Lord Houchen pledges to build new hospital in election campaign launch

Speaking without notes or a prompter for around 45 minutes, Lord Houchen outlined what he perceives as his successes in office, including bringing Teesside Airport into public ownership and the progress made at Teesworks.

“We’re creating this force of nature,” he said, describing the work being undertaken at the former Redcar steelworks site.

At the last election in 2021 Lord Houchen pledged to bring steelmaking back to Teesside. He said “[t]he thing I’m most proud of” during his time in office was to have delivered on that pledge, as British Steel announced in October its intention to build a steel recycling electric arc furnace at its Lackenby site "subject to appropriate support" from the UK government.

Before looking to the future, the usually bombastic Lord Houchen struck an uncharacteristically humble tone as he reflected on his work in office.

He told his audience, which included local MPs Jacob Young and Peter Gibson: “Whatever happens in May, I am delighted to have been given this opportunity, I’ve loved it.

“I don’t plan on going anywhere, even if I’m not the elected mayor, so I’m going to have to walk down the street and look all of you in the eye. And I want to be able to look you in the eye in ten years’ time when all this stuff is finished and working, and for you to not turn around and say ‘Well, that didn’t go very well did it, Ben?’”.

It was after this moment’s reflection Lord Houchen announced his first campaign pledge to replace the University Hospital of North Tees, a general hospital in Stockton-on-Tees which he described as “not fit for purpose” and “literally crumbling”.

He said loan repayments for a new build would be cheaper than maintaining the current hospital.

Regional metro mayors do not have devolved powers over health matters. The Conservative Party has been asked to comment on how Lord Houchen hopes to build a new hospital in his region.

His Labour opponent in May’s election, Chris McEwan, told The Yorkshire Post: “Lord Houchen must provide more detail on his hospital announcement. Given his office has no health powers, and the Government has not yet committed to building any hospital in the Tees Valley, how does he expect to follow through with this pledge?”

Plans to build a new £464m hospital in Stockton were axed by David Cameron’s newly-elected government in 2010 after five years’ of work had gone into developing the project at Wynyard Park.

The axed hospital was due to be built on land owned by local property developer, Chris Musgrave, who is a partner in the Teesworks joint venture.