A Vision for South Shields

South Tyneside has a great history of coal, ships and people. We have some great businesses and public services. I salute the teachers, doctors, nurses, police and Council officers who work so hard for the community, and the businesses who battle hard to provide employment.

But we can't live on our history. We need to find new ways to make a living, to improve quality of life, and spread opportunity and security to every family in the town. That is the purpose of the South Tyneside Transformation Commission, set up by the Council, but run by independent people. It is a vital initiative to improve the town, and I fully support it.

We have unique assets - the combination of river and coast, the marine College, the links to Newcastle and Sunderland, and of course the people with skills, pride and commitment. We have to build on those assets.

Good public services are vital to make South Shields a place that people want to live. That is why it is critical that the Government continues to deliver extra funding to raise standards in schools, improve health provision in GP's surgeries and the local hospital, and cut crime. I want our public services above the average so people want to move in here. And let's think big - why not have a branch of a local university established in South Shields?

We also need to make South Tyneside a more attractive place to do business - upgrading premises, supporting small businesses, getting a range of shops where people want to spend their money. That means punching our weight at regional level to ensure we get the support we need. But we also need to help people who live in South Tyneside get to jobs in the rest of Tyne & Wear. That is why improving transport is also a priority.

South Tyneside is a small Borough - but that is a strength not a weakness. It means we should be able to achieve change quickly. The key is to turn outwards, to find partners for business, health provision or educational opportunities in the rest of the region or around the country. Now is the time to get the vision right, and then go for it. If you have ideas, tell me about them.