The Journal
HOP TO IT, THE RABBITS ARE HERE
TAKE a look at these photos as the Peter Rabbit: Tales on the Tyne art trail launched this week, across Newcastle and North Tyneside. On Wednesday morning, the last of the 96 sculptures was unveiled at Newcastle Civic Centre, as the annual summer...
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NATIONAL PARK’S £146M BOOST TO NORTH ECONOMY
ONE of the North East’s greatest natural and heritage assets contributed £146m in a year to the regional economy, according to the latest figures. The new data shows strong growth in the value of tourism generated by Northumberland National Park and...
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Mayor’s bus plan £100m cost shock
TAKING the North East’s buses under public control will cost over £100m more than first anticipated. Auditors found a “discrepancy” in the financial modelling on mayor Kim McGuinness’ flagship plans to strip private companies of their power over bus...
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Safety petition to dual A1 exceeds 1,000 signatories
MORE than 1,000 people have backed a campaign to improve safety on the A1 road in Northumberland since it was launched last week. The campaign, which was set up by The Journal and its sister paper The Chronicle after a number of recent fatal...
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Leaders in bid to ease child poverty
NEW help for mums-to-be and a push to find young people with huge sums of unclaimed savings will be among the next moves in the North East’s fight against child poverty. Leaders from across the region gathered in Newcastle for a second Child Poverty...
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City falls silent in tribute to fallen police officer, 19
ONE of Newcastle’s busiest thoroughfares fell silent yesterday morning as a funeral procession and service for PC Jess Turnbull took place at Newcastle Cathedral in St Nicholas’ Square. The police officer was mourned by hundreds of colleagues as the...
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End this ‘national embarrassment’
THE North East mayor has contacted Andy Burnham about dualling the A1 in Northumberland to end a “national embarrassment”. Our region’s leaders have campaigned for decades to upgrade the busy route, much of which becomes a single carriageway north of...
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IN 2024, THE GOVERNMENT SAID THAT DUALLING THE A1 IN NORTHUMBERLAND WAS: ‘not good value for money’
THE Journal is bringing together a coalition of political, business and community leaders to demand dualling of the A1 in Northumberland. We and many others have been campaigning for improved safety on the A1 for more than 30 years. Successive...
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Plan would bring more journeys and lower fares – review
BRINGING the North East’s buses back under public control would result in cheaper fares and millions of extra journeys every year compared to if they are left in the hands of private companies, according to a review of mayor Kim McGuinness’...
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LOCAL HERO BURN HEADS INTO WORLD CUP RECORD BOOKS
NEWCASTLE United’s Dan Burn made history at the World Cup and said: “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that night”. The Blyth-born defender played a key role in helping England beat Mexico 3-2 at the famous Azteca Stadium in the small hours of yesterday...
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Schools’ supplies of cash plummet
SCHOOLS in Northumberland have seen their cash reserves drop sharply over the last academic year according to new figures. Overall balances fell by more than half across the county’s 90 schools maintained by the county council. The overall balances...
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ARE WE GETTING THROUGH?
NEIGHBOURS have been left outraged after plans emerged to build more than 200 homes next to the “only nice part” of a Newcastle suburb. Hundreds of residents in Newbiggin Hall have spoken out over new proposals to build on green land next to the Outer...
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LAST HURRAH
A private school which has been operating in the North East for 142 years closed for good yesterday. Durham High School in Durham, which has 281 pupils, will enter administration following the end of term. The school sent a letter to parents on...
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Yard is ready to deliver warships
NEW bosses at a Tyneside shipyard say workers there stand ready to deliver new warships as part of the Government’s plans for defence spending. Balaena acquired A&P Group – including its Hebburn yard – only weeks ago and has welcomed the Government’s...
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‘SOME OF MY FRIENDS THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY’
THE North East’s first openly trans councillor has spoken out about their “wild” election, the future of the Greens in Gateshead, and the infamous A167 flyover. The Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke to Melissa Harker, the first openly trans...
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Burnham pledges a revolution in devolution when he gets to No.10
ANDY Burnham has promised a radical transfer of power from Whitehall to the North East and other regions of the UK. The would-be PM delivered a major speech in Manchester yesterday, in which he set out a vision to “rewire” the country and create “good...
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STOKES IN SHOCK DECISION TO RETIRE...
ENGLAND captain Ben Stokes yesterday announced his bombshell retirement from international cricket. Stokes issued a statement shortly before tea on day four of the decisive third Test against New Zealand, having informed his team-mates in the dressing...
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Thank you for your service
THE North East yesterday said farewell to the original Tyne and Wear Metro fleet with “mixed emotions”. Nexus has been operating special farewell services throughout the week, with this the last time passengers are guaranteed to see one of the old...
