Tory Mayor invites Trump to official UK visit
Mayor Ben Houchen has sent an open letter to incoming US president Donald Trump, congratulating him on his election victory and inviting him to visit North East England.
The Tees Valley mayor’s invitation comes as the prime minister faces backlash for failing to formally invite the president-elect to visit the UK.
Those around Trump aren’t fans of Britain, but the soon-to-be president is – much more than his predecessor Joe Biden anyway.
He also tells Elon Musk Tees Valley is open for business – in a bit of a beggy and desperate follow-up tweet!
We’re also different from most of the UK. We get stuff done! We’ve got the UK’s first and largest Freeport, which is attracting billions in international investment. @elonmusk, we would be delighted to see what could be possible
— Ben Houchen (@BenHouchen) November 24, 2024
We are open for business!
Read the full letter from Tees Valley’s Conservative Mayor to the president-elect
Dear President Trump
On behalf of the people in Teesside, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations on your recent electoral victory – one of, if not the biggest political comebacks in US history. Your leadership, commitment to boosting communities that have been neglected by past Governments and giving a voice to the unheard have been a great source of inspiration, and I wish you every success as you embark on your second term in office.
I would be delighted if you were able to visit the Tees Valley during your term in office. I believe a visit to the North East of England will ensure your trip is not dominated by a London-centric, metropolitan, media-driven agenda, but centre around real people and real issues.
The last visit to the Tees Valley by a US president was in 2003 when President George W Bush landed Air Force One at Teesside Airport. He was exceptionally well-received, and I have little doubt you would be afforded with the same Northern hospitality too.
We in the Tees Valley are at the coalface of the real economy. Detached from London and in need of investment, the area I represent is central to the UK Government’s ‘Northern Powerhouse’ agenda.
We are enacting the same principles you are in the ‘Rust Belt’ states by bringing together public and private sectors in order to drive forward regeneration and economic growth in areas that for years have been left behind.
As this area’s elected Conservative Mayor, I am not in politics to manage decline. I am tackling head on so many of the same issues that you addressed during your election campaign: deindustrialisation, imbalanced growth, and sluggish productivity. Working in partnership with some fantastic US companies that have chosen to base themselves here, such as Cummins, Caterpillar, ConocoPhillips and Huntsman, we’re starting to turn
a corner.
During your time here, I would be delighted to show you some of the transformational work of these great American success stories, creating jobs both here and in the US. I do hope you are able to include the Tees Valley as part of your visit. This could be the start of an exciting new chapter in the special relationship between our two countries, to sustain what is great from our shared history, and to build on new opportunities.
I will also be travelling to the United States in March 2025, and it would be fantastic to connect with your team to explore avenues for a strong, positive relationship between our two nations, built on a shared commitment to economic growth, resilience, and community strength.
Congratulations once again, Mr President. Please know that you have many admirers here, and we hope this term brings even greater success and opportunity for the American people and the special relationship between our great nations.
With warm regards and best wishes for your second term.
Yours sincerely,
Lord Ben Houchen