I was in Newcastle yesterday urging local people to back a city mayor. The alternative is continued failure on major regeneration projects.The launch of our Yes campaign to the Mayor vote in May sees voters being asked if they want to replace city leadership with a directly elected, and potentially very powerful, city mayor. The photo is taken with Jon Jo MacNamara, spokesman for the Yes Campaign and Newcastle Conservatives chairman Will Holloway, as we did a tour of some of the City's failed projects such as Newcastle’s East Pilgrim Street scheme, a regeneration effort which has repeatedly failed to get off the ground. Clearly what the city needs is new businesses and jobs - which is not helped by a semi-derelict entry to the city centre.
My view is that an elected mayor would be a really strong voice not just locally but directly to Government. If the Prime Minister wants to make a decision which affects Newcastle right now who does he call? An elected mayor would provide real leadership for this city which is the flagship of our region.
After campaigning in newcastle I also got the chance to go to North Tyneside to help in the local election campaigns there
