Calls for Tees Valley Mayor to resign from numerous "conflict of interest" chairmanships
Ben Houchen sits as Chair three Mayoral Development Corporations
Last updated 1st May 2025
Six Tees Valley Labour MPs are calling on the Mayor to resign from numerous "conflict of interest" chairmanships that he holds.
Andy McDonald MP, Luke Myer MP, Anna Turley MP, Chris McDonald MP, Jonathan Brash MP and Lola McEvoy MP have all written to Ben Houchen to request request a timetable for him standing down, following the publication of new government guidance.
The letter says the move is necessary for improving governance at the Tees Valley Combined Authority and its various boards following its recent issuing of a special measures Best Value Notice.
Currently Lord Houchen sits as Chair three Mayoral Development Corporations - South Tees Development Corporation, Middlesbrough Development Corporation and Hartlepool Development Corporation.
However, new government guidance says: “The oversight function should be clearly separate from decision making to avoid conflicts of interest. As the Mayor provides oversight of the MDC and has powers in relation to the issuing of guidance and direction to an MDC, the mayor should not be the chair of an MDC.”
In their letter the MPs state: “The imperative is that everyone must have confidence in all the governance arrangements of the TVCA and its Development Corporations and therefore we ask that you publicly set out your timetable for stepping down from your position as Chair of the South Tees Development Corporation, the Middlesbrough Development Corporation and the Hartlepool Development Corporation.
“We also ask if you will set out how you will secure the endorsement of the relevant local authority of any appointment you make to chair each development corporation. “
The MPs also pointed to the issue of the Best Value Notice and the imperative for Lord Houchen to stand down from the roles to make help achieve the necessary governance improvements.
They write: “Further to the Minister of State for Local Government and Devolution Jim McMahon issuing a Best Value Notice to the Tees Valley Mayoral Combined Authority, we wholeheartedly share and fully endorse the government’s commitment to removing barriers to growth in our region, as well as supporting the development of new industries and creating new jobs in the region.
“We also welcome and applaud the government’s confirmation of the allocation of up to £21.7 billion of funding over 25 years for Net Zero Clusters in Teesside and Merseyside, and we welcome the finalising development of the Tees Valley Investment Zone.
“The Best Value Notice is focussed on rebuilding trust in the Combined Authority after a long period of uncertainty, and clearly improvements are needed."
In response, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: "I am incredibly proud of all we’ve achieved and will achieve. I have already said that we will respect the new guidance, and the boards will be updated at the AGM as per the constitution. So this is a nice political letter but entirely irrelevant and behind the times.
"It is disappointing that it took our local MPs no time to jump on this, when they have been, and continue to be, silent on British Steel and saving local jobs on Teesside. Jobs and progress are my priority and I’ll continue to put local people first, as I have done for 8 years."
It means the Mayor will not be seeking to continue in the role as chair following the board updates at the AGM.