130-492: Tees Valley is a combined authority area in North East England , around the lower River Tees . The area is not a geographical valley ; the local term for the valley is Teesdale . The combined authority covers five council areas: Darlington , Hartlepool , Middlesbrough , Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees . The town of Middlesbrough is the largest population centre in the area. The borough of Middlesbrough
260-469: A Greater Manchester Combined Authority as an indirectly elected top-tier strategic authority for Greater Manchester . Following the unsuccessful English mayoral referendums in 2012, combined authorities have been used as an alternative means to grant additional powers and funding as part of 'city deals'. In 2014, two indirectly elected combined authorities were established covering the ceremonial county areas of South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire , and
390-513: A general power of competence . The powers and functions to be shared are agreed by the metropolitan district , non-metropolitan district , non-metropolitan county or unitary authority councils. In 2014, the government consulted on changes to the legislation governing combined authorities. Proposed changes included extending the legislation to Greater London, Wales, and Scotland. The Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 received royal assent on 28 January 2016. The act allowed for
520-541: A no-deal Brexit off the table first" and secure a negotiated Withdrawal Agreement, expressed in particular by its enactment against his will of the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019 , often called the Benn Act, after Labour MP Hilary Benn , who introduced the bill. After failing to pass a revised deal before the first extension's deadline of 31 October 2019, Johnson agreed to a second extension on negotiations with
650-499: A 'Great South West' grouping of Cornwall , Devon , and Dorset (possibly with Somerset ), and another in Lancashire. The white paper was delayed and was eventually published on 2 February 2022. The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 enhanced devolution and created a new form of authority called a combined county authority. The act allowed for more broader functions to be devolved to new and existing CAs and CCAs, and created
780-537: A CA, and a county council can become part of a CA even if only some of the non-metropolitan districts that make up the county are within the combined area. A local authority may only belong to one CA. CCAs can only be formed by upper-tier authorities: county councils and unitary authorities. The members of a CCA are appointed by its constituent councils. In addition, a CCA may appoint additional members and allow another body to nominate members; these members are non-voting unless decided otherwise. There are three stages to
910-446: A Conservative government either. Their focus would be on remaining in the EU. Under the first-past-the-post electoral system, there is often concern, especially in marginal seats , that if voters of similar ideological leanings are split between multiple different parties they may allow a victory for a candidate with significantly different views. In the early stages of the campaign, there
1040-664: A Heart of Wessex combined authority. Previous plans in Hampshire have included a Solent Combined Authority in South Hampshire (potentially alongside the Isle of Wight) and a 'Heart of Hampshire' Deal including the remainder of the county. However, these plans were rejected in the South due to objections from Isle of Wight Council, and in the North of the county due to disagreements and the likelihood of
1170-671: A Mayor from 2002 to 2013. The current Tees Valley Mayor is Ben Houchen . The Mayor is responsible for Tees Valley's strategic planning and is required to produce or amend a plan for each electoral cycle. Two Lord Lieutenants ( Durham and North Yorkshire ) are appointed by the borough's ceremonial counties. The following is a chart of the Gross Value Added to the UK economy by the Tees Valley Combined Authority region, aggregated by industry. The Tees Valley Enterprise Zone
1300-436: A case-by-case basis. The Conservatives and Labour insisted they were on course for outright majorities, while smaller parties were quizzed about what they would do in the event of a hung parliament. The Liberal Democrats said that they would not actively support Johnson or Corbyn becoming Prime Minister but that they could, if an alternative could not be achieved, abstain on votes allowing a minority government to form if there
1430-630: A central part of the Conservative campaign via the slogan " Get Brexit Done ". The Brexit Party was in favour of a no-deal Brexit, with its leader Nigel Farage calling for Johnson to drop the deal. The Conservative manifesto read "If we elect a majority of Conservative MPs to Parliament, we will start putting our deal through Parliament before Christmas and we will leave the European Union in January" which ultimately happened. The Labour Party proposed
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#17328525844261560-463: A combination of employees and government". The IFS said that Labour's vision "is of a state not so dissimilar to those seen in many other successful Western European economies", and presumed that the manifesto should be seen as "a long-term prospectus for change rather than a realistic deliverable plan for a five-year parliament". They said that the Liberal Democrats manifesto was not as radical as
1690-476: A deal, with leaders of both unitary authorities indicating a preference for a rotating chair instead of a mayor. A proposal for Lancashire failed in 2017. Council leaders agreed to the concept in June 2020, with suggestions of reducing the number of districts into three unitary authorities, or implementing a single unitary authority instead of a combined authority. The three proposed successor authorities would cover
1820-639: A deal. Rutland was previously a district of Leicestershire between 1974 and 1997 before becoming a unitary authority, but is open to joining a Leicestershire deal. A Norfolk and Suffolk mayoral combined authority was proposed in November 2024 alongside a reorganisation of the existing two-tier local government structures in to a smaller number of unitary authorities . A proposal for a single Yorkshire Combined Authority, dubbed One Yorkshire, has been proposed for some time, but failed to gain government support, being rejected in 2019. The proposal had support from 18 of
1950-611: A further two which each covered a metropolitan county and adjacent non-metropolitan districts: the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for Merseyside and the Borough of Halton unitary authority; and the North East Combined Authority for Tyne and Wear and the unitary authorities of County Durham and Northumberland . In 2016, a combined authority was formed for the metropolitan county of
2080-547: A green industrial revolution. This included support for renewable energies and a promise to plant 2 billion trees by 2040. The party also promised to transition to electrify the United Kingdom's bus fleet by 2030. The Liberal Democrats promised to put the environment at the heart of their agenda with a promise to plant 60 million trees a year. They promised to significantly reduce carbon emissions by 2030 and hit zero carbon emissions by 2045. By 2030, they planned to generate 80% of