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> LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS:
Sir Elton John with, from left, William Gurney, Spencer Collins, Noah Mannion and Rafferty Smale, at the Billy Elliot The Musical launch photocall in London. The latest revival of the North East-set hit musical, with songs by Sir Elton, will include...
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Who in North East is backing Burnham for PM?
ANDY Burnham’s bid to become Prime Minister cleared another hurdle yesterday as another potential rival ruled himself out of the race. The newly-elected MP for Makerfield looks on course to succeed Sir Keir Starmer in Number 10. Senior Labour...
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Yet another fatal crash sparks new plea to dual A1
THE leader of Northumberland County Council has pledged to do “all he can” to ensure the A1 is dualled after a sixth person died on the road in a month. Police are investigating after a BMW collided with an HGV near Causey Park on Monday. The...
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North East MPs quick to rally to Burnham
NORTH East MPs have begun rallying behind Andy Burnham as he looks certain to become Prime Minister. The newly-elected MP for Makerfield confirmed yesterday morning that he would stand for the Labour leadership, shortly after Sir Keir Starmer announced...
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TAKE THAT!
‘Knights’ on horseback battled it out in an action-packed show at Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland, at the weekend.
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North East mayor backs Burnham after big victory
THE North East mayor has backed Andy Burnham to replace Sir Keir Starmer in 10 Downing Street. MPs from the region were also quick to offer their congratulations after Mr Burnham sealed his return to Parliament with a resounding victory in the...
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‘There won’t be a blade of grass between towns’
APRE-PLANNING application has been drawn up to build more than 1,200 new homes in a Northumberland town. The proposals, which went before West Bedlington Town Council last week, would see approximately 1,250 houses built, plus a community hub and...
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City children have ‘worst life chances’
WHITE working-class children in Newcastle have the worst life opportunities in England, new research has found. Newcastle Central and West ranks bottom out of 543 constituencies in England in terms of outcomes for White British young people who are...
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Councillor summonsed three times over unpaid council tax
AFORMER mayoral candidate in North Tyneside was summonsed to court three times for unpaid council tax, it has emerged. Conservative councillor Liam Bones was issued three court summonses between May 2023 and May 2024 in relation to council tax arrears...
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Leader ‘sceptical’ over levy – but won’t axe it yet
NEWCASTLE’S new council leader has expressed doubts over an extra charge imposed on the city’s late night venues, but says he will not make a “knee-jerk” decision to scrap it. City businesses with a licence to sell alcohol between midnight and 6am pay...
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You haven’t lost plans to dual the A1, have you?
THE deputy leader of Northumberland County Council has warned it would be a “disgrace” if plans to dual the A1 in the county were lost. The authority has been trying to secure detailed plans and documents from National Highways. But it has failed to...
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Fresh hopes for quay arena plan
THE North East mayor says that “constructive” talks have been held with Reform UK over the prospect of a new arena on the Gateshead Quayside. Labour’s Kim McGuinness and Gateshead Council’s Reform leader Nick Allan clashed last week, after the latter...
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Police mourn one of their own after officer dies
NORTHUMBRIA Police’s Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine yesterday paid tribute after the death of a teenage constable, saying she made the “ultimate sacrifice” to keep our communities safe. Jess Turnbull, 19, died in hospital on Wednesday after she was...
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Schemes could bring 6,000 jobs
SCHEMES that could create thousands of jobs and speed up regeneration in different parts of the North East have been outlined at the UK’s largest investment event. Northumberland County Council has announced plans for two separate business sites, one...
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Mayor: Leaders must match our sense of urgency
NORTH East mayor Kim McGuinness has laid down the gauntlet to the Government to improve lives in the region after disastrous local elections. Ms McGuinness was speaking at the Great North Investment Summit in Leeds, an event bringing together northern...
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Northern mayors set to push huge investment plan
NORTHERN mayors will today come together to push a unique blueprint they hope will lead to thousands of new jobs and a “new era of prosperity” around the region. The Great North Investment Summit taking place in Leeds aims to capture the spirit and...
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CASTLE’S STAMP OF APPROVAL
BAMBURGH Castle has been given the “stamp of approval” by the Royal Mail in a new collection aiming to ‘showcase the architectural brilliance of castles from across the UK’. Bamburgh is one of eight to be included in the main collection, while a...
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Labour turmoil continues as PM sticks to his guns
THE Labour Party has descended into open division as Ministers and dozens of MPs called for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to resign – but more than 100 others warned against a leadership contest. Another day of turmoil for the Government yesterday...
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Hexham MP resigns as ministers tell the PM to step aside
DOZENS of Labour MPs have now called on Sir Keir Starmer to quit after a local election pummelling. The party lost control of councils including Newcastle, Sunderland, South Tyneside, and Gateshead, sparking fury among many MPs over the direction of...
