With new North East mayor Kim McGuinness just a phone call from the front bench of the same Labour Party church, we now have, thanks to a £4.2 billion devolution deal, power in our hands to truly realise watershed economic and social change.
Kim outlines her blueprint in this issue, with commitments to tackle child poverty and improve public transport matched by a focus on creating a stronger skills pipeline for the green jobs of tomorrow.
She also pledges to work with three-term Tees Valley Conservative counterpart Ben Houchen – who reveals his to-do list in this edition – to create, where possible, partnerships that work for the entire North East.
We also peer into the mind of renowned graphic artist and video director Jimmy Turrell, who grew up on Newcastle’s Byker Wall estate and is today the go-to creative for dozens of international brands and bands seeking to transform their looks.
