BUSINESSMAN HOPES TO BE TORY CANDIDATE Entrepreneur in bid for mayor role
A NEWCASTLE entrepreneur has announced his bid to be the Conservative candidate in the North of Tyne mayoral race.
Charlie Hoult, the director of business village Hoults Yard, said the North East needed “projects not politics” as he confirmed his intention to run for the job of its first ever regional mayor. Mr Hoult said “regional pride” motivated him to stand, and that he saw the job as “an opportunity to get stuff done”.
Born in Gosforth, Mr Hoult ran his own marketing company in London between 1994 and 2008 before returning to his native North East after the credit crunch and taking on the family business.
Hoults Yard in Byker was once home to the world’s biggest pottery but has since been transformed into the city’s biggest workspace hub.
Mr Hoult said the job of North of Tyne Mayor called for someone “with a bigger vision” and not “divisive politics”, adding, “I fear some of the other people might not be an inspiring force for the region.”
And although specific policies are “yet to come” if he clinches the Conservative nomination, he said his themes would be ambition, community and opportunity. “There’s lots of great stuff happening in the region but a lot of it is like ants scurrying around each other, whereas we should be like geese, flying in formation,” Mr Hoult said.
“That’s what the mayoral role ought to do – provide leadership, a sense of direction.”
On how his business background would help, Mr Hoult said: “It’s an economic development role really. Being successful in business doesn’t mean you’re a brilliant person, but I get stuff done. As a region we are in a good place, we’re on a roll – new Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport figures have said that the North East is the fastest growing region for digital in the UK, we’ve got great tourism and manufacturing.”
He also said the North East should “make the most of Brexit”. “I voted for Brexit and I think we should just get on with it.”
Jamie Driscoll will stand as Labour’s candidate in the poll on May 2, while the Lib Dems put forward John Appleby. John Mccabe, president of North East England Chamber of Commerce, is considering running as an independent.