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Launch of the Homes and Communities Agency in the North East

Nick gave this speech at an event today to mark the launch to the Homes and Communities Agency in the North East:
The Agency have got off to a great start with this launch coming 4 months ahead of schedule.
This is what we are trying to do:
• create opportunity for people to live in high quality, [...]

Advancing Opportunity in the Regions: The Future of the North East

The following is Nick Brown’s introduction to the Smith Institute publication “Advancing Opportunity in the Regions: The Future of the North East”, which was published today.  The complete publication can be found here.
During the last two decades, no English region has done more to help itself than the North East. Comparative studies of the English [...]

Speech to the North East Economic Forum

WHEN WE MET A YEAR A GO IN THE LEGEND’S ROOM AT MIDDLESBROUGH FOOTBALL CLUB, I USED THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE CONFERENCE TO SET OUT MY AIMS AND AMBITIONS AS THE NEW MINISTER FOR THE NORTH EAST AND TO SAY WHAT I HAD ALREADY DONE.
WHAT I WANT TO DO TODAY IS TO REPORT BACK [...]

David and the Georgians

Serious-minded MPs stay out of the silly season by going on holiday, nurturing the constituency or clearing off to the Edinburgh Festival. That’s what I was doing until I picked up the Sunday Times. Normally I throw the paper away and keep the Culture section but, being on holiday, I read David Cameron’s article about [...]

Olympic and the North East

The following is Nick’s response as Regional Minister to a debate on 10th December  in the House of Commons on “Olympics and the North East” raised by Middlesbrough MP Ashok Kumar. The complete debate can be found here.
Mr. Speaker, you are presiding, Sir, over what I think is a pioneering parliamentary event. I believe that [...]

Peter Francis Curran – The First Labour MP in the North East

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Peter Curran’s election as Member of Parliament for Jarrow – the first Labour MP in the North East. Nick Brown gave this speech at a dinner held by Jarrow Labour Party to commemorate the event
100 yrs ago this year, in August 1907, the general workers in Belfast went [...]

The Case for Public Bus Transport has Never Been Stronger

The following is a speech which Nick made in the House of Commons on 8th February, setting out his thoughts on the future for local bus services in Newcastle. You can find the full debate here:
Nick Brown: It is a rare pleasure to follow my right hon. Friend the Member for Knowsley, North and Sefton, [...]

Trident

“Britain will punch above its weight in the world if we spend money on the threats that actually confront us, rather than on those that do not, and spend money on things that those who are poorer and more disadvantaged than ourselves really need.”
The following is Nick’s contribution to a debate in the House of [...]

Strengthening the Passenger Transport Authority

The following is a speech which Nick gave in the House of Commons when introducing a Bill to strengthen passenger transport authorities. You can read the full debate here.
I beg to move,”That leave be given to bring in a Bill to enable passenger transport authorities in certain metropolitan districts in England to regulate passenger transport [...]

Meeting the Millenium Development Goals

The following is a speech which Nick gave in the House of Commons on International Development, in support of a Bill to speed progress towards meeting the Millenium Development Goals, and meeting the UKs target of giving 0.7% GNI in overseas aid. You can read the full debate here.
It is a pleasure to follow the [...]