Eyes & Ears 06.12.24
It's what you've been missing
Council tax crusade
Hartlepool’s Labour MP Jonathan Brash wants a reform of the council tax system and has set up an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) with the aim of presenting an alternative system to the Government within the next 12 months.
“It’s a completely broken system that’s not fit for purpose,” he told Politics Home.
Council tax was introduced in 1993 to replace Margaret Thatcher’s Poll Tax which charged every household the same fixed sum, regardless of income or the value of the property.
The council tax assigned each property to a band based on value - but more than 30 years later those bands have not been updated and Brash points out that where you live can make a difference of hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds a year.
Earlier this year the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said revaluing council tax to match property values would result in a fall in average bills across most of the North and Midlands.
That would not be good for the finances of councils, but one of the things the APPG will look at is what services local authorities are responsible for - with social care taking up a growing chunk of their expenditure, for example.
The audit trail
It’s been a busy week for the FT’s Jen Williams. First she produced an excellent long read on England’s new breed of mayors and what they could do to fix the left-behind regions.
Then she reported on external auditors refusing to sign off the accounts of the South Tees Development Corporation, a subsidiary of the Tees Valley Combined Authority and chaired by mayor Ben Houchen.
Accountants Mazars said there were “significant weaknesses” in value for money arrangements at the regeneration project.
Williams posted the implications of all of this on her Bluesky account: “For the Teesside taxpayer, there has been no external audit assurance on two of the most crucial and controversial years of the Teesworks project. The Teesside taxpayer has also paid Mazars to provide no opinion.
“The government, which promised a National Audit Office inquiry and hasn’t yet pursued that or a Best Value inspection, doesn’t have assurance either.”
750 jobs saved at Hitachi
Good news today for the region and the 750 Hitachi workers in particular who faced an uncertain future because of an empty order book.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, in an exclusive interview with The Northern Echo: “Today, my Labour government will announce a deal that will secure the future of Newton Aycliffe, uplift our industrial heartlands, and boost rail services for passengers across the UK.
"Our trains used to be the envy of the world. We laid the tracks for others to follow. This government is going to return our railways to that golden era once more. We’re treating those who build our infrastructure with respect and putting the passengers who use it first."
Full marks to the Echo who campaigned to bring Hitachi to the region in the first place and have fought long and hard to keep the factory open.
Wor cabinet papers
QT columnist Arlen Pettitt is a man always worth listening to and he has a particularly interesting Wor Room column on Substack this week.
He has been leafing through the papers of November’s North East Combined Authority cabinet meeting and found a lot to digest.
He said: “I’d advise taking a look at the papers if you’re wanting to know more about what’s being done on coasts and rural growth, investment zones centred around NETPark and other advanced manufacturing assets, adult skills bootcamps, DWP’s Connect to Work Programme in the region, plans for a ‘region of sport’ or the Combined Authority’s corporate plan and strategic priorities.”
The draft corporate plan is in the papers and will next go out to consultation. As Arlen says: “If you exist in this world, and interact with things the Combined Authority is going to be doing, then you need to understand where your work sits against those missions and your part in delivering them.”
No deal on the Horizon
The oldest victim of the Post Office Horizon scandal has been offered less than a third of what she has claimed in compensation. “We’re just treated like dung,” 91-year-old Betty Brown told the BBC.
She and her husband spent more than £50,000 of their savings to cover the unexpected losses which started as soon as the Horizon computer system was installed in her branch in Annfield Plain in County Durham.
Betty, who ran one of the most successful post offices in the area until Horizon was introduced, was one of the original 555 victims who won their battle five years ago in a landmark group legal action led by Alan Bates against the Post Office.
Leader wins confidence vote
The leader of Newcastle City Council has survived a vote of no confidence just two months after she stepped up to the role. Karen Kilgour was installed in October following the resignation of Nick Kemp.
He and five other councillors became independents last month which left the ruling Labour group without a majority. A Liberal Democrat attempt to oust Councillor Kilgour this week failed by 37 votes to 30 with one abstention.
Force to be reckoned with
Police officers are being trained to become stalking specialists to step up the response to violence against women and girls.
County Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Joy Allen has funded the training of 20 police officers to become so-called Stalking Champions so that the crime is "treated with the seriousness it deserves".
