling costs of HS2, a review was appropriate.
I am delighted to see Ferryhill Station approved and funds directed to the North East that can help the delivery of the Leamside line. The Leamside is a stretch of mothballed railway that runs from Ferryhill up to Pelaw, it would improve capacity on the East Coast Main Line and connect the many communities along its route. This would have huge regenerative impacts for anyone near it. The Leamside line will ultimately be the decision of the North East Mayor and their Cabinet. Amongst other things the NE Mayor will have huge influence on what happens in our area for Transport and Investment.
I thought it would be worth explaining the NE Mayor Role. The mayor will take similar responsibilities to those that Ben Houchen has across the Tees Valley, or Andy Burnham for Manchester, except it will be for the seven Local Authorities from Co. Durham to Northumberland, which is why you can see it referred to as the LA7. The focus is all about inward investment, economic growth and infrastructure improvements, essentially anything that will improve the opportunities for residents. The election will take place next May and currently the declared candidates are from Labour and the Independent, formally Labour, incumbent of the North of Tyne authority that will be subsumed into the North East Mayoralty. The Conservatives are currently in their selection process and I assume the Lib Dem’s and others will also be selecting soon.
Once the conference finished I took a few days away whilst the Labour Party conference took place, I will be back in time for the AGM at the PCP and look forward to that. We will then be back to Parliamentary business until the Kings Speech, which will be on 7th November, so if you want me please get in touch.
Finally, I was shocked, as everyone was, by the appalling news that has emerged from Israel and Gaza since the morning of Saturday 7th October. The action of Hamas is both brutal and cruel and has already caused the deaths of hundreds of innocent Israelis and will do nothing to assist the plight of their own citizens. Like everyone, I am deeply concerned by what has happened and the consequences that could follow, but I back the solidarity the UK Government has shown Israel and will continue to monitor developments closely.