North-East is “remote” and has enough “regeneration”

These were the reasons given by a Government panel for not awarding the UK’s first super casino licence to the North-East yesterday. The Government’s independent casino advisory panel said Newcastle’s proposal was “sound” but they cited the city’s “relative remoteness” and “limited catchment area” as weaknesses.

I have to admit that not in a million years did I expect Newcastle to win this bidding war, but the reasons given are likely to shock some of us up here. Newcastle International Airport continues to thrive, flights and users continue to grow, as do profits. We have exceptionally good mainline rail links to the North-East, as well as being served by good road and sea links, by any measures Tyne and Wear is every bit as “remote” as Manchester.

There are three government ministers sitting as MP’s in the North-East, including the Prime Minister (and South Shields MP David Miliband), one might well have expected some of them to counter this rather blinkered view!