The PCC is piloting the model on behalf of Paladin, the National Stalking Advocacy Service, which hopes to set up a network of officers across the country.
Meanwhile, the force is opening a £26 million 'Investigative Hub', near Spennymoor, that is expected to save thousands of hours of police time.
Built to replace aging cells that were criticised in a recent inspection, the two-storey building includes 48 cells and will house specialist detective teams, the crime scene investigation unit, evidence stores, and the firearms licensing department.
Coming on line - at last
The Northumberland Line will finally welcome its first passengers for more than 60 years when the line reopens on Sunday December 15.
Train drivers and conductors have carried out intensive training while hundreds of test journeys have been carried out along the 18-mile stretch of railway connecting south east Northumberland to Newcastle.
Ashington and Seaton Deleval stations will open initially. Newsham will open early in the New Year, with the remaining three stations at Bedlington, Blyth Bebside and Northumberland Park to follow. The project’s final cost is £298 million, £130 million more than originally estimated.
All change for London
LNER is to stop its once-a-day service between Sunderland and London from December 13, blaming a lack of passengers for its decision. The Department for Transport (DfT) said Grand Central runs five trains to London on weekdays and four at weekends, and will run an extra service to replace the LNER one.
Greggs’ ethical examination
They say that sometimes ‘you can’t do right for doing wrong’. Greggs could be forgiven for feeling that way this week.
Their crime? Giving a growing number of pupils in under-privileged areas a free breakfast, with youngsters able to choose from toast, cereal, yoghurt, fruit, milk and juice.
They were among the companies singled out by a British Medical Journal investigation into “stealth marketing” and the ethical questions about the role of commercial interests in children's education.
Greggs, through its Foundation, started its first breakfast club 25 years ago. Today there are more than 1,000 of them, giving 75,000 youngsters a nutritious start to every school day.
Powering on in Hartlepool
Hartlepool Power Station has received yet another extension to its operational life. It was originally due to close in 2014 but had its operational dates changed in 2010, 2016, and 2023.
Energy company EDF has committed a further £1.3bn investment into its five nuclear power stations in the UK, increasing the operational life of four facilities in the process, with Hartlepool continuing to generate zero-carbon electricity until March 2027, a year later than previously announced.
Mark Lees, director of the station which employs 500 staff and 200 contractors, said: “This is great news for this town, this region, and indeed, this country.”
Alexa: Give Dame Margaret an honour
Dame Margaret Barbour was honoured by the British fashion industry at the Royal Albert Hall in London this week. Model Alexa Chung, who has collaborated with the Barbour brand in the past, handed over the Special Recognition Award to Dame Margaret in front of fashion industry royalty.
Empty promise
Councils will be able to auction off leases for commercial properties that have stood empty for long spells as part of a Government drive to revitalise high streets.
Properties that have been empty for more than 365 days in a two-year period will be able to be put up for auction on a one-to-five year lease.
But Richard Wearmouth, the deputy leader of Northumberland County Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "These powers are of very limited use as they come with no meaningful money to allow us to make interventions. Most landlords want their properties to be let and NCC is already active in chasing up owners to try to get them paired up with possible tenants.”
New name for museums
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums has rebranded as North East Museums. This change comes as the organisation expands its portfolio to include three additional venues in Northumberland: Woodhorn Museum, Hexham Old Gaol, and Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum.
Keith Merrin, director of North East Museums, said: “This is a hugely positive and significant moment for both our organisation and our partners to ensure that by working together we can deliver the best museums, galleries and archives for the people of our region and visitors from all over the world.
“We were already working on a new name and brand for the organisation before Northumberland County Council approached us about the potential of managing their museums, and now our new name makes even more sense.”
Sound of silence
Hopes of historic Newcastle music shop JG Windows reopening rest with a buyer coming forward for the business which opened in Central Arcade in 1908. Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, which was initially enlisted to find a buyer in September 2023, has again been instructed to market one of the UK’s best known music shops. Meanwhile, the company has gone into liquidation and 17 staff made redundant.
Going for growth
The recently-appointed CEO of County Durham-based Tekmar has announced a transformative three-year plan aimed at increasing market share and achieving record financial results.
The company provides technology and services for the global offshore energy markets. New boss Richard Turner said the company concentrated on the basics this year and would now look at strategic acquisitions, and more diversified revenue streams with higher margins and positive cash flows.
