He’d be a prize to take out: a real-life Tory with a northern accent, a strong support base in a formerly depressed area and a record of delivering things. The mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, has become a rare poster-boy for success in a political era defined by Conservative failure. He has also managed, without provoking the ire of those influential worshippers at the shrine of Thatcher, to make the case for a more active state in growing the economy. Whether they know it or not, this is the future.
Naturally, success brings scrutiny — and also enemies. A prominent one is Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough. Before being suspended from Labour for some “river to the sea” rhetoric (a mild case, in my
