Delivering Jobs and Growth

Skinningrove with Jake Berry

The South Tees Mayoral Development Corporation will transform the Teesside economy. I am lobbying ministers hard to ensure we receive the funding needed to clear up the former SSI site.

I also regularly visit businesses across Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland to ensure I have the best possible understanding of what employers need to create and sustain more jobs in our area.

Campaigns

Jobs

Simon is backing local businesses large and small to succeed and bring jobs to our area.  Unemployment is down by almost 50% in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland over the past 7 years but there is much more to do.

News

What can a Freeport do?

It's been brilliant to see everyone's enthusiasm for a freeport for Teesside following yesterday's announcement.

Our Economy: The Facts

Labour have a narrative where everything keeps getting worse. It’s not helpful - and more importantly, it’s just not true.

This month’s latest figures from Office for National Statistics show:

An action-packed Tuesday!

Yesterday was absolutely jam-packed! I was proud to:

✅ Secure confirmation at Treasury Select Committee that Carbon Capture and Storage is essential for heavy industry on Teesside

British Steel update - bids received

I’ve been in Doncaster this morning for the weekly meeting of the British Steel taskforce with Business Secretary Greg Clark, Ben Houchen Tees Valley Mayor, the company and the trade unions.

A local business growing rapidly

So many of our local firms are doing great things, and on Friday I visited FJ Booth Construction, the structural steelworks contractor led by local man Shaun Muir.

PD Ports opens new rail link

There’s great news today that PD Ports (Teesport) have opened a new rail freight link into and out of our region to cope with growing demand at our port. The twice-daily service to Doncaster will remove 120 road movements every day.

A good meeting with the new leader of Redcar & Cleveland council

I really welcome the way that local people used May’s local elections to vote for positive change. I will be meeting new Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston soon, and sat down last week with the new Leader of Redcar and Cleveland, Councillor Mary Lanigan.

Defending Our Steelworkers

While new ownership is sought for British Steel, the overwhelming priority of everyone is to keep its plants open and people in work, and that was my message in Parliament this afternoon.

British Steel Update

The announcement that British Steel has placed itself into insolvency is an absolute hammer-blow for steel workers and their families. My number one priority is to ensure a sustainable future for the operations at Skinningrove and Lackenby.