2210-569: A high speed new rail line between Leeds and Manchester. Labour proposed significantly increasing government spending to 45% of national output, which would be high compared to most of British history. This was to pay for an increased NHS budget; stopping state pension age rises; introducing a National Care Service providing free personal care; move to a net-zero carbon economy by the 2030s; nationalising key industries; scrapping Universal Credit ; free bus travel for under-25s; building 100,000 council houses per year; and other proposals. Within this,
2340-494: A hung parliament was that it would do no deals with any other party, citing Corbyn to say: "We are out here to win it." At the same time, it was prepared to adopt key policies proposed by the SNP and Liberal Democrats to woo them into supporting a minority government. The UUP said they would never support Corbyn as prime minister, with their leader Steve Aiken also saying that he "can't really see" any situation in which they would support
2470-423: A mayor. Leicestershire County Council proposed a combined authority in 2015, with discussions after including an East Midlands deal. A Leicestershire deal has also been proposed by government but without Leicester; as the whitepaper stipulates a minimum population of 500,000, Leicester or Rutland would not be able to form individual devolution deals; both Leicester and Rutland have been proposed as joining part of
2600-620: A multi-year single settlement, replacing a large number of individual grant funding streams for which they must submit individual competitive bids. In his 2024 budget , Hunt said that the North East Mayoral Combined Authority would have the same trailblazer deal. In return, the CAs would face greater oversight, including quarterly scrutiny sessions by new committees of local MPs. Since the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023
2730-461: A national innovation catapult, is based at the Wilton Centre, the former corporate headquarters of ICI, which has become a multi-company research and development centre: along with CPI there are now some 60 other companies, including the cluster body NEPIC, using these R&D and business development facilities. This centre is now one of Europe's largest R&D facilities focusing on developments in
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#17328525844262860-513: A new District Council of Langbaurgh (this took its name from the ancient Danelaw Wapentake of Langbaurgh of which if had formed the northern part.) These had formerly being parts of the North Riding of Yorkshire. Local government reorganisation in 1996 saw the county of Cleveland broken up: the boroughs became unitary authorities . The boroughs were placed into the counties of North Yorkshire and County Durham for ceremonial purposes . In 1997,
2990-434: A renegotiation of the withdrawal agreement, towards a closer post-withdrawal relationship with the EU, and would then put this forward as an option in a referendum alongside the option of remaining in the EU. The Labour Party's campaigning stance in that referendum would be decided at a special conference. In a Question Time special featuring four party leaders, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said that he would stay neutral in
3120-497: A representative in the combined authority. The TVCA, amends the mayor's annual budget (by two-thirds majority). It does not have the power to block the mayor's directives. The Mayor of Tees Valley is a directly elected politician who, along with the Combined Authority, is responsible for the strategic government of Tees Valley. There are other mayors for the boroughs of Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees. Hartlepool also had
3250-523: A split and two name changes, at dissolution, this group numbered five MPs who sat as the registered party The Independent Group for Change under the leadership of Anna Soubry . Two MPs sat in a group called The Independents , which at its peak had five members. One MP created the Birkenhead Social Justice Party , while a further 20 MPs who began as Labour or Conservative ended Parliament as unaffiliated independents. Seven MPs, from both
3380-476: A substantial increase in creation in recent years. There are currently eleven such authorities, created between 2011 and 2024. A CA or CCA may not cross over to another combined area. Following the abolition of metropolitan county councils and the Greater London Council in 1986, England had no local government bodies with strategic authority over the major urban areas of the country. In 1999, following
3510-615: A successful referendum , the Labour government created a strategic authority for London (the Greater London Authority ), but no bodies were established to replace the metropolitan county councils outside London. The Blair government instead pursued the idea of elected regional assemblies , although following an unsuccessful referendum in 2004 in the most positive region – the North East – this idea had few proponents. In October 2010
3640-452: A wider area. In areas where local government is two-tier, both must participate in the combined authority. A combined county authority ( CCA ) is a similar type of local government institution introduced in England outside Greater London by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 , but may only be formed by upper-tier authorities: county councils and unitary authorities . The members of
3770-700: Is a conventional CHP power station and a biomass power station operated by Sembcorp on the Wilton chemical site. Hereema Fabrication Group make North Sea platforms at the A1048/ A179 roundabout in Hartlepool. Wilton Engineering's 50 acre fabrication and maintenance site is in Port Clarence . Barker and Stonehouse make furniture north of Middlesbrough next to the A66/ A178 junction. The Teesside Steelworks near Redcar
3900-460: Is a type of local government institution introduced in England outside Greater London by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 . CAs are created voluntarily and allow a group of local authorities to pool appropriate responsibility and receive certain devolved functions from central government in order to deliver transport and economic policy more effectively over
4030-685: Is an enterprise zone which encourages industrial development. It was initiated by the local enterprise partnership Tees Valley Unlimited and its creation was announced by the government in 2011. At its launch, the zone contained 12 sites. Four of these sites offer enhanced capital allowances , aimed at large manufacturers. These sites are Wilton International and South Bank Wharf, both in Redcar and Cleveland, Port Estates in Hartlepool and New Energy and Technology Park in Billingham , Stockton-on-Tees. The remaining sites offer reduced business rates . In March 2015
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4160-602: Is headquartered in Middlesbrough adjacent to Middlesbrough railway station. Main Triple-digit roads Bus Most of the area is served by Stagecoach's Tees Flex network, a pre-bookable service running in and around the valley, mainly serving Stockton on Tees, Darlington and Redcar and Cleveland. Services are operated by a dedicated fleet of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minibuses. Stations The stations, by borough, are as follows: Lines Services York -based LNER serves
4290-580: Is located in Thornaby . Tetley Tea have had their only tea bag factory in the UK at Eaglescliffe , in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees, since 1969. It is the largest tea bag factory in the world and makes 18 billion tea bags a year. Its distribution centre is at nearby Newton Aycliffe in County Durham. Teesport is on the River Tees and is currently the third largest port in the United Kingdom, and amongst
