The long-awaited Moss Missives 2009 Review - Part One
It's that time of the year. Everyone's doing it, and I'm nothing if not stunningly unoriginal so here is part one of the Moss Missives Review of the Political Year in the North East and Cumbria.
In seasonal spirit I insist you read it with a mouthful of Christmas Pudding, turkey and an After Eight (other chocolate-covered mints are available, he hastily adds).
January - The year kicks off with some typically cheery economic news. A Centre for Cities report predicts 3,000 job losses in Sunderland over the next 12 months. And lo and behold Nissan announces 1,200 job losses in Washington.
Gordon Brown visits Sellafield to deliver some better news as thousands of jobs could be created with a new nuclear power station there. The only hitch - any development could be several years away. More energy-related jobs could come sooner though with news that former Tyne shipyards will be used to build offshore wind turbines.
Carlisle's flagship Richard Rose Academy is placed in special measures after failing an inspection. And Newcastle councillors struck a blow for fatty food by defeating a motion that would have forced burger vans in the city to offer jacket potatoes and healthy sarnies as an alternative to the usual artery-clogging favourites. 
February - BBC Business Editor Robert Peston braves the anger of Northern Rock shareholders and workers by coming up to the North East for a Politics Show special. One woman, whose husband had tens of thousands of pounds worth of shares, leaves him in no doubt about the cost of the bank's collapse.
The programme also investigates why the BNP have begun to win more support in Labour heartlands like West Cumbria and County Durham. Northumberland County Council confirms a package of cuts and job losses ahead of the creation of a single all-purpose council for the county. Meanwhile, Lord Mandelson promises the North will get extra help to cope with the Recession, but would he deliver?
March - And you thought coal was so 20th Century. The NUM says it believes two new deep coal mines could be viable in the North East to help meet the country's energy needs. Crispian Strachan, a former Northumbria Police Chief Constable, criticises Conservative plans to have elected police chiefs.
Sunderland South MP Chris Mullin becomes one of the least likely people to have his memoirs serialised in a national newspaper. But A View from the Foothills gains great reviews for its honesty and self-deprecation. Thirteen district councils in Northumberland and County Durham come to the end of their lives in a local government shake-up.
April - Two new supercouncils are born as the revamped unitary Durham and Northumberland County Councils take control - surprisingly the world doesn't end. There are challenges ahead though as new figures show County Durham had experienced some of the steepest rises in unemployment during the Recession.
The Government is knocked sideways by the Damian McBride e-mail difficulties. And with some past scores to settle Alan Milburn and Stephen Byers are not shy of putting the boot into McBride in the papers.
And after last month's triumph, there's a little local difficulty for Chris Mullin. He has to remove a section promoting his book from his website as it breaches parliamentary rules.
If you can bear the suspense, May to August follows tomorrow.
I'm Richard Moss, the BBC's Political Editor for the North East and Cumbria. Welcome to my irreverent - but hopefully insightful - northern take on reporting politics for Look North and the Politics Show.
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.