Responding to the King's Speech, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said:
“This is an ambitious King's Speech that speaks to the needs of the North East and sets out a plan for handing us more control of our own future - the biggest change we have seen in generations.
“That work to take power out of London and back to the North East starts now, and I'll always push Government to go even further and be even more ambitious. But with measures such as the English Devolution Bill and the Council of Regions and Nations we see a Government dedicated to the reforms we need to grow our North East and create the real opportunity we want to see.
“With buses and railways coming back under public control we'll see a real change in how transport works in this country, with new house building powers we can usher in a new era of social and affordable green housing, and with Great British Energy we can turbocharge our offshore energy sector and create thousands of jobs for people in this region.
“When I was elected mayor I set out to end child poverty. With measures such as breakfast clubs and the investment in new teachers here we see the path to a better life for thousands of children, particularly when coupled with the solid commitment to taking direct action in our region.“