4420-421: Is part of a long-term ambition to create a combined authority Hertfordshire districts have given support for a deal, but was not included in the 2022 white paper. The original proposal was for a Norfolk and Suffolk Combined Authority, before it was replaced with an East Anglia proposal including Cambridgeshire and Peterborough . The East Anglia plan failed, reverting to the original two plans. Whilst
4550-610: Is the smallest of the five, at only 54 square kilometres (21 sq mi) and a population of 148,285: the Stockton-on-Tees borough (including multiple towns) is the largest with an area of 205 square kilometres (79 sq mi) and a population of 199,966, as of 2022. From 1968 until 1974, parts of the area were included in the County Borough of Teesside council area. This was replaced by Cleveland county ; it had four borough councils which became unitary authorities after
4680-478: The 1935 general election . The Scottish National Party (SNP) made a net gain of 13 seats with 45 per cent of the vote in Scotland, winning 48 of the 59 seats there. The Liberal Democrats increased their vote share to 11.6 per cent, but won only 11 seats, a net loss of one since the last election. The party's leader, Jo Swinson , lost her seat to the SNP, thus triggering the 2020 party leadership election , which
4810-611: The 2015 general election . In the 2017 general election , May lost her majority but was able to resume office as a result of a confidence and supply agreement with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), known as the Conservative–DUP agreement . In the face of opposition from the DUP and Conservative backbenchers , the second May ministry was unable to pass its Brexit withdrawal agreement by 29 March 2019, so some political commentators considered that an early general election
4940-454: The 2019 suspension of rebel Conservative MPs for going against the party line by voting to prevent a no-deal Brexit . Of the 21 expelled, 10 were subsequently reinstated, while the others continued as independents. The major parties had a wide variety of stances on Brexit. The Conservative Party supported leaving under the terms of the withdrawal agreement as negotiated by Johnson (amending May's previous agreement), and this agreement formed
5070-551: The 2024 United Kingdom general election , the new Labour government decided against pursuing single authority devolution deals, instead preferring the formation of multi-authority combined authorities. Thus plans for Elected Leaders in Norfolk and Suffolk were dropped. Whilst not included in current plans, discussions are ongoing between local authorities and the government on an eventual deal. Whilst not included in current plans, discussions are occurring between local authorities and
5200-474: The Borough of Darlington also became a unitary authority . Tees Valley is divided into seven and a part UK parliamentary borough constituencies : Each constituency is made up of wards . Four constituencies were held by the Conservative Party after the 2019 general election , up by three since the 2017 general election . This was expanded to five after the 2021 Hartlepool by-election . Labour hold
5330-498: The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough plan succeeded, the Norfolk and Suffolk plan failed, with King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council voting to reject the deal, and Norfolk County Council cancelling a subsequent planned meeting on the topic. The District and County Council previously disagreed over the election of a mayor. The government and the county council signed a devolution agreement on 8 December 2022, which included
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5460-412: The County Borough of Teesside in 1968. However in 1974, the county borough was disbanded. The 1974 reforms created the county of Cleveland , including Hartlepool , the former Urban Districts of Guisborough , Saltburn and Marske, Skelton and Brotton and Loftus. Four boroughs were also created. Hartlepool, Stockton which had formerly been part of County Durham were created along with Middlesbrough and
5590-656: The West Midlands ; as a consequence, all former metropolitan counties are now covered by combined authorities. In 2016, the first combined authority to not cover a metropolitan county was formed. This was Tees Valley , which covers the area of the former county of Cleveland (now four unitary authorities in the ceremonial counties of Durham and North Yorkshire ), together with the unitary authority of Darlington . Two further combined authorities which do not cover ceremonial counties or former metropolitan counties were formed in 2017: West of England , comprising Bristol and two of
5720-707: The leader of the Conservative Party and as prime minister in July 2019. Johnson could not persuade Parliament to approve a revised withdrawal agreement by the end of October, and chose to call a snap election , which the House of Commons supported under the Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019 . Opinion polls showed a firm lead for the Conservatives against the opposition Labour Party throughout
5850-475: The prime minister Boris Johnson , won a landslide victory with a majority of 80 seats, a net gain of 48, on 43.6 per cent of the popular vote, the highest percentage for any party since the 1979 general election , though with a narrower popular vote margin than that achieved by the Labour Party over the Conservatives at the 1997 general election . This was the second national election to be held in 2019 in
5980-586: The subsequent election . Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union In July 2016, Theresa May was elected Prime Minister to succeed David Cameron , who had resigned following the 2016 Brexit referendum . The Conservative Party had governed since the 2010 general election , initially in coalition with the Liberal Democrats and then alone with a small majority following
6110-480: The women's football pyramid , Middlesbrough and the Norton and Stockton Ancients play in the fourth tier (Division One North). As of the 2022-2 season, there are fourteen Rugby Union Football Clubs in the region, Darlington Mowden Park is in the highest division compared to the rest of the clubs: ECB PL 's North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League : Combined authority A combined authority ( CA )
6240-476: The 20 Yorkshire councils, with Sheffield and Rotherham both preferring the South Yorkshire alternative . The Mayor of South Yorkshire , Dan Jarvis , also supported a One Yorkshire proposal. A combined authority was agreed for York and North Yorkshire in 2022 (see below), and in the same year negotiations began regarding an authority for East Yorkshire and Hull (also below). Berkshire County Council
6370-449: The 2010 election, in coalition with the Liberal Democrats from 2010 to 2015. At the 2015 general election, the Conservative Party committed to offering a referendum on whether the United Kingdom should leave the European Union (EU) and won a majority in that election. A referendum was held in June 2016, and the Leave campaign won by 51.9% to 48.1%. United Kingdom invocation of Article 50 of
