Brexit/election

The race is on – and not before time! The quest for power in one of the most important post-war elections is finally underway.

With polling on 12th December we can expect to be bombarded by politicians and commentators keen to tell us what the issues should be; with Brexit, police numbers, the NHS and schools funding high on their lists. These are all important, but top tier issues should not be allowed to obscure other matters that will affect the development of our city and the excellent progress being made closer to home.

The context is important; Newcastle is doing well. Over NE1’s last two BID terms working with partners has allowed us to add millions to the value of the city’s evening economy, redeveloped the Central Station – with more yet to come, secured investment that’s allowed us to rejuvenate the Bigg Market and expected to leverage a further £60m of private investment in the area, and started work with Newcastle City Council on ambitious plans to help strengthen the city’s retail core around Blackett Street and Northumberland Street re-establishing it as a destination of national significance.

This election gives us a great chance to highlight collective achievements, underline our capacity for effective joint working – across both public and private sectors – and shine a light on the massive potential of Newcastle and the city region. The new occupants in Westminster have just as big a stake in ‘Project Newcastle’ as we do, making sure the city’s offer exceeds all expectations as a modern European regional capital.

So what are the issues that really matter? To my mind they revolve around policies – to improve our connectivity and our environment, so supporting our thriving businesses and encourage new ones. Our transport systems need investment. There is a compelling case for upgrading the East Coast line and expanding the Metro network. East Coast rail is the main north/south rail artery for our visitors. Whilst Newcastle-London generally works well the route across to Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool is poor. Speeding that up, and improving reliability, would be a real boon for business. If it’s HS2 then so much the better – but that’s years away. We need an improvement sooner than that.

A commitment to air quality and the environment goes hand in hand with investment in our local public transport. It is really excellent to see how the new North of Tyne Combined Authority has worked with the four south Tyne authorities to make an ambitious bid for over £400m to be spent on prioritising sustainable, environmentally friendly travel across the region. Whatever the outcome, and let’s hope the new cohort of Westminster MPs recognise the return they’ll get from making this investment, another real win for business is seeing how the seven LAs have pulled together so effectively. In post-Brexit Britain, the ability to present a united North Eastern front, is going to be more important than ever before.

Tech Nation puts Newcastle as one of the top locations for digital start-ups and last year, investment in digital businesses was among the highest in the UK. We have a brilliant track record; we’re home to global digital businesses such as Sage and the location for a large proportion of the 40,000 jobs in the North East created in the digital sector are here in the city. And, with the region’s tech sector showing 82% growth in 2018, there are really excellent prospects for building a high performing jobs ecosystem. The ability to combine brain power in one place, and the accelerated innovation expected from it, has global significance.

Our built environment forms a critical part of the legacy for future generations. It’s good to see cranes on the Newcastle skyline. Landmark buildings, such as the impressive Hadrian’s Tower, are taking their place in the cityscape. Buildings help set the tone for places.The government needs to apply policy that affect our built environment; how we tax buildings, how we regulate their energy consumption, the criteria we use to develop our cities. In particular the system used for Business Rates is well overdue for reform. It is not fit for purpose and is stifling innovation and change. Many businesses in Newcastle would benefit from an overhaul that created closer parity between online retail businesses and those with a bricks and mortar offering. The property tax system needs to respond to protect what we value most about the places where we live and work. An Amazon warehouse doesn’t contribute towards the sense of ‘soul’ we get from the buildings, businesses and people that form a community in our towns and cities. This matters and it needs to be protected.

We have been talking about Brexit for more than three years. Parliament has been paralysed; after this election it really must make room for other issues that will shape our lives. In Newcastle, we are ready to implement new ideas, able to innovate for the future and can demonstrate we are willing to collaborate in partnership with the next government to deliver results that people expect and deserve.