Tory Teesside mayor slams Labour for doing ‘nothing for this area’ in 50 years

May 18, 2023 at 3:54 PM

Amid the renovation of Europe’s largest brownfield web site in Teesside by a well-liked Tory Mayor, a Labour MP has been informed to repeat his allegations of “corruption” outdoors the House of Commons – and face being sued for defamation – or withdraw them.

Last month, Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald alleged “truly shocking, industrial-scale corruption” to do with the Teesworks regeneration, the cleanup of Europe’s largest brownfield web site forward of a brand new low-tax Freeport zone opening up within the North East.

Mr McDonald made the declare utilizing Parliamentary privileged, which provides MPs the liberty to talk within the Commons with out concern of authorized reprisals of defamation.

Now the Mayor of the Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, has come out preventing; daring Mr McDonald to repeat his corruption declare in public and face being sued for defamation.

Mr Houchen has known as Mr McDonald a “coward”, accusing him of abusing parliamentary privilege and inflicting undue concern amongst buyers.

Mr McDonald made the declare utilizing parliamentary privileged, which provides MPs the liberty to talk within the Commons with out concern of authorized reprisals of defamation.

Now the Mayor of the Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, has come out preventing; daring Mr McDonald to repeat his corruption declare in public and face being sued for defamation.

Mr Houchen has known as Mr McDonald a “coward”, accusing him of abusing parliamentary privilege and inflicting undue concern amongst buyers.

Speaking on Newsnight final evening, Mr Houchen launched a livid tirade in opposition to the Labour Party for pushing questions round a call in 2021 to offer native builders 90 % of the challenge’s shares in return for taking up the liabilities of the location.

The Tees Valley mayor has accused Labour of urgent the matter, which he argues is completely above board, as a result of they’re embarrassed at how rapidly the Tories are making optimistic change within the historically stable Labour heartland.

“The reason for all of this is ultimately Labour did nothing for this region for over half a century, we’ve rocked up in the last three years and we’ve done more than they did in 50 years and they’re embarrassed about it. That’s fundamentally what this comes down to.”

Mr Houchen has backed Labour’s name for a full National Audit Office investigation into the challenge so as to carry a “swift, decisive conclusion” to the scenario.

He passionately claimed: “There is no evidence of corruption, there is no evidence of criminality, they can make these accusations in the Houses of Parliament all they like – there is no example of it. And that’s why I’m supportive of anybody investigating us.

“We have auditors, we’ve got Government, we can have the NAO even look at us again, I don’t care, I’m quite happy and supportive – bring it on.

“The reason why? We know we’ve done nothing wrong, we know an independent inquiry will find that, so let’s just get on with it, let’s get to the end, we know we’re going to get to the end, we know it’s going to be clear and then hopefully we can move on.”

He added that if and when he’s cleared, Labour politicians can have “serious questions to answer”, including Andy McDonald had spoken about corruption however not given a single instance of it.

“You know why? Because there isn’t one.”

Appearing on the present alongside Mr Houchen, Labour’s shadow native authorities secretary Lisa Nandy – who has known as for an investigation appeared to distance her occasion from Andy McDonald’s out-and-out declare of misconduct.

She informed viewers: “I haven’t made a single allegation about [Mr Houchen] or any of those bodies”.

“Andy McDonald – one of the local MPs – has been on this case for some time and has made several assertions but I and the Labour Party have not made allegations about this.”

She stated Labour was merely responding to press reviews and native issues that “hundreds of millions of pounds” have been handed over to a challenge that’s now 90 % in personal arms with no cash in from these personal buyers.

Mr Houchen defined that they haven’t handed over 90 % of the shares to personal buyers, however that they had entered right into a 50:50 relationship from the very begin. The further 40 % was transferred in alternate for the corporate agreeing to hurry up the decontamination programme, after the Teesside Freeport was introduced by Rishi Sunak in 2021.

He defined that the location that wants cleansing up has liabilities of £480 million, principally from the clean-up operation owing to it being the previous web site of the Teesside Steelworks.

The Government gave £240 million to the location, however required the remainder of the required money to return from the personal sector.

“The very clear thing here is, the taxpayer is not on the hook… they’re delivering jobs, they’re delivering investment and it’s a fantastic thing for our region.”

Mr Houchen informed the Express: “The private sector are taking on all £482m worth of liabilities and now the site won’t cost the taxpayer a penny. They will fund it. They will develop it”.

“It’s not a public asset. It’s a massive public liability and we’re making the private sector pick that liability up – not the taxpayer.

“If Teesworks hadn’t delivered that deal, the site would have cost the taxpayer more than £220,000,000 to date. No jobs, no investment and a dangerous closed steelworks as a millstone around the neck of the local community.”

The Express approached Andy McDonald for remark, and requested whether or not he deliberate on repeating his allegation of corruption in public.