6500-446: The CA or CCA is formally created, dissolved, or altered by a statutory instrument . A number of CAs and CCAs were created in 2024, including the North East Combined Authority , East Midlands Combined County Authority , and York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority . Nine CA and CCA mayors were elected during the 2024 United Kingdom local elections , including the newly created Mayor of
6630-460: The CCA are appointed by its constituent councils. In addition, the CCA may appoint additional members and allow another body to nominate members; these members are non-voting unless decided otherwise. CAs and CCAs are predominantly created in areas where they are considered likely to improve transport, economic development, and regeneration, but their creation is encouraged by Government and there has been
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#17328525844266760-583: The Coalition Government introduced measures to replace regional development agencies , which were described as inefficient and costly. They were superseded by local enterprise partnerships , voluntary groups whose membership was drawn from the private sector with local authority input. Earlier in 2010, the Government accepted a proposal from the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities to establish
6890-573: The Conservative government performed a spending review, where they announced plans to increase public spending by £13.8 billion a year, and reaffirmed plans to spend another £33.9 billion a year on the National Health Service (NHS) by 2023. Chancellor Sajid Javid said the government had turned the page on 10 years of austerity in the United Kingdom . During the election, the parties produced manifestos that outlined spending in addition to that already planned. The Conservative Party manifesto
7020-481: The Conservatives and Labour, joined the Liberal Democrats during Parliament, in combination with a gain after the 2019 Brecon and Radnorshire by-election . By the time Parliament was dissolved, the Liberal Democrats had raised their number from 12 at the election to 20 at dissolution. One reason for the defections from the Labour Party was the ongoing row over alleged antisemitism in the Labour Party . Labour entered
7150-455: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities” with hopes for a ministerial meeting. The Original proposal for Cumbria failed in 2017. A subsequent attempt for a single unitary authority failed in 2019, leading to a new proposal for a combined authority in late 2019, alongside replacing the two-tier system with two unitary authorities. As the initial plan for the unitarization
7280-498: The Electoral Commission's Register. Those who do not belong to one must use the label Independent or none. In the 2019 election 3,415 candidates stood: 206 being independents, the rest representing one of 68 political parties. The Conservative Party and Labour Party have been the two biggest political parties, and have supplied every Prime Minister since the 1922 general election . The Conservative Party have governed since
7410-643: The England-only Mayoral Council , and of the UK-wide Council of the Nations and Regions , both of which were established by the incoming Labour government in 2024. CAs and CCAs consist of two or more contiguous English local government areas. The creation of a CA or CCA is voluntary and all local authorities within the area must give their consent before it can be created. The local authority of any district of England outside Greater London can join
7540-644: The European Union and finally secured a revised withdrawal agreement. Parliament agreed to an election through a motion proposed by the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party (SNP) on 28 October. The Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019 (EPGEA) was passed in the House of Commons by 438 votes to 20; an attempt to pass an amendment by opposition parties for the election to be held on 9 December failed by 315 votes to 295. The House of Lords followed suit on 30 October, with royal assent made
7670-544: The Exchequer , Jeremy Hunt , announced in his 2023 budget speech that "trailblazer deals" had been struck with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and West Midlands Combined Authority which included reforms to their funding models. As part of these deals, the combined authorities will be treated in a similar manner to government departments at the next spending review and each will be allocated
7800-458: The Labour Party proposed to take rail-operating companies, energy supply networks, Royal Mail , sewerage infrastructure, and England's private water companies back into public ownership . Labour proposed nationalising part of the BT Group and to provide free broadband to everyone, along with free education for six years during each person's adult life. Over a decade, Labour planned to reduce
7930-459: The Labour manifesto but was a "decisive move away from the policies of the past decade". The Conservative manifesto was criticised for a commitment not to raise rates of income tax, National Insurance, or VAT, as this put a significant constraint on reactions to events that might affect government finances. One such event could be the "die in a ditch" promise to terminate the Brexit transition period by
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#17328525844268060-638: The Lucite International Acrylics factory and the Mitsubishi battery chemical plant are on the other side of the town. Exwold Technology operate their two extrusion and packaging facilities in Hartlepool. Banner Chemicals are adjacent to the A66 in Middlesbrough. Aldous Huxley 's visit to the former ICI plant in Billingham inspired Brave New World and this unit now makes fertiliser for Growhow, using 1% of
8190-497: The NHS as "simple, progressive and would raise a secure level of revenue". The IFS also said plans to "virtually quintuple" current spending levels on universal free childcare amounted to "creating a whole new leg of the universal welfare state". The IFS said that the SNP's manifesto was not costed. Their proposals on spending increases and tax cuts would mean the government would have to borrow to cover day-to-day spending. They concluded that
8320-730: The North East , Mayor of the East Midlands , and Mayor of York and North Yorkshire . Several new combined authorities and combined county authorities have been proposed. In 2022 a government white paper was published which included nine areas invited to take part in devolution deals. In September 2024, the UK Government agreed to the formation of mayoral combined authorities for Hull and East Yorkshire, and Greater Lincolnshire, and non-mayoral combined authorities for Lancashire, and Devon and Torbay. In early 2022, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay were selected as one of nine pilot areas in England by
8450-499: The SNP included a second referendum on Scottish independence to be held in 2020, as well as one on Brexit, removing the Trident nuclear deterrent , and devolution across issues like as employment law, drug policy, and migration. The Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the SNP, and Labour all supported a ban on fracking in the United Kingdom , whilst the Conservatives proposed approving fracking on
8580-545: The SNP's plans for Scottish independence would likely require increased austerity. The Conservatives proposed increasing spending on public services, including the NHS and education. They also proposed increased funding for childcare and on the environment. They proposed more funding for care services and to work with other parties on reforming how care is delivered. They wished to maintain the triple lock on pensions. They proposed investing in local infrastructure, including rail, bus, cycle, and electric cars. They pledged to build
