Recently in Adrian Pearson Category

Today's politics column on the mission facing the North East local enterprise partnership, and the PR firm brought in to help.

IT'S not quite 'the economy, stupid' but the Local Enterprise Partnership has had a similar blunt message of how to succeed.

Saturday's politics column, looking at the two senior civil servants creating a secret sense of regionalism.

THE Coalition has a trust problem, one the North East has yet to figure out how to play.

Once again I had the delight of stepping in for Paul Linford as Saturday's Journal political commentator. To bring me crashing back down to Earth I put together a what really happens when ministers visit type piece.
For those who didn't read it, enjoy.

NICK Clegg has a curious talent for being able to pretend he recognises regional journalists.

Saturday's Journal column, as the ever insightful Paul Linford continues to do whatever it is he does on holiday.

THOSE of us covering local politics like to think we move in pretty exclusive circles, assuming the definition of exclusive is expanded to mean access to people others aren't too fussed about.

As well as keeping literally some readers up to date on regional politics type stuff, I also occasionally help out on the news desk for The Journal and our sister papers.
This affords me a fine insight into the world of general news, a sample of which I provide here.

THAT live twitter coverage of council meetings is all the rage at the moment, but the 140 characters format has its limitations. 140 to be exact.
So, here is a guide to who's who at Newcastle Council.

So, farewell Peter Arnold. Science City's loss is some other science thingy's gain.

What the city wants now is a new man in charge. But not one as good as Peter, apparently. Newcastle Science City has admitted a slimmed down project doesn't need a man of his calibre.

If everyone who received money from the public sector was paid on condition they spoke in the same honest and down to Earth manner of One North East chairman Paul Callaghan we wouldn't all be so keen on the taxpayers alliance.
Everyone likes him, including, or so we thought, Vince Cable...

It is easy to lose track of what has been cut and what has been scrapped, such is the unseemly rush this coalition seems to be in to get the pain out of the way before the next general election.
But surely Philip Hammond can keep track? He is, after all, in the cabinet.

Politics is a devious business, with many a public statement differing from the private reality.
So the planners behind a Tyneside conference centre and science park could be forgiven for thinking Sir Ian Wrigglesworth was asking them to read between the lines when he said his Regional Growth Fund should not be used to continue scrapped regional development agency projects.