Power from food waste
Durham County Council has approved plans for a biodegradable energy plant that will turn food waste and farmyard manure into electricity and power homes. Teesside company BioConstruct NewEnergy said the facility, at Bishop Middleham near Sedgefield, would not cause noise or odour nuisance.
THE WIDER VIEW
The Finnish and Fake News
Fake News is one of the curses of the modern era and I was interested in a special report on CNN about how Finland is tackling the problem - and has been for 10 years. In 2014, they rolled out a nationwide anti-fake news initiative to teach everyone, including journalists and politicians, how to spot and fight fake news.
Schools are at the heart of the plan. Critical thinking is now a core part of the curriculum, with children learning how to sort fact from fiction, analysing social media posts, comparing biased articles, and even trying to create fake news themselves to understand how it spreads.
Given that the country shares an 830-mile long border with Russia, the masters of online information warfare, it was no real surprise that the Finnish government took action after Putin annexed Crimea. American experts were brought in to advise on how to recognise fake news, understand why it goes viral and develop strategies to fight it.
The approach appears to be working. Officials found no evidence of Russian interference in the recent national elections which had the slogan: “Finland has the world’s best elections - think about why”. And a host of nations have been heading to the country last named the world’s happiest, looking to learn from the approach of the Finns.
Footnote: Finns are avid readers - its 5.5 million residents borrowed 68 million books last year - and the country tops the charts for having trust in the media, which means its citizens are less likely to turn to alternative sources for news.
Your starter for £119m
The recently-appointed (too late?) Covid corruption commissioner Tom Hayhoe has begun the task of reviewing the £8.7 billion worth of PPE bought during the pandemic that was written off the Government’s books.
The non-profit organisation the Good Law Project has taken to social media to suggest a decent starting point for his endeavours. Although Baroness Mone may be more tempting.
Dawson’s cancer care sale
I won’t be the only one who remembers lethargic Sunday mornings in front of the telly watching Dawson’s Creek on Channel 4. Sad to hear then that James Van Der Beek, who played the title role, is selling memorabilia to pay for his colorectal cancer treatment.
In another reminder that we don’t want a US-style healthcare system in this country, the father of six is selling off items including signed jerseys from the coming-of-age sports comedy drama Varsity Blues.
Entrepreneur eats banana he bought for $6.2m
As James Van Der Beek was announcing the sale of his merchandise, a crypto entrepreneur was munching on a banana he paid $6.2 million for. Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan had duct-taped the banana to a wall and called his artwork “Comedian”.
Justin Sun, founder of cryptocurrency platform TRON, was the successful bidder at Sotheby’s and said the piece “represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.” He then ate the banana at a press conference in Hong Kong last week saying he aimed to become part of the artwork's history and further its cultural significance.
To be fair, the banana only cost Sun $5.2 million. The other $1 million went to the auction house for their efforts. An investigation by Eyes & Ears has failed to ascertain the cost of the gaffer tape or whether it was chucked in as part of a job lot.
THE QT VAULTS
Each week, Eyes & Ears will bring you a reminder of the quality journalism produced by The QT. Regional affairs, business, arts & entertainment, comment & opinion and quality stories told by quality storytellers.
A small selection is already on the Eyes and Ears North East website. More will follow. Here is a brilliant long read from former BBC Inside Out Editor Jacqui Hodgson which was first published in March. Come back and enjoy it over the weekend if you like.
The Past Present and Future of Sacriston
Nathan Hopkins and his energetic dog Penny are welcoming hosts — which is just as well. Last month (February) a leading academic invited a House of Lords Committee to visit Nathan’s village as part of its investigation into failing high streets in towns and villages. If committee members head to Sacriston in County Durham they need to be prepared for some straight taking and inspiring energy.
At first glance there isn’t too much to cheer about in Sacriston. The main street is full of shuttered premises, the odd hairdresser, a couple of mini supermarkets and a plethora of take aways.
“Not like it used to be,“ grumbled one senior local, muffled against a grey drizzly day as he dragged a dog considerably less enthusiastic than Penny on its afternoon constitutional. “It’s gone to the dogs — a shame”.
But beneath the surface there’s a more hopeful story to tell.