8710-570: The Secretary of State for approval in early May 2024. The Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority is scheduled to be created in the Autumn of 2024 following parliamentary approval. After the government rejected the One Yorkshire proposal (see above) and a cross-Humber deal with North Lincolnshire failed, a Hull and East Riding alternative has been proposed. Negotiations have begun with government on
8840-401: The South Essex plan favoured retaining the current status. The Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government stated in a letter that he did not favour the plan for a South Essex Combined Authority, but would be willing to discuss it. Seven councils in Sussex including Brighton and Hove have an economic board which coordinated development, skills and collaboration between councils. It
8970-413: The Tees Valley are provided by Northern Trains . TransPennine Express has inter-regional services from Saltburn to Manchester Airport, via Leeds . Teesside International Airport serves the area and has a regular service from Amsterdam , Schiphol airport . The area is served by BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV Tyne Tees , the local based-television station Local TV Teesside also broadcast to
9100-476: The Treaty on European Union came in March 2017, and Theresa May triggered a snap election in 2017, in order to demonstrate support for her planned negotiation of Brexit. Instead, the Conservative Party lost seats. They won a plurality of MPs but not a majority, and the result was a hung parliament . They formed a minority government , with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as their confidence and supply partner. Neither May nor her successor Boris Johnson ,
9230-411: The UK government in the Levelling Up White Paper for "County Deal" negotiations. However, Plymouth City Council decided to withdraw from the deal in November 2023. Devon and Torbay proceeded without Plymouth with a joint proposal for a Level 2 Devolution Deal, a Combined Authority without a directly elected mayor. The deal was approved by both Devon County Council and Torbay Council and submitted to
9360-448: The UK government. The two councils have already formed a Joint Executive Committee and Economic Growth Body. A proposed devolution deal was narrowly voted against in 2016, but has re-emerged in 2020. A separate deal was also proposed for a "South Essex" Combined Authority, covering Southend , Thurrock , Basildon , Castlepoint , Brentwood , and Rochford . The whole Essex plan also suggested forming four new unitary authorities, whilst
9490-647: The UK's natural gas. SABIC petrochemicals and polymers, Lotte Chemicals PET and PTA plants, Biffa recycled polymers, Huntsman polyurethanes and the Ensus Biofuels all operate at Wilton. ConocoPhillips refinery, BP Cats, Harvest Energy Biodiesel unit, Greenery Fuels, Fine Organics, Vertelus speciality chemicals and Ineos Nitriles are all based at Seal Sands, with Vopak and Simon Storage tank storage businesses nearby. Sita are upgrading their unit at Haverton Hill. Marlow Foods produce Quorn , and KP Snacks make McCoy's Crisps in Billingham. Santander UK 's mortgages division
9620-574: The United Kingdom left the European Union ) encouraged to borrow from European institutions for social and environmental schemes which met EU objectives. Loans were made with conditions attached which furthered EU policies. By 2015, Greater Manchester Combined Authority had agreed loans from the European Investment Bank in excess of £1 billion, with similar liabilities to the Treasury and private business. Combined authority mayors are members of
9750-437: The United Kingdom, or be a British citizen overseas who registered to vote in the last 15 years; and not legally excluded (on grounds of detainment in prison, a mental hospital, or on the run from law enforcement), or disqualified from voting. Anyone who qualified as an anonymous elector had until midnight on 6 December to register. Most candidates are representatives of a political party , which must be registered with
9880-486: The United Kingdom, the first being the 2019 European Parliament election . After it lost its parliamentary majority at the 2017 general election , the Conservative Party governed in minority with the support of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). The prime minister, Theresa May , resigned in July 2019 after repeatedly failing to pass her Brexit withdrawal agreement in parliament. Johnson succeeded her as
10010-506: The accuracy of claims around government income and expenditure. The IFS reported that neither the Conservatives nor the Labour Party had published a "properly credible prospectus". Its analysis of the Conservative manifesto concluded there was "essentially nothing new in the manifesto", that there was "little in the way of changes to tax, spending, welfare or anything else", and that they had already promised increased spending for health and education whilst in government. The Labour manifesto
10140-414: The amount Labour suggested, and said that they would need to introduce more broad based tax increases. They assessed that the public sector does not have the capacity to increase investment spending as Labour would want. The IFS further assessed the claim that tax rises would only hit the top 5% of earners as "certainly progressive" but "clearly not true", with those under that threshold impacted by changes to
10270-630: The area. Television signals are received from either the Pontop Pike or Bilsdale TV transmitters. Radio stations for the area are: Tees Valley is served by these local newspapers: Wearside League also host: Under the Northern League there is also the North Riding Football League , founded in 2017 by a merger of Teesside Football League and the Eskvale & Cleveland League In
10400-601: The average full-time weekly working hours to 32, with resulting productivity increases facilitating no loss of pay. Labour's spending plans were endorsed by more than 160 economists and academics and characterised as a "serious programme" to deal with internal problems. The main priority of the Liberal Democrats was opposing Brexit. Other policies included increased spending on the NHS; free childcare for two-to-four-year-olds; recruiting 20,000 more teachers; generating 80% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030; freezing train fares; and legalising cannabis. The Brexit Party
10530-456: The campaign. The Conservatives won 365 seats, their highest number and proportion since the 1987 general election , and recorded their highest share of the popular vote since 1979; many of their gains were made in seats once considered previously safe for Labour, dubbed the red wall , which had voted strongly in favour of British withdrawal from the EU in the 2016 European Union (EU) membership referendum . Labour won 202 seats, its fewest since
10660-406: The chemistry-based process industries. The area is a chemicals processing area, but recently it has diversified to become the UK's leading site for renewable biofuel research. This industrial activity is taking place in a collaborative environment facilitated by the economic cluster body, the North East of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC). Hartlepool has a nuclear power station , and there
