Chamber comment on Durham culture bid shortlisting

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John McCabe, chief executive, North East England Chamber of Commerce said:

“This is a fantastic opportunity for County Durham to really showcase what it can offer residents, visitors, investors and businesses. Being named City of Culture is a once in a lifetime boost for a region and as a Chamber, we will do all we can to support it in the next stage of the competition. Over 500 businesses have already pledged £400k of support and to be awarded City of Culture we need to build on this. I urge everyone from the whole North East to get behind the bid and help clinch this tremendous chance to celebrate our heritage and create a vibrant future.”

UK City of Culture status would help County Durham and North East rebuild powerful economy

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County Durham’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2025 has the power to bring transformational social and economic benefits to the entire North East, according to the partnership driving forward the campaign.

The message coincides with an announcement from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport listing the names of the 20 locations across the UK that have expressed an interest in the prestigious title.

It also comes as more and more business leaders, arts organisations and individuals from across the region voice their support for County Durham.

This is the first year submissions can cover county areas as well as cities, which has led to a record number of entries. Durham’s bid incorporates the whole county, providing an opportunity to showcase and develop the area’s diverse cultural offer – from its varied landscapes and rich heritage, to its inclusive arts scene, vibrant communities and pioneering academic research.

The initial bid was submitted by Durham County Council, with principal partner Durham University, on behalf of Culture Durham. This is a partnership of organisations, including Beamish Museum, the Auckland Project and other public, private and voluntary organisations that share the same belief in the power of culture to transform lives.

Cllr Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “Becoming UK City of Culture 2025 would not only enrich the lives of our communities by creating new and exciting cultural activities, it would boost our economy, significantly increase visitor numbers, both in County Durham and the wider region, and lead to additional investment and new employment opportunities.

“Hull was UK City of Culture in 2017 and the figures speak for themselves. City of Culture was directly responsible for almost £90 million of investment in the city and a ten per cent increase in tourism.

“In County Durham, we know that if we increase the number of visitors staying overnight from eight per cent to 16 per cent, we can boost our economy by £415 million.

“We recognise that culture and tourism will play a crucial role in our recovery from the impact of the pandemic, and we have a longstanding commitment to culture-led regeneration.

“UK City of Culture status would support these efforts by raising our profile nationally. In fact, this is already happening, with the #Durham2025 campaign providing a platform for us all to shout about what makes our county great.”

Glyn Llewellyn, chair County Durham Economic Partnership, is among those who have written letters of support backing the campaign.

He said: “Obtaining the accolade of UK City of Culture would enable us to drive forward a strong vision for the future of County Durham across cultural led economic growth, innovation and skills development. The people of the county are our greatest assets. I have never encountered the sense of community that exists in County Durham anywhere else and we need to harness that spirit and work together to rebuild a powerful economy.”

Professor Antony Long, Acting Vice-Chancellor and Warden, Durham University, said: “Gaining City of Culture status would be a gamechanger for a region poised for renewal. It would be an outstanding vehicle to broaden, strengthen and energise the connections our university has to organisations, charities and grassroots communities across the county; it would allow us to do even more to share our knowledge and talent for the benefit of the whole county.”

Ivor Stolliday, Chair of Visit County Durham, said: “Success would bring more chances for individuals and communities to engage in arts, culture and heritage, bringing people together and inspiring local pride. The importance of what this would mean for our places, our people and our future cannot be overstated, it would have untold benefits for the county, and the impact on the wider region would be substantial.”

Jan Williams, North East England Blue Badge Guide, said: “This is not a county which lets the grass grow beneath its feet. Becoming UK City of Culture will provide a catalyst to drive forward the next stage in County Durham’s transformation. Every business will have at its disposal a platform from which to tell the story of County Durham to the UK and beyond.”

The winning location will be announced in May 2022, with the twenty bidders reduced to an initial long list next month and a final shortlist announced in early 2022.

To find out more about County Durham’s bid and to leave messages of support, visit www.durham2025.co.uk and follow @Durham2025 on Facebook and @Durham_2025 on Twitter. Members of the public can also support the campaign by sharing pictures of their favourite County Durham places on social media with the hashtag #Durham2025

General Election 2019: North East Swing Seat Breakdown

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The North East was a big focus of this election and you can see why in the results with 7 of the 29 constituencies seeing a switch from Labour to the Conservatives. The historical Labour “red wall” of the North East appears to have crumbled overnight and we’re now looking at a more politically diverse region with seats spread across parties.

All eyes were on the North East last night as the Conservatives hoped to take seats from Labour in targeted areas such as Hartlepool, Darlington and Bishop Auckland. What we ended up seeing was a Conservative landslide, picking up 7 of Labour’s seats and surprising everyone with results like Blyth Valley electing a Conservative candidate for the first time since it’s creation in 1950. Hartlepool, considered a Brexit Party stronghold, re-elected Labour MP Mike Hill in an extremely narrow margin between the 3 leading parties of the area as Richard Tice took 25% of the areas votes.

We’ve taken a look at the 7 previously Labour North East constituencies with newly elected Conservative MPs:

Blyth Valley – Conservative gain from Labour

The first major shock came from Blyth Valley. The Conservative’s Ian Levy polled 17,440 compared to Labour’s 16,728, a majority of 1.7%. This was a big moment for the election, as Blyth Valley has returned a Labour representative since its creation in 1950. A big win for the Conservtives.

Bishop Auckland – Conservative gain from Labour

One of the more hotly contested seats, Labour’s Helen Goodman was defending a slim majority of 502 from 2017. However, Conservative Dehenna Davison polled 8,000 higher this election, totalling 24,067, a 17.8% majority.
Similar to Blyth Valley, a Conservative win in a Labour held area since 1935.

Darlington – Conservative gain from Labour

Darlington had also received attention as being one of the major battlegrounds. Jenny Chapman, Labour Shadow Brexit Minister, was defending a 3,000 lead, but Conservative Peter Gibson gained 3,000 more votes for a total of 20,901, a 7.6% majority over Jenny Chapman. This is the first switch since Labour gained it in 1992.

North West Durham – Conservative gain from Labour

Durham North West was the constituency for future Labour star and major Corbyn ally Laura Pidcock. But this election Conservative Richard Holden gained the seat with a 1,00 majority, a total of 19,990, and the first Labour loss in the area since 1950.

Redcar – Conservative gain from Labour

Conservative Jacob Young claimed victory in Redcar over Labour Anna Turley. Gaining 18,811 votes, this was 3,000 higher than the Labour defender. Labour gained this from the Liberal Democrats in 2010 and had looked to strengthen it.

Sedgefield – Conservative gain from Labour

Claiming the biggest gaining majority, Conservative Paul Howell won an 11% majority over Labour incumbent Phil Wilson. Howell claimed 19,609 votes, to Wilson’s 15,000. This is Labour’s first loss in the area since 1924.

Stockton South – Conservative gain from Labour

Stockton South was another knife-edge seat, with defender Paul Williams holding a majority of 888 from 2017. This time, Conservative Matt Vickers claimed 5,000 more votes than the Labour defender, polling 27,000 votes and a 9.6% majority.
This has also been a swing seat, wit Labour taking it off the Conservatives in 2017.

Overview of changes in the whole region:

Image originally posted by Stephenson-Mohl Group on Twitter.