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‘Why don’tYOU take on the PM?’
ANORTH East cabinet minister has been challenged to act against the PM during a live television broadcast. MP Catherine West pressed Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson – MP for Houghton and Sunderland South – to come forward and remove the Prime...
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Labour swept away
VETERAN North East MP Ian Lavery has warned that Labour is “on the road to utter annihilation” after a disastrous set of local election results in the region and beyond. The Blyth and Ashington MP, who was party chairman under previous leader Jeremy...
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Rivals say splits in Reform’s ranks exposed in public
DIVISIONS among councillors in Northumberland County Council’s Reform UK group were exposed as a majority of councillors repeatedly went against the group’s leadership on a series of votes. At the council’s AGM, Reform councillors refused to back...
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‘Landmark’ port expansion plans
MULTI-MILLION pound plans to expand the Port of Blyth have been revealed, with the potential to create hundreds of jobs. Port bosses laid out ambitions to reclaim up to three hectares of land from the River Blyth estuary at the Battleship Wharf...
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Nissan to reduce production lines at North factory
NISSAN is planning to cut hundreds of jobs across its European operations and will be bringing together two product lines into one at its Sunderland plant. The moves come as the Japanese automotive giant battles tough conditions in the global car...
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Youths ‘out of control’ at park, says councillor
ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour centred on a Northumberland park is becoming “out of control”, a local councillor has warned. Youths in Ashington’s Hirst Park have been riding electric bikes, climbing on roofs and even throwing eggs. Reform UK councillor Sonia...
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Green candidate denies her posts were anti-semitic
A NEWCASTLE City Council Green Party candidate is under investigation for allegedly making anti-semitic posts on social media. Tina Ion, who is standing in the Blakelaw and Cowgate ward, allegedly published posts on social media platform Threads under...
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Drugged-up driver killed girlfriend in head-on A19 crash
ADRUGGED-UP and dangerous driver who killed his girlfriend in a head-on smash while driving the wrong way down a dual carriageway had reached a speed of 136mph as he tried to outrun police. Kane Farragher had vast quantities of drugs in his system as...
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Plans for 2,000-job site up for approval
OUTLINE plans for a major industrial development in south east Northumberland that could create thousands of new jobs are set to go before a council planning committee. Known as West Hartford Park, it is envisaged that the scheme planned for the edge...
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Huge rise in number of region’s businesses in distress
NORTH East businesses are being pushed to the brink, with late payments squeezing finances and more firms than ever experiencing ‘critical’ financial distress, two reports have shown. The latest Red Flag Alert research from business advisory group BTG...
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Mayors launch first ever Great Northern Investment Summit
NORTHERN mayors, business leaders and senior Ministers have been lined up to lead an event designed to bring more jobs and prosperity to the region. The Great North Investment Summit – which has been inspired by the spirit and success of the Great...
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Revolution on the buses must come sooner – Polanski
ZACK Polanski has called for faster and further action to return the North East’s buses to public control and remove fares for young people. The Green Party leader was in Newcastle city centre yesterday to condemn the “unmitigated disaster” of the...
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NORTH EAST REMAINS READY FOR ITS CLOSE-UP
North East-born Robson Green filming an episode of his Weekend Escapes for the BBC, which is committed to continuing to make the most of the region’s amazing locations.
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Council leader used ‘homophobic slur’ in online post
THE Reform UK leader of Durham County Council has used a homophobic slur in a comment made on social media. Reform UK councillor Andrew Husband posted the message under a post on the North Durham Labour Facebook page. Coun Husband has declined to...
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Starmer faces quit calls on North visit
AN under-pressure Sir Keir Starmer faced down calls to resign and reports of a cabinet split as he visited Newcastle yesterday. The Prime Minister spent the morning at the Newcastle United Foundation, amid mounting speculation over his future in the...
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Town centre hit by break-in spree
ANORTHUMBERLAND town has been hit by a spate of break-ins with police treating the offences as being linked. Three businesses have been targeted over two nights in Hexham. The Journal understands that specialist paper craft shop Hanji on St Mary’s...
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Farage: Reform UK isn’t the risk here – Labour is
NIGEL Farage has denied accusations that Reform UK poses a “massive threat” to regeneration plans in towns like Gateshead. Labour figures battling to keep hold of the party’s dominance in Tyne and Wear at next month’s local elections have claimed that...
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Business leaders’ plea to back pubs and restaurants
THE group representing businesses in Newcastle city centre has called on all parties running for election next month to prioritise the area’s pubs, bars and restaurants through their policies. NE1 Ltd wants whoever forms the next council...
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Reeves weighs in for North East on mission to the US
RACHEL Reeves promised to drum up investment into the North East at a major summit in Washington DC. The Chancellor was joined by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness in the US capital for the International Monetary Fund spring meetings. They met with...
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