Eyes & Ears Extra 29.06.25
It's what you've been missing (but may not have realised)
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Wishlist revisited
Welcome to another Eyes & Ears Extra. There were a couple of things that I ran out of time and space to publish on Friday, plus I wanted to revisit an article we published in The QT a year ago, just before the General Election on July 4.
It was called One wish, one paragraph, one hundred people. We said to a wide range of individuals, including the newly-elected North East mayor, that if an election genie could work their magic on the next prime minister and grant them one wish, what would it be?
The list was long and varied but some favourites did emerge. And it’s interesting to look back at some of them 12 months later.
That is at the end of this edition. But first…
Beamish IS the best
Beamish has been named Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025 - the UK’s most prestigious museum award which comes with prize money of £120,000.
Chief Executive Rhiannon Hiles accepted the award at a ceremony in Liverpool, calling it “a phenomenal achievement” and a tribute to the staff, volunteers, and communities that make Beamish so special.
Telegraph writer Lucy Denyer was in no doubt that it was a deserved winner. She wrote:
“In the town print shop, the shopkeeper’s inky fingers move fast as she turns the letterpress frame over and slots in a new section of type. Behind her hang rows of prints, pegged to a line to dry before being sold in a shop down the road.
“In this first-floor room, the air is suffused with the smell of burnt sugar from the sweet shop below, where women in white aprons are making cinder toffee in front of a gaggle of wide-eyed schoolchildren. Outside, a woman in a long skirt, straw hat and suffragette sash worn across her chest, stops to talk to a man in a suit and bowler hat as a tram clatters past.
“I haven’t quite stepped back in time, but I’ve come pretty close. This is the 1913 town at Beamish – the open-air, living museum in County Durham, where visitors can buy bread freshly made using a historic recipe in Herron’s bakery, set their teeth tingling with a batch of cinder toffee from the sweet shop, have their portrait taken in JR & D Edis Photographers’ studio, and enjoy a pint of local ale in The Sun Inn.
“It is no wonder that it has just won Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025. After all, where else can you hop straight from the Edwardian era into a 1950s cinema just by getting on a tram”?
There’s more of that here.
Nissan jobs to go
Office personnel and some floor supervisors are being offered voluntary severance packages at Nissan in Sunderland as part of a global savings scheme.
Around 250 jobs are expected to be lost but the 're-cap' programme will not impact on manufacturing staff.
A Nissan spokesperson said: “Our Sunderland plant remains at the forefront of our electrification strategy, with the new Leaf coming later this year, a new EV Juke arriving next year and our new e-POWER system coming to Qashqai soon. In order to support future competitiveness, we are beginning discussions with some of our team in Sunderland about the opportunity to voluntarily leave Nissan, with support from the company.”
Open for questions
Sunderland University said it welcomes questions from the council over its decision to close the National Glass Centre and will continue to be open and transparent with answers.
Save the National Glass Centre campaigners, meanwhile, said they were “surprised and delighted” to see cross-party support at the council for the demand for more information and called for the building to be taken into public ownership.
Only yesterday
The headline said Children’s memories unearthed from time capsule. It had my attention.
I then discover that the time capsule was buried under a paving slab outside Newcastle’s Theatre Royal as part of the city’s millennium celebrations.
Millennium celebrations! But that was only a few years ago.
Wasn’t it?
One wish, one paragraph, one hundred people - one year on
The North East election wishlist collated by The QT in June last year was long and varied. Some favourites did emerge, however.
Ending child poverty, investing in the NHS and social care, taxation and planning, and a return to honesty, integrity and standards in public office were key themes. You be the judge as to how well Sir Keir Starmer’s government is doing in meeting those expectations.
John McCabe, chief executive, North East Chamber of Commerce did his best to justify his contribution being just one wish: “If I had to boil the Chamber’s election asks down to a single priority it would be around the future of work. I’d invite the new government to work with us on measures to address child poverty, improve educational attainment, tackle the mental health crisis in our schools and build a skills strategy fit for the future.”
North East mayor Kim McGuinness was even more loose with the one-wish concept: “I wish for more, real devolution to give local people control of our future in the North East. The gap between us and London has grown despite the previous government’s commitment to so-called levelling up. Too many young people are growing up in poverty and feel left behind. We will make this region the home of real opportunity and we have made the first step. We’ll use it to create jobs, fix our broken transport system, fight child poverty and create an infrastructure of opportunity. But we can go further and go faster with more devolution and more local decision making.”
John Marshall, a man of many hats in the North East, split his wish in two: “To acknowledge health inequalities and food poverty and introduce positive steps on the journey to eliminate both. A focus on prevention is needed just as much as cure.”
