Business optimism lit by realism

The cultural about face that's seen North-East business people become the most optimistic in Britain has been a long time coming.

The collapse of the industries that made the region's fortunes bled it of confidence as well as jobs. But we live in a different world now.

The self-belief of today's entrepreneurs lets them view clearly the opportunities that crowd the horizon and the tremendous challenges that litter the path to success.

Their optimism is not blind, but illuminated by realism. Their hopes are not rooted in the past, but in the here, now and tomorrow.

Used to embracing change, the concern of local business is that it be fair, lest the likes of road charging give competitors an unfair advantage over them or their region.

The impact of road pricing on company costs - and thus sales - worries them, although their concerns would ease were the new levy to replace old ones like car tax and fuel duty.

But what would make them even happier is seeing the tax invested in improving the transport infrastructure that's inhibited growth in the North-East as effectively as a chastity belt strapped around the region's loins.

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So vital to get it right

The sense of relief in Gateshead will be immense now the promised redevelopment of the town centre is officially declared to be imminent.

There's bound to be upset over the small traders who don't feature in the new plans, along with doubts fed by the lack of drawings or models of what lies ahead.

But the town whose bold decisions over the Angel, Baltic, Sage and Millennium Bridge have done so much to revitalise the region, now has a chance to add a more personal success to its impressive international repertoire.

The town centre belongs to its people and it's more important than ever that this time the planners, council and developers get it right.

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Here endeth the lesson

There was an honesty about part of the Prime Minister's blunt attack on the "feral beast" of the media.

And he'll get no argument from any quarter about his obsession with spin helping set the trends that so worry him and others now.

But the man who did so much to bring us the scandals of weapons of mass destruction, 45 minutes to disaster and Iraq, has a nerve to use "the importance of accuracy" as part of his argument for a review of media regulation.

Telling the truth is simple, Mr Blair. You just tell it like it is, not how you would like it to be.

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