Week in politics: Another A1 delay, shellfish review timetable & more

This week was frustratingly familiar for those who have long campaigned for improvements to the A1 in Northumberland.

A government decision over whether to go ahead with dualling the road between Morpeth and Ellingham was delayed for the third time in a year.

The reasoning given for missing Monday's deadline was the same as in the summer - wanting to consider the project alongside wider transport priorities - and a new deadline of 5 September 2023 has now been set.

This August, during the Conservative leadership contest, Rishi Sunak told a party member at the Darlington hustings: "I would like to see the A1 dualled... you have my absolute assurance, as a matter of urgency, I will go and figure out why that thing has been slowed down and get it back on track."

He didn't win that contest, and public finances are under intense pressure now he is Prime Minister, but this latest delay does raise further questions over how serious the government is about 'levelling up' the country.

With coincidental timing I'm sure, Labour published a rival vision for tackling regional inequalities on Monday.

They want to give more powers to elected mayors and other local leaders, including overseeing 'clusters of economic activity' - for example focused on green hydrogen production in the North East.

The proposal to replace the House of Lords with an elected 'Assembly of Nations and Regions' has drawn most attention. 

Particularly considering the state of the economy, such political reform has the benefit of being comparatively cheap, but may also feel very far removed from people's priorities right now.

On Tuesday, the Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said she's asked for a review of the deaths of thousands of shellfish on our region's coastline to report back to her in January.

Last month, the government said "an independent panel of external experts" would look at the different theories for what caused last autumn's mass die-off.

Ms Coffey said: "I'm not intending to have a brand new huge inquiry. It's got to be timely in that regard."

After a Labour MP on parliament's Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Committee raised concerns about how independent the process will be, a government official said the panel will be made up of scientists from outside DEFRA.

Asked about financial support or compensation for affected fishermen, the Environment Secretary replied: "I can't make any commitments on this financially", at least until after the review is completed.

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how the Conservative MP for Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland Simon Clarke was leading a threatened rebellion, in support of more onshore wind farms.On Tuesday, the government bowed to the pressure, pledging to relax restrictions, though saying local approval will still be required.Mr Clarke said he was "really pleased to see a sensible agreement reached."

In the House of Commons on Friday, the Labour MP for York Central Rachael Maskell presented her private member's bill, which would see a licensing system for short-term holiday lets.

She warned: "the market is out of control" and there are now more than 2,000 short-term holiday lets in York, forcing local people out and leaving remaining residents "hemmed in by party homes."

Her approach would give councils powers to issue fines or remove licences where conditions are not met, vary tax rates, limit how often properties can be rented out, or restrict the number of them in certain areas.

Responding, Tourism Minister Stuart Andrew said the government would not support the bill, as it is instead introducing a registration scheme for short-term lets.

He argued that would provide much-needed evidence on letting activity across the country, improve consistency over health and safety regulations, provide visitors with assurance over standards, and "support local authorities where a high number of short-term lets are deemed to be impacting their local housing market."

Ms Maskell's bill ran out of time on Friday, but she's said she will try to get it passed in the new year.