I would like to begin by expressing my condolences to the Royal Family following the passing of Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II.

While the nation has been in mourning there have been a number of political developments both nationally and locally that may have been swept away in the tide that cannot go ignored.

For one, a £17 million financial black hole has been discovered in Northumberland County Council as a result of ‘inflationary pressures’ and the soaring cost of living.

That the council only set aside £5mn to deal with inflation shows that even the local Conservatives did not expect the government to handle the current cost of living as badly as they have and now need to find an extra £12mn from the already stretched budget.

It is wrong that opposition parties are finding out about this through the media rather than through official communications from the leading party. These developments have serious consequences for the lives of people living in Northumberland and they deserve to have themselves and their representatives in council informed.

We also need more clarity about what this means for developments around the county including here in Wansbeck. What are the rising costs of the new leisure centre in Morpeth that is still under construction? Will it be completed in full? What will be cut in order for it to now be completed?

Abandoning current projects as a result of rising cost would only waste more money as so is highly unlikely. But what about the projects that are still only at the planning stage?

Most concerning is the potential cuts and further postponements to the development of the Northumberland line connecting Ashington and Bedlington to Blyth and Newcastle.  This development has been decades in the making and when it is done it must be done right rather than with costs slashed and corners cut.

It cannot be the case that once again money is pulled away from the areas of the constituency most in need of it. Places like Bedlington, Ashington, Newbiggin, Choppington and many more have been crying out for investment into infrastructure for years and cannot afford another decade of austerity and decline.

We were told in 2019 that the levelling up program will transform the fortunes of the North East after decades of being held behind. But so far by every measurable metric things have only gotten worse. The problems facing our region go way back beyond the energy crisis or war in Ukraine that the current administration are hiding behind. They must act comprehensively as soon as possible or else it will be the people of Northumberland feeling the consequences.