Member Article

Election 2015: The North East braces itself

Finally, polling day has arrived. For the past four weeks we’ve asked North East business what they’d like to get out of the 2015 General Election.

Generally speaking, it seems the North East wants a government that will boost economic prosperity in the region.

Certainly, devolving more spending power to the region and cutting rates for North East small businesses has been at the forefront of much feedback.

This is of particular concern to many businesses, across varying sectors, who feel the North East has not received enough focus in recent electoral campaigns.

As NECC Director of Policy Ross Smith explains: “On the run up to the Election our region is sometimes used as a political football, with our hard-working business being criticised rather than credited.

“Rather than talking down the North East to score political points, we are urging our politicians to make the most of this opportunity and show the huge potential our region offers to future investors.”

Of course, as a whole, the North East is a classic labour stronghold. For many its a case of ‘always has been, always will be’. Whilst this statement holds much truth, battlegrounds of national intrigue exist in the region - Berwick, Stockton and Redcar.

It seems that Labour will take Stockon from the Conservatives plus Redcar from the Lib Dems, yet victory is anticipated in Berwick for the Tories as the former Lib Dem hotspot now seems in doutbt. Of course nothing is set in stone as of yet.

With both Labour and the Conservatives seemingly neck-a-neck in the race so far, it seems a coalition government is likely to form. Only time will tell. Whatever happens, the region can only hope that the outcome will help North East businesses rather than hinder in the future.

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