10790-472: The constituent authorities being reorganised. A Dorset combined authority was proposed by the county's former nine constituent councils, and is being considered by the two unitary councils ( Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole ) which replaced them in April 2019. In 2021 a new plan including Hampshire, Isle of Wight, and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole was being pursued, though lacking appetite for
10920-620: The country's debt as a percentage of GDP remaining stable. The IFS assessed that it would rise in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The Labour Party manifesto planned to raise an extra £78 billion a year from taxes over the course of Parliament, with sources including: In addition, Labour was to obtain income from the Inclusive Ownership Fund, windfall tax on oil companies, and some smaller tax changes. There were increased spending commitments of £98 billion current spending and £55 billion investment spending. Overall, this would have led to
11050-578: The country's energy needs from renewable energies such as solar power and wind and retrofit 26 million homes with insulation by 2030. They also promised to build more environmentally friendly homes and to establish a new Department for the Climate Crisis. The Conservatives pledged net zero emissions by 2050 with investment in clean energy solutions and green infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions and pollution. They also pledged to plant 30 million trees and boost wind and solar energy. In September 2019,
11180-457: The county council. The proposal failed in 2016 after constituent councils voted against it, with subsequent discussions of an East Midlands devolution deal. Currently the councils of Lincolnshire are working on a 10-point plan to submit to government for a Lincolnshire deal. Dorset Council , Somerset Council and Wiltshire Council submitted an expression of interest in September 2024 to form
11310-642: The county was abolished in 1996. Darlington became a unitary authority in 1997; the five authorities formed a Local Enterprise Partnership in 2011, further collaboration between the five authorities lead to Tees Valley Combined Authority being created in 2016. The River Tees ' geographical valley is traditionally known as Teesdale . For centuries, north Tees was under the Prince-bishopric of Durham . Both Darlington and Stockton had ancient wards. Middleton St George , Hartlepool and Billingham were in Stockton ward,
11440-448: The creation of an elected mayor with the title Elected Leader. Subject to consultation, and council and parliamentary approval, it was hoped that the first Elected Leader would have been elected in 2024 to coincide with the police and crime commissioner elections. In September 2024, following the 2024 United Kingdom general election , the new Labour government decided against pursuing single authority devolution deals, instead preferring
11570-414: The creation or amendment of a CA. Firstly a review must be undertaken to establish the likelihood that a CA would improve: "...the exercise of statutory functions relating to transport in the area, the effectiveness and efficiency of transport in the area, the exercise of statutory functions relating to economic development and regeneration in the area, and economic conditions in the area." On completion of
11700-735: The day after for the ratification of the EPGEA. The deadline for candidate nominations was 14 November 2019, with political campaigning for four weeks until polling day on 12 December. On the day of the election, polling stations across the country were open from 7 am, and closed at 10 pm. The date chosen for the 2019 general election made it the first to be held in December since the 1923 general election . Individuals eligible to vote had to be registered to vote by midnight on 26 November. To be eligible to vote, individuals had to be aged 18 or over; residing as an Irish or Commonwealth citizen at an address in
11830-640: The deals negotiated by both May and Johnson, believing that they created too great a divide between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. Sinn Féin , the Social Democratic and Labour Party , the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland all favoured remaining in the EU. The UUP did not see a second referendum as a necessary route to achieving this goal. The Labour Party promised what they described as
11960-412: The debt as a percentage of GDP falling, partly due to improved economic conditions which would result from staying in the EU. The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), an influential research body, released on 28 November its in-depth analysis of the manifestos of the three main national political parties. The analysis provided a summary of the financial promises made by each party and an inspection of
12090-499: The election campaign while under investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission . The Jewish Labour Movement declared that it would not generally campaign for Labour. The Conservative Party was also criticised for not doing enough to tackle the alleged Islamophobia in the Conservative Party . The Conservatives ended the previous parliamentary period with fewer seats than they had started with because of defections and also saw
12220-582: The end of 2020, which risked harming the economy. The IFS also stated that it is "highly likely" spending under a Conservative government would be higher than in that party's manifesto, partly due to a number of uncosted commitments. Outside of commitments to the NHS, the proposals would leave public service spending 14% lower in 2023–2024 than it was in 2010–2011, which the IFS described as "no more austerity perhaps, but an awful lot of it baked in". The IFS stated it had "serious doubt" that tax rises proposed would raise
12350-447: The first time, although the unionist popular vote remained higher at 43.1 per cent, and the seven Sinn Féin MPs did not take their seats due to their tradition of abstentionism . Despite being elected with a landslide, Johnson went on to resign amid a government crisis in 2022, being followed by Liz Truss for fifty days and then by Rishi Sunak , who went on to lead the Conservatives in
12480-448: The formation of multi-authority combined authorities. Thus plans for Elected Leaders in Norfolk and Suffolk were dropped. A leadership board has been formed by Staffordshire County Council and its constituent districts, with an invitation to unitary Stoke-on-Trent. There is some interest in devolution talks, but requiring Stoke-on-Trent's participation. The original proposal was for a Norfolk and Suffolk Combined Authority, before it
12610-647: The full length of the ECML and operates Darlington railway station . There is also a daily LNER service from Middlesbrough to London King's Cross , while Grand Central has linked Teesside with London since December 2007 with a non-stop from York onwards. It does not have electric trains, and uses the Northallerton–Eaglescliffe Line and Durham Coast Line. CrossCountry operate regular services from Darlington to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne , Scotland , Leeds , Birmingham and southwest England. Local-service routes in
12740-453: The government announced that a thirteenth site is to be added, South Bank Wharf Prairie, aimed at oil and gas decommissioning business. Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) operated here until the late 1990s on three chemical sites at Wilton, Billingham and Seal Sands. ICI was broken up, and its many chemical manufacturing units are now operated by a large number of companies that have acquired its assets. The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI),
