Current political landscape

In May 2021, Conservative Ben Houchen was re-elected metro mayor of Tees Valley, winning with 72.8% of the vote. Second was Jessie Joe Jacobs with 27.2%. Turnout was 34.0%.

This page brings together the key facts and figures about the city-region’s economy.

Economic outlook

Tees Valley consists of the following local authorities: Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees.

Understanding how the city-region performs on key areas such as productivity and employment helps the metro mayor to assess what he should prioritise. The table below shows how Tees Valley compares to the national average on these indicators.

What powers does the Tees Valley metro mayor have?

Below is a summary of the powers the new Tees Valley metro mayor has. Tees Valley have fewer controls than the deals seen in Greater Manchester and the West of England.

What are the policy priorities for the Tees Valley metro mayor?

We outlined a set of policy priorities for the Tees Valley metro mayor.

Policy priority 1: Invest in local skills to boost productivity, employment and wages

• Focus the £30.5 million devolved Adult Education Budget on residents without formal qualifications and establish a ‘skills compact’
• Commit to extending skills programmes currently funded with European Union money
• Build on the new careers service by providing a ‘UCAS for apprenticeships’ portal

Policy priority 2: Develop a thriving city centre economy in Middlesbrough

• Ensure more Grade A office space is available in the centre of Middlesbrough
• Avoid forcing new office and retail development away from town centres
• Pursue infill development within Middlesbrough

Policy Priority 3: Make the city region easier to get around without owning a car

• Franchise bus services
• Create ‘Transport for Tees Valley’
• Invest in and grow locally innovative transport policies