Labour rivals vying for the party’s nomination to be North East mayor have both made pledges on transparency, amid a controversy over corruption allegations on Teesside.
Levelling up secretary Michael Gove confirmed this week that he will open an independent review into the Teesworks site in Redcar, with Labour MPs having accused Conservative Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen of wrongdoing regarding the transfer of assets to private developers. While Mr Houchen has welcomed the investigation and insisted that there is “no corruption, wrongdoing or illegality” at what is the UK’s largest freeport, the affair has sparked questions over how robustly mayoral combined authorities in England are being scrutinised.
As campaigning kicks off in the race to be named the new North East mayor next year, a position that will hold far greater money and powers than the region currently possesses, both Kim McGuinness and Jamie Driscoll have pledged that their administrations would operate transparently. The Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and the existing North of Tyne mayor are battling to claim Labour’s candidacy for a mayoral election next year and become the clear favourite to be the political figurehead for Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham under the area’s new £4bn devolution deal.
