(18 Oct 2023, 5:44 pm)deanmachine wrote I wouldn't trust anything Labour say about Driscoll, they're actively trying to discredit him at every opportunity.

Absolutely. Gannon is a staunch supporter of the Labour candidate for the role. 

It's also a bit ironic him stating “a level of naivety that we do not need in leadership in the North East of England”, when it can't have been even 18 months ago that they were all praising receiving a pittance of the £800 million they bid for in their BSIP.

(18 Oct 2023, 5:49 pm)54APhotography wrote Neither put simply.

The caveat for the funding is a directly elected mayor, but already it is known funding across his realm won't meet the requirements of cost of what is in effect a new railway.

The figure will be well in excess of £2bn as costings were taken some time ago and prices of every material have since risen.

Driscoll would be ideal as an independent, and therefore unlikely to be penalised by petty party politics,  but even if Starmer end up PM, don't expect much money coming our way.

The figure will be in excess of, yeah, but I'm not sure the 'excess of £2bn' is entirely accurate. The original figures were from a consultancy they hired for the feasibility study, but it's the structural engineering reports, yet to be completed, that will give a more accurate figure.

Driscoll, in my opinion, is the only way we'll get someone looking after the North East. When Labour inevitably win the next GE, should their Mayor candidate also win, she'll end up following the hymn sheet from Westminster. We already know from their conference last week, that there's very little in the way of new money.