THE economy of the North-east needs to be rebalanced away from an over-reliance on the public sector and towards manufacturing.
That was the call from leading Liberal Democrats at the party rally this week.
To speed up the process they pledged £400m for port infrastructure to support wind turbine manufacture and assembly.
Tees Valley MEP Fiona Hall, who serves as a renewable energy expert on the Europe’s influential industry committee, said: “The region now needs to take advantage of the shift towards a low carbon economy.
“With its outstanding research centres and facilities, wind and tidal resources and skilled workforce, the North-east has the real potential to become a leader in new green technologies.”