Eyes & Ears 17.01.25
It's what you've been missing
Numbers not adding up
Some universities have seen income from overseas students drop by as much as £10 million year-on-year as a result of a fall in applicants, an analysis by PoliticsHome of newly published accounts shows.
Other institutions have continued to see the number of overseas students enroll increase, but fall far short of targets - meaning a negative impact on finances.
Vivienne Stern, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said the downward trend would be more severe in next year’s figures.
The PoliticsHome report highlights Sunderland University’s accounts which show an underlying operating surplus of £7.7m lower compared to the previous year “against a backdrop of a less favourable level of income growth than that achieved in recent years, due to the decline in international student intakes”.
Stern said universities "have seen this coming now" and have had a year to make "very significant cuts".
Those cuts are already causing unrest, and there is to be a ballot over strike action at Newcastle University and unhappiness from the University College Union (UCU) over the way a restructure is being implemented at Sunderland.
Electric boost on Wearside
The site of the unused Nightingale Hospital, which was set up during Covid, is to be home to 180 skilled workers after a key supplier of Nissan secured £12 million from the Government's Automotive Transformation Fund.
Jatco, a global automotive automatic transmission manufacturer, is setting up the new factory at the International Advanced Manufacturing Park in Sunderland, right next to Nissan, where it will create motors for electric vehicles. The £49 million factory is expected to be operational in 2026.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said yesterday: "Sunderland is the beating heart of the UK’s automotive industry. Today’s announcement is a massive vote of confidence in the UK economy.”
Tomoyoshi Sato, the firm's CEO, said: “I am very grateful for the support of the UK Government, Sunderland City Council, and all others involved in the establishment of Jatco UK. We are delighted to bring the manufacture of our 3-in-1 powertrain to the UK.” The company already has plants in Mexico, China and Thailand.
Cyber attack
Gateshead Council have said criminals launched a cyber attack on their computer system last Wednesday and admitted some people’s personal data had been accessed.
It is not known how many residents have been affected by the attack, which happened in the early hours of January 8, and they have advised people to watch out for phishing emails or fraudulent activity, and to change passwords if they are concerned.
The attack is being investigated by the North East Regional Crime Unit.
An age old problem
The boss of Northumbria Healthcare has warned that the trust will need to provide 240 more beds by 2040 to meet the needs of an ageing population.
Executive medical director Dr Alistair Blair admitted the figure was 'scary' - it’s equivalent to a hospital the size of the specialist emergency care hospital (NSECH) at Cramlington - and said it did not take into account population growth as a result of the Government's new housing targets.
Six months on…
In next week’s Eyes & Ears we will have an op-ed from Matthew Johnson, Professor of Public Policy at Northumbria University and Chair of the Common Sense Policy Group.
In July last year he talked to Simon Rushworth, Associate Editor of The QT about why the first 100 days will be critical for Keir Starmer. Next week he will reflect on that and assess how the new Prime Minister has done in his first six months in Downing Street.
The original article is our selection this week from The QT Vaults which you can read more about at the end of this newsletter.
Not good enough
Cleveland Police has been graded inadequate for both "responding to children at risk of harm" and "investigating child abuse, neglect and exploitation". HM Inspector of Constabulary Michelle Skeer said the force did not have enough trained officers and highlighted evidence of "victim-blaming language".
Cleveland Police said changes had already been implemented and the report reflected the challenges of Teesside's "high levels of social deprivation".
Two into one
British Steel appears to have changed its mind about building an electric arc furnace (EAF) at its Teesside plant in favour of having two in Scunthorpe. It was originally planned to have one in each location.
EAFs are key to the steel industry’s decarbonisation plans and British Steel’s Chinese owners, Jingye, have been in discussions with the Government about the scale of state support to help with its greener transition.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told The Northern Echo that he wanted a deal done but it wasn’t his job to tell British Steel where.
Good golly…
A sculpture honouring the women who kept Wearside's shipyards running during World War II has been unveiled in Sunderland by MP Bridget Phillipson. 'Molly', a life-size steel statue, now stands on the riverside walkway in the city and is the latest addition to a riverside sculpture trail shining a spotlight on Wearside's shipbuilding heritage.
Headlines hit home
There’s often a local news angle to major news stories around the world - as Peter Barron will know only too well from his years as Editor of The Northern Echo. This week, however, it was a little too close to home as his brother talked about his evacuation from the wildfires in Los Angeles.
Your feedback
Really pleased to see that some of you are leaving comments after reading Eyes & Ears. More of that please. I was a bit surprised to get this one, however: “Sadly the content seems very left of centre. Much prefer my news more balanced.”
Left of centre? Do you agree with this gentleman? Feel free to disagree. But bear in mind the principles of The QT’s Civilised Society section - you can disagree, so long as you disagree agreeably.
Would appreciate your thoughts on what you have read so far.
Last week’s extract from North East Bylines about where the blame should lie for the Gateshead flyover fiasco, which you can read here, prompted this response: “Interesting end to it about rough justice, which smacks a wee bit of ‘sorry it’ll have to be you, in the absence of a clear villain.
“I actually have some sympathy with the council. They’ll have carried all the regulatory safety checks, pestered government for money. That’ll be on record. How forceful they were e.g. warning bells etc has to come out.