12870-401: The government on an eventual deal. 2019 United Kingdom general election Boris Johnson Conservative Boris Johnson Conservative The 2019 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 12 December 2019, with 47,074,800 registered voters entitled to vote to elect 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons . The governing Conservative Party , led by
13000-464: The inclusive ownership fund could reduce growth, meaning the overall impact of Labour's plan on growth was uncertain. The IFS described the plans of the Liberal Democrats as a radical tax and spend package, and said that the proposals would require lower borrowing than Conservative or Labour plans. The report said they were the only party whose proposals would put debt "on a decisively downward path", praising their plan to put 1p on income tax to go to
13130-426: The introduction of directly elected mayors to combined authorities in England and Wales with powers over housing, transport, planning, and policing. In 2020, the government planned to produce a white paper on 'Devolution and Local Recovery', which was expected to create new combined authorities with mayors – or "county mayors" – for non-metropolitan areas of the country. These have been tentatively suggested to be
13260-631: The latter two were also in a district called Hartness. South Tees was under a wapentake called Langbaurgh , which had been the Easton part of the ancient region of Cleveland , in Yorkshire 's North Riding . Urban districts (such as Eston , Billingham and Saltburn and Marske by the Sea ) and parts of rural districts , as well as municipal boroughs (such as Stockton-on-Tees , Thornaby-on-Tees and Redcar ) and county boroughs ( Middlesbrough ) were merged into
13390-447: The marriage allowance, taxes on dividends, or capital gains, and lower wages or higher prices that might be passed on from corporation tax changes. Some of Labour's proposals were described as "huge and complex undertakings", where significant care is required in implementation. The IFS was particularly critical of the policy to compensate the WASPI women, announced after the manifesto, which
13520-498: The national debt as a percentage of GDP rising. Labour's John McDonnell said borrowing would only be for investment and one-offs (e.g. compensating WASPI women, not shown above), and not for day-to-day spending. The Liberal Democrats manifesto planned to raise an extra £36 billion per year from taxes over the course of Parliament, with sources including: There were increased commitments of £37 billion current spending and £26 billion investment spending, which would overall lead to
13650-460: The next wave of county deals, but without a mayor. Proposals by Cheshire East , Cheshire West and Chester , and Warrington underwent a public consultation in Summer 2017 but government permission was still being sought in spring 2020. All three councils are in favour of a non-mayoral deal, although local Conservative MPs were not supportive. Warrington's Chief Executive has “received a letter from
13780-408: The northern and coastal, central and southern, and eastern and Pennine areas. All potential constituent authorities have reviewed plans created by the county council, and are now "studying the detail of the white paper and its implications for driving forward our devolution aspirations”. A plan for a Lincolnshire devolution was proposed, which would have included all constituent boroughs as well as
13910-544: The other two. Sedgefield's partial seat is also represented by a Conservative MP, as of the 2019 election. The two Middlesbrough seats have the largest majorities for either party. The Middlesbrough constituency has a sizeable Labour majority, whereas the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency has a strong Conservative majority. Tees Valley Combined Authority has its headquarters at Cavendish House , Thornaby . The area has 5 borough councils, each council has
14040-569: The power for CAs and CCAs to be allowed to change the title of mayor. CAs and CCAs are bodies corporate and are able to assume the role of an integrated transport authority and economic prosperity board . This gives the authority the power to exercise any function of its constituent councils that relates to economic development and regeneration, and any of the functions that are available to integrated transport authorities. For transport purposes, CAs and CCAs are able to borrow money and can levy their constituent authorities. CAs and CCAs were (until
14170-516: The prime minister on 24 July 2019. Along with attempting to revise the withdrawal agreement arranged by his predecessor's negotiations, Johnson made three attempts to hold a snap election under the process defined in the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 , which required a two-thirds supermajority in order for an election to take place. All three attempts to call an election failed to gain support; Parliament insisted that Johnson "take
14300-463: The referendum campaign. The Liberal Democrats , Scottish National Party , Plaid Cymru , The Independent Group for Change , and the Green Party of England and Wales were all opposed to Brexit, and proposed that a further referendum be held with the option, for which they would campaign, to remain in the EU. The Liberal Democrats originally pledged that if they formed a majority government , which
14430-579: The repeal of the European Communities Act 1972 on 31 January 2020. Jeremy Corbyn , Labour's leader at the election, resigned, triggering the 2020 party leadership election , which was won by his shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer . Jane Dodds , the Liberal Democrats' leader in Wales, was also unseated in Brecon and Radnorshire . In Northern Ireland, Irish nationalist MPs outnumbered unionists for
14560-489: The review, the local authorities produce and publish a proposed scheme of the combined authority to be created, including the area that will be covered, the constitution, and the functions. This will include details of membership of the CA or CCA, remuneration, and how meetings will be chaired and recorded. Following a period of consultation and subject to the approval of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government ,
14690-527: The ten biggest in Western Europe, in terms of tonnage shipped. Its size is due to the local steel and chemical industries. This port handles over 56 million tonnes of goods per annum which are mainly associated with the local petrochemical, chemical and steel processing industries. The port is an important piece of logistical infrastructure for the NEPIC cluster of process companies. PD Ports , who own Teesport,
14820-553: The three adjacent unitary authorities in Gloucestershire and Somerset , all of which had been within the former county of Avon ; and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough . In 2020, it was reported that other combined authorities for non-metropolitan parts of the country – such as Cumbria , Lancashire , North Yorkshire, and Somerset – were under consideration, but the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on governance meant decisions were delayed until late 2021. The Chancellor of
14950-486: The topic. Suffolk County Council's plans for a county-wide deal have been supported by the constituent district councils with backing from its local MPs, although opposing a mayoral deal. Suffolk County Council signed a devolution agreement with the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities in December 2022, which included an Elected Leader who will lead the County Council. However, in September 2024, following
