Journal Live - Blog Central

Trouble in North Tyneside

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 11:12:32 +0000

ONCE again I have covered for the excellent Paul Linford and produced one of them politics columns in Saturday's Journal.

IF an elected mayor is the answer, what could possibly have been the
question in North Tyneside?

If you build it...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:48:57 +0000

Today's politics column on the mission facing the North East local enterprise partnership, and the PR firm brought in to help.

IT'S not quite 'the economy, stupid' but the Local Enterprise Partnership has had a similar blunt message of how to succeed.

The power behind the throne

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:54:21 +0000

Saturday's politics column, looking at the two senior civil servants creating a secret sense of regionalism.

THE Coalition has a trust problem, one the North East has yet to figure out how to play.

A visit from Clegg

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:19:00 +0000

Once again I had the delight of stepping in for Paul Linford as Saturday's Journal political commentator. To bring me crashing back down to Earth I put together a what really happens when ministers visit type piece.
For those who didn't read it, enjoy.

NICK Clegg has a curious talent for being able to pretend he recognises regional journalists.

Democracy in action

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:30:54 +0000

Why are you people not showing up for Newcastle full council? Because we had a lot of fun last night.

Our hero?

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:49:44 +0000

Saturday's Journal column, as the ever insightful Paul Linford continues to do whatever it is he does on holiday.

THOSE of us covering local politics like to think we move in pretty exclusive circles, assuming the definition of exclusive is expanded to mean access to people others aren't too fussed about.

Yes, we receive emails

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:36:35 +0000

As well as keeping literally some readers up to date on regional politics type stuff, I also occasionally help out on the news desk for The Journal and our sister papers.
This affords me a fine insight into the world of general news, a sample of which I provide here.

Heading South

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:33:41 +0000

PAUL Linford, responsible for The Journal's political insight via his weekly column, was away this weekend. Yours truly covered for him. Since most of you would have been busy looking through Homemaker I've reproduced Saturday's article here. Enjoy...

IAIN Malcolm is that curious thing in the North East - a man who is not completely crazy about football. So why then has the South Tyneside Council leader been seen on several
occasions at the Stadium of Light?

Newcastle Council: A user's guide.

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:23:40 +0000

THAT live twitter coverage of council meetings is all the rage at the moment, but the 140 characters format has its limitations. 140 to be exact.
So, here is a guide to who's who at Newcastle Council.

Only slightly good applicants need apply.

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:08:24 +0000

So, farewell Peter Arnold. Science City's loss is some other science thingy's gain.

What the city wants now is a new man in charge. But not one as good as Peter, apparently. Newcastle Science City has admitted a slimmed down project doesn't need a man of his calibre.

2.5 weeks is a long time in politics

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:40:16 +0000

If everyone who received money from the public sector was paid on condition they spoke in the same honest and down to Earth manner of One North East chairman Paul Callaghan we wouldn't all be so keen on the taxpayers alliance.
Everyone likes him, including, or so we thought, Vince Cable...

The number you have dialled has not been recognised...

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 13:55:19 +0000

It is easy to lose track of what has been cut and what has been scrapped, such is the unseemly rush this coalition seems to be in to get the pain out of the way before the next general election.
But surely Philip Hammond can keep track? He is, after all, in the cabinet.

Confidence in conference centre?

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 10:54:22 +0000

Politics is a devious business, with many a public statement differing from the private reality.
So the planners behind a Tyneside conference centre and science park could be forgiven for thinking Sir Ian Wrigglesworth was asking them to read between the lines when he said his Regional Growth Fund should not be used to continue scrapped regional development agency projects.

Leaping over the LEP issues...

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 11:12:20 +0000

Eric Pickles has apparently said Local Enterprise Partnerships can bid for European Regional Development Fund cash. Great. Money that councils could already bid for is now available to council partnerships as well.
What Eric hasn't answered, and is doing his best to avoid answering, is who will be handing out that cash to LEPs.

Regions are dead - long live the regions

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:19:14 +0000

Almost without surprise, the Government has indicated its replacement plans for regional economic support in the North East might not be so well thought through. All those Local Enterprise Partnerships, five across 12 councils, have been told they may have to look again at larger groupings.

That we don't already have justÃÂ one or twoÃÂ partnerships covering the North East is because of a little something the rest of the region refers to as "that Geordie capital".