In a wide-ranging and candid interview, Kim McGuinness, recently elected as the North East’s first mayor, outlines her ambitious plans to tackle the region’s key issues, drawing from personal experiences and her Labour Party values. With a £4.2 billion devolution deal, she outlines her major aims, including reducing child poverty, building more social housing, and improving public transport. Growing up in Newcastle’s West End, Kim saw firsthand how austerity measures impacted essential services, which played a major role in shaping her political journey.
Her plans go beyond infrastructure, though. She’s building on her experience as Northumbria’s police and crime commissioner by focusing on crime prevention, especially among young people. A strong advocate for increasing women’s representation in politics, Kim acknowledges the challenges faced by female politicians but emphasises the importance of diverse perspectives in leadership roles.
Job creation is another top priority, particularly in green industries, with Kim keen to ensure that local people are equipped with the skills needed for future jobs. She also stresses how vital collaboration with businesses and regional leaders will be moving forward, including with Tees Valley counterpart Ben Houchen, to ensure economic growth across the North East.
At the heart of it all, Kim is focused on positioning the region as a place full of opportunity, driven by a Labour government’s commitment to more devolution and transformative economic policies.
Read the full interview on our sister website North East Times, here: https://netimesmagazine.co.uk/magazine/a-place-where-opportunity-thrives-kim-mcguinness
Photography by Mike Sreenan
