James Cleverly ( Stockton)

[Newtonianmechanics]

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/james-cleverly-stockton-north-shithole-b2451844.html

Course he said it! What happened to levelling up eh! Scary that they actually think like this. It isn't helpful at all. Disgraceful in fact.

@PrimalOwl10 same here. I’m originally from Darlington but now live in Stockton. My son lives in Darlo and works in Boro (and around the NE) in a very good job. His wife also has an excellent job in Billingham.

My husband works for the well known mobile phone company with offices in Darlington and has a a technical, well paid job too.

Of course these places have rough parts, but so does pretty much every town and city in the country. I actually love where I live. I think myself so lucky that we’ve got a fabulous house for a fraction of what the snobby southerners pay for theirs (no offence intended to any non snobby southerners - not tarring you all with the same brush). And we actually have a very good standard of living. Not saying that to brag over those in poverty - more just to point out the benefits of being here.

As awful as this remark is. I wish the National News would mention the GNE bus strike.

Hate to break this to you, but your opinion isn't worth the time you took to spew it.

Stockton is as worth saving as any other town. It takes choice, is all.

Stockton obviously has deprived areas but it has a lot more going for it than many places and has some lovely parts and there is investment going into the town centre.

Cleverley is now getting kicked by the NE Conservatives now, Ben Houchen, the Tees Valley is clearly not happy.

People with your "views" are ignored in the Treasury because they are not relevant.

They care about value for money. If they put in £x how much could they expect to get out in £x.

And thats why Stockton fails vs others towns and villages in the UK

It is simply not cost effective to invest in a place like Stockton right now.

Your "emotional reactions" are simply not relevant here. Its only cold, hard numbers that matter when it comes to investment when the cost of capital is high.

You sound as if you're suggesting euthanasia! What age do we start topping pensioners? 67 so that they don't get to collect their pension?!

It's always being said that this island is full, no room for anyone, so why is abandoning a whole area such a good idea? Do we hand it over to Norway to see if they can make a go of it?

My almost xH is very leftie with high contempt for Tories, almost-xH thinks it was a funny joke.
Totally in bad taste, but just a stupid quip.

We'd probably both prefer Cleverly to apologise to Stockton, fess up & everyone can all move on.

Watching Cleverly squirm is fun, but would like the world to move on. Referral to standards watchdog is OTT.

What a bizarre response.

BouncingJAS you gave no evidence to suggest why its not 'worth saving' when millions of investment has been put into the town centre and can't back your opinions with correct stastics

Really not understanding where this “stockon is not worth investing in” argument is coming from. Stockon is getting MASSIVE investment in terms of regeneration. Has been for years and lots being delivered currently.
The main town has 10% empty commercial units which is a lot less than most towns. There is a significant arts scene too, as PP mentioned, the globe, the arc, Stockton riverside festival - they attract huge numbers of visitors.

alongside the more deprived areas there are also very middle class areas where property prices are high and very desirable due to the high levels of green space, proximity to beautiful areas like north Yorks and the Northumbrian coast. In Stockton there are lots of outstanding schools, excellent transport links on the doorstep and many, many big name employers on Teesside.

Stockton children are no less worthy of basic food and provisions than anyone else. They certainly don’t deserve to be told their poverty is their own fault.

Stockon is no less of a shithole or no more of a shithole than any other town. There are beautiful parts and shockingly bad parts.

im actually shocked that people think it’s no big deal.

Oh and then lying about it of course. If you have a shitty opinion then at least have the front to fucking own it.

Yep! Our town is literally cut off with no end in sight unless you have a car. We have no metros or trains, only buses which haven't ran for weeks. No mention of this on the National news that I've seen.
People are losing their jobs left right and centre and no one cares because it's the North East.

For those saying it’s not newsworthy….

if he’s apologised immediately probably not.

But he denied it and then lied about it. That’s what makes it newsworthy.

he’s an idiot but he gets extra idiot points for thinking he could say it without a backlash. Either a super idiot or just doesn’t care.

He should be fired. The comment was crass and not acceptable from any MP, let alone a cabinet member. The lying is despicable and has no place in Parliament, but that's the Conservatives all over. They don't know how not to lie.

Sunak doesn't have the integrity to fire him.

Agree with every word. On the NE thread I do a lot of complaining about the strike.

Ignorance. It's coming from ignorance and boring old goadiness.

And as for 'other people say the word shit in their jobs'... how much is it possible to miss the point. Its not the swearing, it's the absolute contempt from members of a party that has actively made many towns (Stockton excepted by the sounds) much, much more shithole-like over the last decade.

Just got me thinking what the torries have actually done for the country since coming in to power other than filling their own pockets and their mates. Honestly there is no hope. None of those in power deserve to be in power.

James cleverly needs to look a bit closer to home. His own constituency isn't exactly paradise.

You don't think calling a town a shit hole is newsworthy??

It is definitely newsworthy.

Just waiting for Sunak to wheel Theresa May out again. Or Sajid Javid.

I hate to break this to you, but you are coming across pretty badly here.

Do you live/work in Stockton or Teesside? You don't sound very informed.

I live in Sunak's constituency, but work in Teesside.
Your assertion that Stockton is a "dump", and "not worth saving" says quite a lot more about you than it does the very many Northern people who live and work here, and who take some pride in seeing the betterment of this area.

As for your claim that there's no money - of course there is money. It's just being directed to the South East of the country, as has always been the case.
I agree with you fully that "Levelling Up" was just a slogan for the GE in 2019 to garner votes from the traditional Labour heartlands. It worked a treat, and there was never any intention for it to lead to any solid investment in "The North".
But let's not pretend that there's no money, because that's just a lazy excuse as to why the promised investment never materialised. It was never intended all along.

Where is it on the list of most deprived wards in England and Wales?

I'm not pretending. Of course it's a sign of how far the Overton window has shifted that some Tory apologists think it's minor.

We don't have "limited money" to spend when it comes to stuffing the pockets of Tory donors with government cash.

You should hang you head in shame for such bigotry.

This

Some parts of Stockton are lovely and some are very much in shit hole territory but that is not the fault of the people who live there.