Gordon Brown pledges to boost North East economy

May 28 2009 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

GORDON Brown promised he would stand by the North East amid fears the recession will see cuts in vital investment, putting thousands of jobs at risk.

On a visit to the region, the Prime Minister warned against spending cuts during the economic downturn and urged voters to give him time to show he can spend his way out of the recession. Mr Brown said that, without Government investment, the North East would not reach its full potential, a claim he insisted would be backed up by continued support for the emerging renewable energy industry.

With thousands of jobs predicted in the region, provided there is Government money available, the Prime Minister will know any decision to cut regeneration budgets will impact hard on the North East economy in particular.

And in promising to be an alternative to Conservative spending cuts he said he had provided a clear marker by which the region could judge his commitment.

Speaking to The Journal last night, Mr Brown said: “We are doing what we can to invest more in the industries of the future.

“The North Sea can be as big a centre for wind power as it is for oil and that is the next stage of its development, and in the North East there is some great technology and you are leading the way.

“What we have to do now is create the conditions in which the industry here can develop to create jobs locally.”

Business leaders have warned the prime minister the North East’s relatively large dependency on the public sector will make it the most vulnerable to Government spending cuts.

They have sought promises that the North will not be forced to carry a greater share of any future budget reductions as the PM looks to reduce public debt.

Mr Brown was accompanied by North Tyneside mayor John Harrison, who welcomed the help on his election campaign trail. He said: “When I was elected to this job I said we have to work to bring the council back to the community.