Quick wishes:
Claire Riley, who was recently awarded an OBE for her services to the NHS, said: “Eradicate child poverty.” Ian McElroy, chief executive Tier One Capital: “Add first aid and personal finance to the national curriculum from the start of primary school.” Claire Malcolm, CEO New Writing North: “Telling the truth about climate change.” Matt Boyle, OBE, formerly of PEMD Innovations: “A green-based industrial strategy that survives an administration change.” Trai Anfield, wildlife photographer: “Stop destroying the tiny, precious remnants of nature we have left in this country.” Rachel McBryde, Founder & Director McBryde and Co: “Invest more money in the renewable energy sector, particularly in offshore wind.” Nham Lee, Commercial Growth Specialist: “Education, more money for teachers, smaller classes and more focus on individual learning needs.” Lucy Nichol, author and PR: “Nationalisation. Remove essential services from the hands of profit makers, so that decisions, relating to water cleanliness, health, energy, rail, etc, are made based on societal needs and not fat cat bank balances.” Nigel Emmerson, ex Womble Bond Dickinson, now general counsel at The Gibson O’Neill Group: “Reverse the 40 year decline in Legal Aid funding so that the general public can be adequately represented in civil and criminal cases. Access to justice for all is a fundamental part of our society. Without it dangerous times lie ahead.” Erica Turner, Partner, Head of Commercial Property, Jacksons Law Firm: “Undertake a complete overhaul of the business rates system.”
NHS and social care:
Bob Hudson, academic and QT columnist: “Tony Blair promised to fix it; he didn't. Boris Johnson said he had a plan; he hadn't. The failure to address the crisis in social care is the longest running policy failure of recent times. The next government must sort this out. Doing so requires: no bluster about seeking an all-party consensus - act immediately; proper funding of local councils to ensure service delivery; implementation of existing (but perpetually delayed) legislation to put a cap on care costs for individuals; appreciating that social care is a distinct service, not one that exists merely to help out the NHS; reviewing the role of large corporate providers of services; and, most of all, listening to what users and carers say about the type of support they need and want.” David Haley, Vice President of Growth, Kyndryl: “Primary and social care HAS to be finally tackled without the worry of losing votes. The NHS is an amazing organisation but needs serious root and branch review and change.” Bob Cuffe MBE, chair, vice chair and NED: “With two disabled children I’ve had over 30 years experience of the care sector. From parents looking after their children, to the wonderful team at NEAS keeping Liam happy, safe and well, through to social care - the system and those toiling in it are ignored and undervalued. I’d like a complete review from childhood to old age - and to see a system that financially recognises the worth of carers.” Sophie Milliken, CEO of Moja: “It would be good to see a proper reform of the NHS. From the crazy 8am scramble to get a GP appointment through to waiting lists and disgruntled junior doctors, there’s a lot that would make it better!” Ray Laidlaw, Lindisfarne: “I believe the NHS is the UK’s greatest achievement. I also think the majority of people agree with this statement and that most taxpayers would be prepared to pay a little more, say £10 or £20 per month, if they knew that this money was only to be used to finance the NHS, to get it working properly again and keep it out of the hands of greedy, private health care companies.” Arthur Mackenzie, playwright and screenwriter: “Everyone deserves care and dignity in old age and sadly this is left to a piecemeal system. Care workers paid on minimum wage whilst private care homes charge maximum and rake in the profits.” Polly Brennan, Adventurous Coaching: “To fix the healthcare system so that people could have quicker access to essential treatments and that it could become a sustainable place to work and help people.”
Child poverty:
Alison Dunn, CEO Citizens Advice, Gateshead: “That is super easy for me. It’s the two-child benefit cap. A policy that is draconian and causing immense hardship to our poorest families. I’d scrap it in the blink of an eye.” Hannah Davies executive director Health Equity North: “Tackle child poverty. We’re cheating the next generation, stifling their life chances by not giving them the potential to flourish. To end this neglect, the next government needs to invest in welfare support for families in poverty, or at risk of poverty, invest more in education in the poorest areas, in social care for families, for care leavers and those in danger of going into care, and get rid of the two-child cap.” Paul Callaghan CBE, chairman The Leighton Group: “We live in an affluent country yet here in the North East more than a third of our children live in poverty and so I would like the incoming government to scrap the two-child cap.” Loujane Alasi, communications professional: “It’s not right that children and young people are being left behind and stunted from reaching their potential in school, in the community and at home. We need to reverse youth service cuts, properly invest in our schools and remove the two-child policy limit.” Bill Scott, OBE, Chief Executive at Wilton Group: “I would like to stop child poverty. It’s extremely sad to see that one million children are living in EXTREME poverty. I would suggest that a government cross-party group be specifically set up with representative front-line stakeholders from around the UK to create best practice to eradicate this appalling situation.”
