North East mayor election: Tory reveals why he is running in the race

Please Credit Picture:Keith Taylor
Please Credit Picture:Keith Taylor

A Tory businessman from Newcastle has revealed why he is the first candidate to run for North East mayor.

Jeremy Middleton, who was awarded a CBE in 2012 for services to politics and charities, held a launch event today in Durham Cricket Club.

In a region where predominately Labour voters reside, he is also seeking the Conservative Party nomination for the North East region.

Mr Middleton said: “I have a long way to go – that is why I am starting early. We have someone else called Jeremy with a beard who recently got elected, but I am starting out much earlier than him and I think I have a better chance than he did.”

“The people who vote for me will be a collection of people who want the best for the area. If we elect another Labour candidate, nothing will change, but I am the candidate for challenge and change.”

His self-penned manifesto includes bringing more investment in schools and skills, 100,000 new jobs by 2021, as much funding per head as Scotland, better public transport and improved health to the North East.

“Every young person who leaves school should have the opportunity of an apprenticeship, a job or higher education,” he said.

Jeremy has been a board member of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) since 2011 and is chairman of the North East LEP Investment Fund, which makes recommendations to the LEP Board for the £25m Growing Places Fund and the £30m Infrastructure Fund.

He started his career as a brand manager at Procter & Gamble in Newcastle. He also co-founded HomeServe plc, now a FTSE 250 company that operates throughout the UK, USA, France, Spain and Italy.

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