Ben Houchen’s success in Tees Valley tells us much (“Something new, something blue,” October). First, as mayor he has looked beyond the narrow constraints of his own party’s increasingly tangled ideological make-up, to develop a locally coherent and appealing version of Conservatism. Sub-national leaders of all parties can increasingly see the wisdom of escaping traditional ways of thinking.
Second, his success shows the benefits to local electorates of not allowing themselves to be typecast. If you are, political parties will ignore you. The formerly rock-solid Conservative electorate of Chesham and Amersham voted Liberal Democrat in June’s by-election and, as a result, have almost certainly changed forthcoming planning legislation to be more responsive to their needs. Though undesirable in terms of good government, electorally unpredictable constituencies and regions get ministerial attention—and cash.