Local pride in towns like Blyth is wounded at every turn by evidence of neglect, shoddiness and former greatness.
In my view, no Labour seat in County Durham is safe. The remaining seats all have majorities under 6,000.
In terms of parliamentary seats, CCHQ now needs to be targeting the North East of England much more broadly for the next election.
Will it be: Keir On Course, So-So Starmer…or a Knightmare for the Labour Party in Hartlepool – and elsewhere?
It is much more than its main urban areas. So the restrictions feel really unfair to some – such as those I know in County Durham.
Plus: How I was booed in Birmingham. On to Nottingham…via Exeter. And: who would I vote for, if I had a vote?
The Party cannot be one of the South and of the countryside if it is to engage with voters – and to win.
Through tax competition, we could truly have a real Northern Powerhouse and give cities in the north a fairer chance against London and the south east.
The second part of our series this week on May’s elections, moving on to the metropolitan areas that are electing in thirds.
Nicky Morgan’s department is the untouched by devolution – yet it can make the biggest difference in creating the Northern Powerhouse,
Finding cost-effective solutions is one of the biggest challenges we face as a country over the next decade.