Tees Valley Mayor: 'It's really positive that the new Government is doubling down on devolution'
Lord Ben Houchen met with Sir Keir Starmer earlier this month
The Mayor of the Tees Valley says meeting the Prime Minister was a 'good start' but 'actions speak louder than words'.
Lord Ben Houchen, and other Metro Mayors, met with Sir Keir Starmer earlier this month about devolved Governments.
Lord Houchen said: "The Prime Minister and this Government recognise that Mayors across the country are absolutely essential if he wants to achieve his growth goals as part of his Government. He doesn't want to borrow more, he doesn't want to cut services or increase taxes other than where he set them out in the manifesto. He needs to unleash growth and he was very clear in saying that the only way the Government can succeed is if he allows Mayors to succeed.
"It was a really positive start generally and from my point-of-view as the only Tory Mayor left at the moment, it was nice to see the Prime Minister inviting me before that meeting to have a one-on-one meeting with him. I've never known Keir Starmer before, we've never met before and it was nice for him to hold out that olive branch and say that he wanted to work with me.
"I was very clear with him that he's the Prime Minister of this country and if he succeeds then the country succeeds. I'll work with anybody to help my area succeed as well, so I think it's a good start on both a personal level to work with this Labour Government to try and get things done and secondly, I think it's a really positive thing that they're doubling down on devolution.
"Ultimately actions speak louder than words and we're in very early days of what I think is a very positive and constructive relationship, but time will tell and we'll have to wait and see how that pans out. I did say to the Prime Minister that Teesside is the centre of the decarbonisation agenda, we've got billions of pounds worth of private investment both landed and coming, and if he wants to achieve his growth goals then he needs to support the plans that we have in Teesside."