In partnership with Conservative Home, The Coalition for Global Prosperity were delighted to host an “In Conversation” event with Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham this year. Chaired by CGP’s CEO Ryan Henson, the discussion covered a wide range of topics, including Ben’s day-to-day tasks as Mayor, the link between Global Britain and Teesside, and net-zero’s ability to drive economic growth in the region.

Ben’s journey into politics

Ben discussed his unconventional journey to becoming Tees Valley Mayor. He explained that it isn’t particularly for “ideological reasons” that he is a Conservative, rather a decision influenced by growing up in an area with wall-to-wall Labour authorities. Of this experience, he disclosed that it prompted him to realise that there “must be a better way”, though it wasn’t until he was a young adult that he joined Young Conservatives. He went on to become a corporate lawyer, and then ran his own business, before his successful bid to become Tees Valley Mayor in 2017–a result which, in Ben’s words, “no one expected.”

Ben’s role as Mayor

After being asked what a typical “day in the life” looks like as a Metro Mayor (a directly elected Mayor), Ben replied, “every day is different.” He said that the number one responsibility of his job is to “drive economic growth and prosperity for our region.” In other words, Metro Mayors are like “regional development agencies” but with directly-elected accountability. Ben went on to explain that given this chief priority, 75% of his time is spent trying to attract investment and help accelerate the delivery of levelling up projects. He said that Tees Valley “competes on an international level for inward investment.”

Approaches to Politics: Pragmatism vs. Free-Market Ideology

Ryan Henson asked Ben whether he felt that there was a clash between his pragmatic outlook on politics–one not overly concerned with ideology–and a free-market, ideological approach which has dominated the press in recent times. In response, Ben emphasised that “people don’t care about the means, they care about the practical outcome. It’s not about the mechanism–it’s about what you’re delivering. I don’t care whether it’s tax cuts or subsidies–I just want the outcome.” Labour’s sway in the North East was not more important than the fact that his election campaign for Mayor was centred around nationalising Teesside’s Airport in Darlington, he said, which people in the area deeply cared about.

Teesside: The only fully-functioning Freeport in the UK

Ben spoke about Teesside’s Freeport–a secure customs zone located at ports, where business can be carried out inside a country’s land border but where different customs rules apply (Teesside’s is the biggest low tax customs zone in the UK). Ben highlighted that a large part of his role involves speaking explicitly to international investors, meaning that Teesside’s Freeport is part of a wider national effort. “We’re having the [same] fight that the government is having”, he declared. He said that having Freeports allows the UK to remain competitive and attract “truly global capital.”

New tech and net-zero

Ben underlined that a successful net-zero policy was about being able “to win people’s hearts and minds.” He stressed that it’s vital to clearly outline the benefits of a net-zero approach to people in the area, and explain why this will result in economic prosperity–not just for the region, but for individual families as well. Highlighting the innovation of ReNew ELP, a Teesside plant that fully recycles single-use plastics, Ben said it was time to “unleash the power of the private sector.”

Global Britain and Teesside

The meaning of Global Britain in a Teesside context means “being proud of what we deliver to the world”, Ben stated. He noted that 9 out of the 10 tallest buildings in the world have Teesside steel in them–something to feel proud of, and a level of success that Teesside should continue to strive for. Above all, it means being “proud of your local community, that it will succeed, and that future generations will have a job, and a career, where you grew up.”

Responding to a question asked about the link between Global Britain’s agenda and energy solutions, Ben said that “Britain has always been an outward-looking, trading nation”, and it would be “wrong to become insular.” He stated that it was essential to work with partners on mainland Europe, whether that be through the use of interconnectors in Norway or Iceland, or from links to solar farms in Morocco.

HMT Darlington

Ben emphasised that it was crucial to think about long-term strategies in regard to the relocation of one arm of the Treasury to the Darlington Economic Campus, which opened its doors in 2021. When complete, there will be at least 1,100 roles based at the campus across multiple departments and agencies. Ben said that while the upside of investment is plain–Deloitte, for example, want to create 200 jobs in Darlington now to be near the Treasury–it was also crucial to see that the long-term pay off, if managed correctly, will be lower unemployment rates in the area, and at the very least, a regional match of the national average wage.

Labour

Ben was asked his view on Gordon Brown’s proposal to abolish the House of Lords, and to instead replace them with regional assemblies. Ben was clear in his view that “the Metro Mayor is already a powerful voice to government”, highlighting the influence of a figure like Andy Burnham in Manchester. Commenting more generally about Labour, Ben then stated that Labour “gets its priorities wrong”, and that “if we hadn’t made the mistake around the 45p rate people would be asking much tougher questions about the Labour Party…if we hadn’t shot ourselves in the foot. It’s not as if there’s any great new love for Labour in places like Teesside.”

A future in Westminster?

Ben was asked if he could see himself having a career in Westminster. His reply? “The role I have is so fulfilling, with a huge amount of access and influence. This is no disrespect to my colleagues, but I have much more influence than a backbench MP. I think it’s about enjoying what you’re doing and living in the moment.”