After Labour conceded, the votes are in fully. Ben Houchen has held on to Tees Valley. Houchen, got 53.6%, down from 72.8% in 2021. Labour’s Chris McEwan 41.3%, up from 27.2%. A big reduction, though some crucial good news for Sunak…

Despite what NHS officials and tax-raising politicians might say, Brits still believe in the power of the pint. 41% of the public are more likely to view politicians as in touch with the local community if they frequent the pub. Labour’s candidate for Tees Valley mayor isn’t missing the hopportunity…

Chris McEwan is Labour’s candidate to challenge Tory Ben Houchen in Tees Valley. Ads have now appeared on Twitter touting McEwan, like the Scottish tinny McEwan’s Export, as “a name you can trust“. The voters will decide if he’s got the brewprint for success or if it’s all too bitter…

Taking a break from bashing his own party, Simon Clarke blasted Labour’s de-whipped Andy McDonald MP, saying in the Commons today that he believes he abused Parliamentary privilege over Teesworks, one of Europe’s biggest brownfield regeneration sites. Writing on X he said: “We need to reform our processes to ensure MPs can be held to account when an independent inquiry establishes a member made serious allegations that are untrue”. Clarke didn’t hold back in the Chamber either…

Last year, McDonald claimed in Parliament that there had been “industrial-scale corruption” at Teesworks, prompting an inquiry that last night concluded that there was no corruption or illegality linked to the project. Tees Valley’s mayor and Tory peer Ben Houchen has since accused McDonald of lying, costing Teesside investment & jobs. McDonald claims it is a damning report because it says governance and accountability could be improved…

Incredible result from the Tees Valley, as Ben Houchen wins re-election with 73% of the vote, up from his 2017 score of just 51.1%. A landslide.

The scores in total:

Houchen (Con): 121,964

Jacobs (Lab): 45,641

Turnout up as well, from 21.3% to 33.95%…

A month after his suspension for sexual harassing a staffer, the BBC reported in October that the claims against Labour’s Hartlepool MP Mike Hill had been dropped. His subsequent reinstatement to the Labour Party conveniently allowed Hill to stand as a candidate in the December election. It was not dropped.

The complaint by Hill’s former staffer was “parked” pending the outcome of an investigation by Parliament’s independent complaints committee. They did not, however, withdraw their complaint – indeed they made a complaint to the police; and Guido now learns the employment dispute is heading for a hearing “later this year”. Why did Labour readmit Hill when they presumably knew he still has an active case against him?

In December, the Northern Echo also learned Hill tried to stop his name being revealed as part of legal proceedings being brought by his accuser. The whole thing smells like a cover-up the Labour Party are hoping will go away… 

Over the last year, politics in Teesside has been completely uprooted. Labour has lost control of Darlington, Stockton and Hartlepool council, lost the Middlesbrough mayoralty, lost half their seats in Redcar and lost their majority on Middlesbrough council; in the General Election, the Tories beat Labour’s regional votes by over 10,000. Going well for Labour then…

Despite the regional wipeout, in a BBC interview yesterday Labour’s Tees Valley mayoral candidate failed to comprehend why being asked about Labour’s collapse was “relevant”. Candidate Jessie Joe Jacobs was asked why Labour has siphoned so many votes. She flatly refused to answer the question…

“I don’t want to answer that one.”

Current Tory mayor Ben Houchen responded with all guns blazing, saying

“This is what happens when Labour parachute in a Corbynista candidate who has no real world experience. Let’s not forget, local Labour members weren’t allowed to select their candidate and this is what they’ve been lumped with. A remainiac who can’t even answer the most basic of questions about the local area.”

Westminster politicos were worried things would get boring after the general election result – doesn’t seem that way out in the regions…