“Basically, it’s a political mess but rather than blame/accountability (that’s for later), local officials should be on the offensive - I’d be pretty sure that’ll be happening behind closed doors.”
Another reader appreciated the two new additions to Eyes & Ears - the Nicholas cartoon and this column by Professor Bob Hudson on adult social care.
“Loved the cartoon! Made me laugh amidst the pretty depressing news. Also liked the piece by Bob Hudson - but how many years have we all been saying all this?”
Another reader responded to Bob’s column: “Good overview of all the challenges facing any plan for social care provision.
“The fundamental lack of funding won’t go away until a government manages to convince the electorate that we need to raise more taxes - they could make a start with inheritance tax, drastically lowering the threshold for it, taking more for estates which include property, and tackling the general unfairness of inherited wealth more robustly.”
Region on top
The North East was one of the standout performers in terms of regional business activity growth, according to the latest NatWest UK Regional Growth Tracker for December 2024.
The North East recorded a Business Activity Index of 55.1, indicating strong output growth. Malcolm Buchanan, chair of the NatWest North regional board, said: “Business activity growth in the North East was the strongest of the 12 monitored UK regions and nations for the first time since September 2020.”
Business bites
OnPath Energy has opened a new HQ in Sunderland and announced ambitious plans to invest around £1 billion in clean energy projects across the UK over the next five years. The company, formerly Banks Renewables, was acquired by Brookfield Asset Management in 2023. The employment team at Newcastle-based Mincoffs Solicitors, has been bolstered by the arrival of Hannah MacLeod, the sixteenth member of staff to join the expanding company in the past 12 months. Gateshead-based IT firm TSG says is on the acquisition trail after their latest accounts showed a third consecutive year of more than 10% growth, with turnover rising more than 12% to £39.8m. Despite difficult trading conditions, high-end furniture retailer Barker and Stonehouse remains committed to investment and sustainability initiatives in a year which saw turnover down 17% to £78.4m and operating profits drop from £3.4m to £913,000. The new owner of fuel tank maker Fablink has collapsed just three months after buying the company out of administration. The majority of the group's 427 staff have been made redundant, including around 200 in Bishop Auckland. Jarrow-based UTS Engineering is on a recruitment drive after securing a contract with Thames Water. The company is looking to add 50 staff, bringing headcount to around 500.
THE WIDER VIEW
Better way to make education fairer
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is planning to cut some of the freedoms academy schools enjoy in England to refocus on improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
Critics say academies are hugely successful, but Professor Stephen Gorard, Director of the Evidence Centre for Education at Durham University, says his research shows there are better ways to make education fairer.
“It is time to halt the absurd practice of introducing new kinds of school that are claimed to be better than existing ones, but are only available for a minority of children. The variety of schools in England includes foundation schools, academies, free schools, grammar and faith schools.
“None of these is necessarily better (or worse) than local community schools. Once differences in intakes are controlled for, the type of school attended in England is not linked at all to differential attainment results.” You can read his full article here.
Taking cover
The new Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, has got people talking about the singer’s Marmite voice, says The Conversation. If you’re not so keen on the “voice like sand and glue”, they give you six covers of Dylan songs that an expert on song-writing believes are better than the originals.
You can click on the link above to read the views of Dr Glenn Fosbraey from the University of Winchester. But his list does not include this brilliant cover of To Ramona by Irish singer-songwriter Sinead Lohan. Surely some mistake?
What’s your favourite cover? Doesn’t have to be a Dylan song.
Wired for pounds
You’ll have heard of someone having a bee in their bonnet. But what about a rat under their bonnet? The BBC morning programme Rip Off Britain this week had a focus on the growing menace of rats in car engines, causing repair bills that can run into the thousands.
Apparently, rats are attracted to the insulation material around the wiring systems, which are often made from soy or other plant-based materials. And, of course, the warmth and shelter of a car's engine compartment make it an attractive nesting spot. You have been warned.
In for a penny…
Former North West Durham MP Richard Holden may be regretting his latest written question to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, reports the Huffington Post. The former Tory chairman and current MP for Basildon and Billericay called for the removal of gender-neutral toilets in the Home Office - only to be told they had been installed by his government in 2017.
THE QT VAULTS
From The QT: Why the first 100 days will be critical for Starmer
In July 2024, Simon Rushworth talked to Professor Matthew Johnson, the North East-based chair of the Common Sense Policy Group, about what should be top of the new government's in-tray
It’s a fascinating and insightful interview in which Matthew admits: “I got very lucky.
“I think I’m probably the last generation of people who were able to grow up with parents who were welfare dependent — and who are still welfare dependent — and who were able to have a normal life, to own a house, to get a good job and to earn a good salary.
“I can't imagine people who grew up on our income being able to be successful these days, in the same way as I was. I feel real guilt about this because, after the financial crisis and the 2010 General Election, I bought entirely into the idea of austerity.
“I, like many others, thought that reducing the deficit, reducing expenditure and streamlining the economy was a good thing that would leave us in a much better position in the long term. I was wrong.
“I say I was wrong because I didn't really understand the circumstances that often make it difficult for people to get on in life. And I think one of the good things about working with evidence is that the evidence has persuaded me that I was wrong.”
You can read the full article by clicking the button below. In next week’s Eyes & Ears, Matthew provides an update and gives his thoughts on Keir Starmer’s first six months as Prime Minister.