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02/03/2010
North-East Commitment Event, to be held at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland.
Key figures from across the North-East will come together today to draw up the region’s shopping list for the next government.
Councillors, officials and business chiefs will sit down together for the North-East Commitment Event, to be held at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland, and hosted by the Association of North-East Councils (Anec).
Speakers will include Darlington Borough Council chief executive Ada Burns, Sunderland City Council chief executive Dave Smith and leader Paul Watson and Northumbrian Water managing director John Cuthbert.
Jon Sopel, a presenter on BBC One’s Politics Show and BBC News 24, will be chairman.
Also present will be more than 50 decision-makers, including council managers, industry leaders and media figures.
The summit comes as the public sector prepares for its toughest spending squeeze in decades – and only weeks ahead of the next General Election.
Martin Laffin, a local government expert at Durham University, said: “There is an assumption in local government that they have got to start cutting back now for 2011-12, because there are going to be deep cuts.
“There is talk of 15 to 20 per cent cuts over the following three years, whereas in the last three years, local government spending has been protected – and given a generous four per cent increase for 2010- 11 to hold council tax rises down.
“We are in a phoney war period.
We are anticipating cuts whoever is in government.”
Councillor Watson, the Anec chairman, said: “The North-East has a lot to offer any incoming government.
“This event is about raising the profile of the North-East and about making sure that the region is firmly on the radar of the main political parties in the run-up to the General Election.
“This is a great opportunity to outline the issues affecting the future of the North- East.
“It is also a chance to demonstrate that the region is ready to ‘do business’ with any incoming government.
“As a united, cohesive region with a shared policy agenda and a strong tradition of partnership working involving local authorities, business and the wider public sector, we believe the North-East can be a strong partner to government, whichever party wins the next General Election.”
Durham County Council and Sunderland City Council held an informal joint cabinet meeting yesterday.
Councillors discussed Sunderland’s bid to host World Cup football matches, the economy and Durham’s unsuccessful bid to be UK City of Culture in 2013.
The Northern Echo - www.thenorthernecho.co.uk