Taxation:
Mark Quigley, Head of Personal Injury, Sintons LLP: “Scrap income tax for everyone earning £30k and under.” This was echoed by digital entrepreneur Herb Kim: “Raise the UK income tax personal allowance to £40,000 to reward work, help the cost of living crunch and slow rising income inequality. Steve Rawlingson, CEO Samuel Knight International: “Higher tax rate on personal earnings would be a good start.” Geoff Hodgson, Chair, Nigel Wright Group: “Sort out HMRC. For example processing of R&D claims.” Charlie Hoult, executive chair Opencast Software: “Differential taxation so the North East could reduce tax, allowing there to be a financial advantage to invest and employ people in the region, or for folk to retire here.”
Culture:
Mark Robinson founder and director Thinking Practice: “Put arts, culture and creativity back in the heart of education and, outside the curriculum, invest in a massive devolved programme employing hundreds and thousands of creatives in schools, youth clubs (also revived!) and communities, from early years to universities.” Corinne Lewis-Ward, chair Generator Union: “My wish would be that culture is an integral part of their strategy for growth, rebuilding communities and the visitor economy. And that supporting neurodiverse creatives in particular is a priority. Both of which will have a positive impact upon our high streets, employment and boost our local and national economy.” Keith Merrin, director Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums: “Address the crisis affecting many cultural institutions outside of London after years of pressure on local government funds.” Jamie Eastlake, Artistic Director and co-founder at Laurels Theatre: “Get ‘Creative Partnerships’ reintroduced. It was a staple of the last Labour government’s investment in grassroots as their flagship creative learning programme.”
More quick wishes:
Nicki Clark OBE, chief executive at UMi: “That the plans and investment decisions are focused on long term change and outcomes, not short term quick but unsustainable 'fixes'.” David Dunn, CEO Sunderland Software City and Dynamo North East: "The UK needs to focus on creating a tech talent pipeline, this would make the UK stand out amongst its global peers and accelerate both domestic company growth and inward investment.” Sally Young, former chief executive, Newcastle Council for Voluntary Services: “My wish would be for the next Government to reintroduce SureStart (Mark II) Centres. Maybe rebadged as New Start.” Professor Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor, Durham University: “That the incoming government looks to the future through the eyes of our students and young people.” Nicola Jayne Little, Founder and CEO, Celebrate Difference: “Have some dignity for people with disabilities, whether physical or 'invisible' and sort out all the issues with payments that people are entitled to.” Rob Williamson, OBE, Chief Executive Tyne & Wear Community Foundation: “Take civil society as seriously as you do business and the public sector. If the sector is allowed to thrive, it can get on with addressing issues like poverty, lack of opportunity, climate change and more.” Gavin Webster, comedian: “I've no interest in HS2, what I'd be really keen to see however is the government introduce late trains between all the major cities seven days a week.” Laura Seebohm, Chief Executive, WWIN Domestic Abuse Services: “Establish a cross-party task force working across all government departments to actively tackle violence against women and girls.”
Standards:
James Ramsbotham CBE, chair Newcastle Building Society: “My biggest wish would be for a thorough reform of our governmental system including a requirement for honesty and strict adherence to the Nolan Principles and proportional representation. It’s all about standards in public life.” Stuart Lynn, NED Newcastle Building Society: “To restore trust and work cohesively and with integrity for the entire country, not just for traditional 'southern' regions and specific demographics.” Keith Taylor, UK Land Estates: “The one wish that I’d like to come true is that we elect a government that has integrity, honesty and standards. It’s a fundamental of any leadership team and we’ve been without it for far too long.”. Bill Dodd, Northumberland farmer: “After 14 years of austerity, lying, grifting and greed, introduce some compassion back into political life.”
Housing and planning:
Mark Henderson, chief executive, Home Group: “A housing strategy set in stone for the lifetime of the next two governments.” Ruth Parker, CEO, Emmaus North East: “More affordable homes, rent caps, support for those facing poverty and deprivation and an increase in resources for mental health support. And absolutely against national service.” Nigel Mills, CBE, co-founder The Lakes Distillery Co: “The current planning rules and regulations are a barrier to growth and change. I would like to see the planning rules reformed to allow timely decisions to be made based on the needs of the community and society.” Lesley Fairclough, Partner, Ward Hadaway: “A much needed and long overdue radical review and simplification of the planning system.”
And finally
“We don’t need to do different things, but we need to do things differently,” said Steve Beharall, CEO at Newcastle United Foundation: “I would wish that a new government would allow one per cent of the Local Government Pension to be invested in projects in the North East to create more jobs, build our economy and still make a return for the pension fund. There is money in the system and it needs to be unlocked and invested in the right way in our local communities rather than globally. More homes, more jobs, more industry, more opportunities for local people and businesses.”