North East Mayor Kim McGuinness pledges support for Sunderland's Crown Works Studio project

Sunderland Echo

The new Mayor has vowed to ensure Sunderland benefits from the creation of the North East Combined Authority.

Transcript

00:00Kim McGuinness is the new North East Mayor. Congratulations.

00:04Thank you.

00:05What does the job entail and how is it different from what's gone before?

00:07Well, the job for me is all about creating opportunity in the region.

00:10This place is the best place in the world. I think we'd all agree with that.

00:13We're known for that pride and that's something that I've heard time and time again

00:18as I've knocked on doors throughout the campaign.

00:20But now it's about making it even better.

00:23So creating opportunity, jobs, fixing our broken transport system,

00:27tackling the child poverty that blights and ruins too many lives.

00:31That's what this role's all about.

00:33And how does the combined authorities role differ from the individual local councils?

00:37Well, nothing in your local council will change.

00:40So Sunderland Council or whichever council area you live in

00:43will still be responsible for everything it was before.

00:46You know, all of the bins and the grass and all of that sort of neighbourhood stuff.

00:51Whereas a combined authority will take power from government.

00:54And that's what's really key to us.

00:55We're getting power from London, from central government

00:58that we've never had before in this region.

01:00We're bringing it closer to the people of the region

01:02so people can have more of a say over our own future.

01:06And so we can have a voice and take everything that's great about this region

01:11as well as all the things we need out there and shout about them

01:14so we can get more power, more money, more investment

01:17and also more visitors and more tourists and more into our economy.

01:23Obviously there's a certain perception in Sunderland that we tend to lose out to Tyneside.

01:27It's not going to escape people's notice that the combined authority is based in Newcastle.

01:32You look at things like the time it took for the Metro to come to Sunderland.

01:36What reassurances can you give to the people of Wearside that they're not going to miss out?

01:39Well, I've represented almost all of this region for quite a long time now

01:43as Police and Crime Commissioner.

01:45And it's fantastic to see Sunderland thriving, it really is.

01:48You know, there's some incredible development in Sunderland

01:51and some real focus actually on Sunderland in the first phases of the combined authority.

01:57Crown Works Studios, for example, really key to our future as a region

02:02and really, really a big and important pledge from me

02:06is that when we expand that Metro further, it'll be into Washington

02:09which obviously is in Sunderland.

02:11But where we're based, I want to expand that.

02:14We want people who work for the combined authority to be based right across the region.

02:18Obviously, this office was previously north of Tyne.

02:21It's a natural base.

02:22However, we need to be setting up in Sunderland and probably in County Durham as well

02:27so that we're having that presence.

02:28For people to really represent the region, they need to know it, to be in it,

02:32to spend time with people here.

02:33That's what I'll do as Mayor and that's what I want the people who work here to do as well.

02:39In fact, as it happens, we already have staff working out of Sunderland City Hall

02:43as well as the local authority buildings right around the region

02:47so that they're getting to know the local areas

02:49and making sure that we're delivering for people right across the region

02:52and I'll be doing that as well as Mayor.

02:55Talking about Crown Works Studio, obviously it's a huge investment, huge potential for Sunderland.

03:02How can you help make it a reality?

03:03Well, I know that we'll need investment into Crown Works Studios from the local area

03:08as well as from government

03:09and so we're working on that together with the other leaders.

03:12One of the things I should have said before is that the leaders of the local authorities

03:16make up the combined authority along with the Mayor

03:18so I am one of eight leaders and they make up that cabinet.

03:22So together, we're working on a plan as to how we can help to support Crown Works Studios.

03:27But crucially, and I think this is a really big thing,

03:30that comes with the promise of 8,500 jobs

03:33and I think it's really incumbent on us to make sure that those jobs are for people in this local area,

03:39that we're training people in the right skills so they'll be able to work there

03:43so that we're not bringing in people from all around the country to work in Crown Works.

03:46We want those to be for local people

03:49and so it's all of the training work that goes behind that to support Crown Works,

03:53to make it a success and to make it so that it's a benefit for the people of the region.

03:58This represents creating real opportunity here in a new industry that's going to be huge for this region,

04:05the biggest outside London, some of the biggest in the world.

04:09It's absolutely fantastic news and we need to make sure it's delivered.

04:13Obviously, as well as Crown Works, Nissan is hugely important to the city of Sunderland.

04:17What can we do to ensure that the company retains its commitment to the city?

04:20Well, we're going to keep working with Nissan.

04:23I will meet them in due course and talk to them about our long-term future.

04:28But it isn't just about Nissan.

04:30Manufacturing, particularly that really skilled advanced manufacturing that you get in factories like Nissan,

04:36is really key to our plans for the future.

04:38And so whilst, yes, we need to work hard to keep them,

04:41we also need to attract more businesses like Nissan

04:44and, crucially, help businesses that are started here, that are founded here, to grow,

04:49so that they can employ more people.

04:51So people have access to more and different types of opportunity,

04:54as well as really leaning into the opportunities that we have,

04:58specifically in the North East, around our rivers and ports

05:02and the access to the North Sea and offshore wind and green energy.

05:05We've got so many opportunities here to create great quality jobs,

05:09working with the likes of Nissan,

05:11but also working with newer and smaller businesses

05:15and those who are attracted to the North East,

05:17so that there's more jobs here for people.

05:19And you're not the region's only elected mayor, obviously.

05:23There are a couple in our area, but there's also, of course,

05:27Ben Houchin at Tees Valley.

05:30Conservative, your labour, how confident are you that you can work together?

05:34Well, I've already reached out to Ben and said,

05:37look, hi, I'm your neighbour.

05:39Shall we have a sit down and a conversation?

05:41And he's accepted that invitation.

05:43I think it's really important.

05:45You know, I don't expect the residents of either the North East or the Tees Valley

05:49to recognise the borders that we politically have.

05:52And we know that there are many people who live in our region,

05:55work in the Tees Valley, many people who live in the Tees Valley and work in our region.

05:59And so, particularly on things like public transport and job creation,

06:02it's going to be really important that we build and maintain that relationship

06:06for the good of everyone that lives here.

06:08So I certainly have no problem doing that.

06:10This is about representing the people of the North East.

06:13And that is what I'm here to do, to represent those people,

06:17to create opportunity in this region to tackle the child poverty that blights the area

06:22and ultimately to take this brilliant place that we all love and make it even better.

06:26And lastly, when do you reckon we're getting a general election?

06:30Oh, I wouldn't like to say.

06:32I don't know, do I want to add my voice to all of those commentators about the general election?

06:37But all I will say is I've just knocked on a lot of doors.

06:41I've had a lot of conversations with people out there about what they want and what they need.

06:47And the appetite for change is really big.

06:49People want that election and they want it now.

06:52And I think after 14 years of Conservative government, particularly in our region,

06:57nobody feels any better off.

06:59As North East Mayor, I intend to do something about that.

07:01But that will be a lot easier with a Labour government in Westminster.

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