The New Minister for the North East
The new Leader of the Labour Party has formed his first administration and has asked me to join it as the Minister for the North East and Government Deputy Chief Whip. It’s a great combination of jobs but I am particularly enthusiastic about the new Minister for the North East role.
The job is new and I expect the role will develop over time. It is already clear however that the most important part of the job is acting as a champion for the region at the heart of Government.
I am determined to be the Minister for the whole region and to work very closely with the other Members of Parliament, including those from opposition parties.
I also want to do what I can to help the region’s elected councillors maximise the benefits to the region arising from Gordon Brown’s sub-national Government review. There are huge opportunities in this to shape our own priorities and to push forward the projects that we want.
I believe very strongly in public service. Perhaps more than anything else I welcome the chance to show that properly organised, properly led public service can lead the drive to raise living standards right across the region.
The result of the referendum on regional government for the North East of England tells me that local people do not want more bureaucracy, more bulky documents and more hot air. I intend to do my Ministerial job for the region in a blunt, straightforward way, and set out to deliver practical results so that people can see what I set out to do and how far I got with it.
Our region has clear priorities which include jobs, the employment base, skills and training, and the transport infrastructure. Over the next few weeks I will be undertaking a series of visits to establish local views on priorities. I want to meet as many people as possible – I look forward to seeing you soon.
