George Osbourne gives praise to Think North East First campaign

May 22 2009 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

NORTH East families should be proud of their efforts to help bring the region out of recession, the shadow chancellor said yesterday.

George Osborne last night praised The Journal’s Think North East First campaign and called on families and businesses to do all they can to continue supporting local firms through the downturn.

Mr Osborne said the region was “paying the cost of Labour’s economic management“, but backed the region’s determined efforts to help itself through the difficult times.

In February The Journal launched the Think North East First campaign to show readers the important role they had to play in helping the region through tough times.

And as businesses leaders warned the parliamentary expenses row threatens to distract from the job of repairing the economy, the Tory said the region was a leading example of what should be to beat the downturn..

Last night Mr Osborne said: “The row about MP’s expenses must not let us forget that the big issue that affects millions of people is the recession and the loss of jobs in the North East.

“The Think North East First campaign is brilliant and is showing people that there is lots they can do to support the North East. I think anything we can do to promote the region is to be praised because the region is going through a very tough time and we need to do all we can to lessen the impact of the recession here.

“The region has the second highest unemployment rate in the country and right now we need to make sure we are doing everything we can to promote the North East as a great place to live and work and be able to show the good things happening here despite Labour’s disastrous handling of the economy.

“And so it’s important we have businesses such as Procter & Gamble running large research operations here; it is fantastic for the region to be able to say it is looking to the future and taking the lead here.”