Ben Houchen in fighting form as Tees Valley mayor enters election year

McDonald was speaking with Parliamentary privilege, and has declined to repeat the accusation outside the House of Commons where he may be open to being sued for libel.

The now-Lord Houchen – mayor since the role was established in 2017 – sought legal advice from infamous London lawyers Carter Ruck on whether action could be taken against both McDonald and the magazine, at a cost of £7,000 to the taxpayer. He was subsequently advised that local authorities are unable to sue for libel.

Questions were raised in particular about a deal which saw ninety per cent of shares in Teesworks Ltd - the public-private joint venture set up to remediate the former Redcar steelworks site - transferred from the public sector to local businessmen for free. A 90-acre parcel of land, remediated at the public’s cost, was sold to the businessmen for around £100. A side-agreement could net the public purse £15m, but the buyers immediately sold a lease for a cash sum thought to be close to £80m.

Lord Houchen joined calls for a National Audit Office investigation, but Secretary of State Michael Gove convened an independent panel in June to report on the governance and finances of TVCA, its subsidiary South Tees Development Corporation (STDC), and the joint venture Teesworks Ltd.

Originally expected to be published before Parliament’s summer recess, the thoroughness of the investigation by three local government experts has meant it is yet to be published. It’s believed to be in its final stages before being submitted to Mr Gove in January, who will then publish at his own discretion. Depending on its findings, the report could set the tone for the battles to follow in the run-up to May’s mayoral election.

Lord Houchen enjoyed immense success at the last election in 2021, annihilating Labour’s Jessie Joe Jacobs after winning nearly 73 per cent of the vote.

Labour’s candidate this year is Chris McEwan, a Darlington Borough Councillor for 24 years and former NHS manager.

He will be hoping the Conservatives call a general election for the same time as the mayoral election as the national polls would suggest extra swing for Labour in the mayoral fight. He won’t be buoyed by the Green Party’s announcement of a candidate last month - Sally Bunce - who will likely draw votes from him.

There’s also the matter of a High Court case brought by Lord Houchen against port operator PD Ports about access rights on the former steelworks site. If this action is unsuccessful, STDC would be liable to pay close to £5m from the public purse to cover legal costs. The judge is expected to deliver his verdict in the coming weeks.

Lord Houchen entered campaign mode in earnest with a slick social media video as British Steel announced plans (dependent on “appropriate government support”) to locate a steel-manufacturing electric arc furnace on Teesside. On the same day he took to X to single out and deride numerous constituents - members of the public - who had said the prospect of steel returning to the area was a pipe dream.

According to a spokesperson, Lord Houchen is entirely responsible for all content and comments on his social media profiles across all platforms. If the early stages of his campaign are anything to go by, he’s ready for a fight that will feel a lot longer than five months in length.