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Who built Darlington? Liberals.
From Edward Pease to Edmund Backhouse, it was Liberals who had the vision to turn a sleepy market town into the cradle of the industrial revolution and the place the modern world was created.
They put us on the map and made us matter.
With Liberal principles and vision, we can once again build a Darlington to be proud o
About Simon
A local candidate with an international perspective
Darlington born and bred, Simon studied at Abbey School, Hummersknott School and QE, followed by the University of Edinburgh, City University of Hong Kong and Edinburgh Business School.
After finishing his studies, he lived in Taiwan for several years, studying Mandarin and teaching English.
He then returned to the UK, moving to London to become CEO of InTuition Languages, an international language training business.
In 2020 he returned to Darlington, relocating the business to a new site on Grange Road. He is married to Nicole and has two children: Clara, six, and Jack, four.
Our Values and Principles
Freedom
Autonomy
Freedom
We believe that everybody should be free to choose the path they want to follow through life.
Rights
Autonomy
Freedom
We believe that rights are vital to protect individuals against the power of the state, big business and other powerful interests.
Autonomy
Autonomy
Enterprise
We believe that each individual can make their own decisions and think for themselves.
Enterprise
Internationalism
Enterprise
We believe that national prosperity is founded on free-market economics, combined with fair and adequate taxation for well-run public services.
Internationalism
Internationalism
Internationalism
We believe that nations working together is essential to solve the world's big problems.
Free Trade
Internationalism
Internationalism
We believe that international free trade is the foundation of prosperity and peace.
Simon's Plan for Darlington
Darlington has been ill-served by generations of local and national politicians, both Conservative and Labour.
Child poverty is at record highs. The population is ageing and shrinking. NHS waiting lists keep on rising. Wages are lower than they were in 2009. Taxes and public debts keep going up. Our beautiful rivers and coastline are blighted by sewage and industrial neglect.
However, there is every reason to have hope for the future.
Change is possible - but it requires a new approach. A people-first, bottom-up approach which focusses on delivering simple, practical and sustainable improvements.
And that's what a vote for me on 4th July means.
Fixing the Teesworks Scandal
We have invested more than £500m in regenerating the old steelworks site in Redcar. £250m of that is borrowed, and will have to be repaid by taxpayers.
The good news is: there are profits to be had on that investment.
The bad news is: under the current mayor, 90% of those profits have been given away - for literally nothing - to favoured private sector partners. That's around £1bn in profits which could - and should - have been funding local councils. Instead, it's disappearing into the pockets of a few well-connected businessmen.
This is, undeniably, a scandal.
But we don't have to just accept it.
If I am elected mayor, I will regain those profits for local taxpayers and ensure that all future regeneration work is done exclusively to public benefit.
The way to do that is via a mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).
A CIL is a charge which is levied on developers who build on public Development Corporation land (such as STDC).
It recognises that a large amount of investment in public infrastructure has been made, or will be made, in the redevelopment area – which will directly benefit the developers concerned.
In the case of STDC, the major external benefits which developers enjoy are the remediation of the toxic site itself (with the public taking on all the risk), the investments in transport infrastructure, and subsidised training programmes.
The charge will not be paid by Teesworks Ltd. Unfortunately, they will still be able to buy each parcel of remediated land (if they want to – no obligation!) for a knock-down price.
Instead, it will be paid by the end client, who actually builds a factory or other facility on the site.
This will take revenue away from Teesworks Ltd, and instead redirect it to where it should always have been going – to TVCA and henceforth the local authorities of the Tees Valley.
Here’s an example:
Under the current arrangement, 100% of the money paid by the end client goes to Teesworks Ltd. Let’s say that for a given parcel of land, that’s £100mn.
Under my proposal, the CIL will take a portion of that £100mn (the exact percentage will have to be carefully calculated to avoid legal challenge). The end client will still pay £100mn, but split between Teesworks Ltd and TVCA.
It’s a workable solution, with powers the mayor already has.
Tackling Child Poverty
If I am elected mayor, I will create a £25m per year fund to target the biggest single issue affecting our region: poverty.
My Early Years Support Fund will:
- Provide free Baby Boxes to all parents of newborns in the region. Baby Boxes contain clothes, bedding, nappies and other accessories - helping new parents give their baby the best start in life.
- Fund free school meals for all children until the end of Junior school.
- Establish a network of advice hubs, where anyone can go to get guidance and support on accessing the benefits they are entitled to, as well as coordinating the work of local anti-poverty charities.
Making public transport public
Public transport in the Tees Valley is unreliable, expensive and complex.
This destroys opportunity.
If we are to tackle poverty and build a more prosperous region, we need a public transport system - particuarly buses - that people can rely on. One that isn't driven by profit, but by a mission to connect people and open up possibilities.
I will bring our buses under Combined Authority control, and introduce:
- Contactless ticketing, automatic daily and weekly capping, 1-hour hopper tickets and a single, entirely integrated network and brand.
- Free bus travel for all under-18s.
- A large expansion in the bus network, and the frequency of services within that network.
Education for all
The Tees Valley has a £38m Adult Education budget - not that you'd know about it, under our current mayor.
Rather than using the budget to expand opportunity, it has been channeled directly to colleges, who have to run specific skills-based courses using the funds - regardless of whether that's what people want to learn or not.
I will change this.
I believe that people know for themselves what they need to progress through life: what skills and education will bring them the biggest return.
I will introduce a system of Individual Learning Grants, allowing any local resident to apply for financial support to study a course which they want to study, when they want to study it.
Do you share our values and principles?
We need your support to build a Liberal Darlington and UK.
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Published and promoted by Simon Thorley, 36 Pierremont Crescent, Darlington, DL3 9PB