The Cabinet Visits The North East. Where Have They Been For The Last 13 Years?

The Cabinet arrived en masse in the North East today -holding their meeting in the comprehensive school where I went to sixth form.

Of course, it is always good to see our region getting some national media attention. But the question I would ask to the New Labour Ministers who descended on the North East this morning is 'where on earth have you been for the past 13 years?' It is all well and good Ministers visiting the region with a couple of months until an election, but that doesn't justify them ignoring our area when it isn't election time.

Over the past 13 years, the economic gap between the North East and the rest of the country has grown wider. We have one of the highest rates of unemployment in the country; the lowest average gross weekly pay in the country; and the lowest GDP per head in the country. After 13 years that began with so much promise but ended in disappointment, a 'Labour' Government has ignored the North East over the Barnett Formula, high speed rail, the widening of the A1 and dozens of other areas.

It is time that they focused on the North East all of the time, not just when they are panicking about the North Eastern vote in the pre-election period. That is why, if elected, I will always put the North East and our area first. It is time that we had strong voices for the North East 365 days a year, 7 days a week.