15080-472: The winner of the 2019 Conservative leadership election , was able to secure parliamentary support either for a deal on the terms of the country's exit from the EU, or for exiting the EU without an agreed deal. Johnson later succeeded in bringing his withdrawal agreement to a second reading in Parliament, following another extension until January 2020. After Johnson's 2019 win, a new Withdrawal Agreement Bill
15210-503: Was abolished in 1998 , leaving the districts as unitary authorities . In 2021 the constituent districts agreed to submit an expression of interest in a county deal. The six unitary councils formed a joint Berkshire Prosperity Board in February 2024 and submitted an expression of interest in forming a non-mayoral combined authority in September 2024. Although not included in the 2022 white paper, Buckinghamshire Council hopes to be part of
15340-399: Was a £58bn promise to women who are "relatively well off on average" and would result in public finances going off target. They said that Labour's manifesto would not increase UK public spending as a share of national income above Germany. They found that Labour's plan to spend and invest would boost economic growth but that the impact of tax rises, government regulation, nationalisations, and
15470-472: Was also focused on Brexit. It opposed privatising the NHS. It sought to reduce immigration, cutting net migration to 50,000 per year; cutting VAT on domestic fuel; banning the exporting of waste; free broadband in deprived regions; scrapping the BBC licence fee; and abolishing inheritance tax, interest on student loans, and High Speed 2 . It also wanted to move to a United States-style supreme court . The policies of
15600-413: Was based on the assumption of a county-level combined authority to manage adult and children's services, the deal has been prioritized. There are disagreements between Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness on whether the deal should include a mayor. On 30 September 2024, Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council jointly submitted an expression of interest in forming a combined authority to
15730-456: Was considered a highly unlikely outcome by observers, they would revoke the Article 50 notification immediately and cancel Brexit. Part-way through the campaign, the Liberal Democrats dropped the policy of revoking Article 50 after the party realised it was not going to win a majority in the election. The Democratic Unionist Party was in favour of a withdrawal agreement in principle but opposed
15860-645: Was described as having "little in the way of changes to tax" by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The decision to keep the rate of corporation tax at 19%, and not reduce it to 17% as planned, was expected to raise £6 billion a year. The plan to increase the national insurance threshold for employees and self-employed to £9,500 would cost £2 billion a year. They committed to not raise rates of income tax, National Insurance , or VAT . There were increased spending commitments of £3 billion current spending and £8 billion investment spending. Overall, this would have led to
15990-441: Was described as introducing "enormous economic and social change", and increasing the role of the state to be bigger than anything in the last 40 years. The IFS highlighted a raft of changes in including free childcare, university, personal care, and prescriptions, as well as nationalisations, labour market regulations, increases in the minimum wage, and enforcing "effective ownership of 10% of large companies from current owners to
16120-664: Was introduced in 2020. Compared to its 2019 October predecessor, this bill offered, in the words of political scientist Meg Russell , "significantly weaker parliamentary oversight of Brexit ... giving parliament no formal role in agreeing the future relationship negotiating objectives, and a diminished role in approving any resulting treaty." During the lifespan of the 2017 Parliament, twenty MPs resigned from their parties, mostly due to disputes with their party leaderships; some formed new parties and alliances. In February 2019, eight Labour and three Conservative MPs left their parties to sit together as The Independent Group . Having undergone
16250-464: Was likely. The opposition Labour Party called for a 2019 vote of confidence in the May ministry but the motion, held in January, failed. May resigned following her party's poor performance in the 2019 European Parliament election during the first extension granted by the European Union for negotiations on the withdrawal agreement. Boris Johnson won the 2019 Conservative leadership election and became
16380-475: Was passed, there was an influx of new CAs and CCAs either being created or planned to be created, and further powers to be devolved to existing authorities. The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 allowed for certain functions over transport to be delegated from central government. The Localism Act 2011 allowed additional transfers of powers from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and gave combined authorities
16510-407: Was replaced with an East Anglia proposal including Cambridgeshire and Peterborough . The East Anglia plan failed, reverting to the original two plans. Whilst the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough plan succeeded, the Norfolk and Suffolk plan failed, with King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council voting to reject the deal, and Norfolk County Council cancelling a subsequent planned meeting on
16640-592: Was support for a second referendum on Brexit. The SNP ruled out either supporting the Conservatives or a coalition with Labour but spoke about a looser form of support, such as a confidence and supply arrangement with the latter, if they supported a second referendum on Scottish independence . The DUP previously supported the Conservative government but withdrew that support given their opposition to Johnson's proposed Brexit deal. It said that it would never support Corbyn as prime minister but could work with Labour if that party were led by someone else. Labour's position on
16770-827: Was the biggest blast furnace in Europe and was operated in its final years by Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI). Tata Steel Europe operate a pipe works at Hartlepool, whilst British Steel operate a heavy beam mill near Middlesbrough and a special sections mill at Skinningrove Steelworks . Able UK operate the biggest dry dock in the UK near Seaton Carew, Hartlepool where ships can be dismantled and oil rigs can be dismantled or refurbished. The many chemistry-based businesses on Teesside include Huntsman Tioxide plant at Greatham makes titanium dioxide . Huntsman's European headquarters are in Wynyard. Johnson Matthey Catalysts and Fujifilm Dyosynth Biologics have manufacturing units in Billingham while
16900-481: Was won by Ed Davey . The DUP won a plurality of seats in Northern Ireland. The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) regained parliamentary representation as the DUP lost seats. The election result gave Johnson the mandate he sought from the electorate to formally implement the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union , and to complete
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