Foreign Secretary sends top Ambassador to North East and Tees Valley to help local firms achieve new growth opportunities in South Korea
Foreign Secretary David Lammy deployed the UK’s Ambassador to South Korea, Colin Crooks to the North East of England yesterday to boost economic ties as part of a new roadshow to drive growth in every part of the UK.
The visit to North East and Tyne Tees combined authorities is part of a new roadshow launched by the Foreign Secretary David Lammy to drive economic growth in every part of the UK by building connections between regions in the UK and growth-driving markets.
Ambassadors and High Commissioners are posted for long stints in other countries, and part of their brief is to get under the skin of the place they are based. That includes getting to know the ins and outs of the business landscape, and spotting opportunities for British businesses.
Ambassador Crooks is one of over fifteen top British diplomats despatched on a cross-country tour to build relationships with mayors and regional businesses right across the whole country.
The Foreign Secretary wants the roadshow to strengthen ties between the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s extensive overseas network and every UK region to boost international trade with key markets such as Japan, Canada and Germany, as part of the UK Government’s Plan for Change.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:
“The North East and Tees Valley combined authorities have a strong connection to South Korea but there’s so much more we can do to boost trade and investment
“I am sending my Ambassador to work directly with local businesses to build connections so they can harness their expertise and effectively champion the interests of the North East and Tees Valley most effectively.
“This nationwide roadshow is one of the ways I am ensuring the economic interests of British businesses sit at the heart of our foreign policy as we deliver on our Plan for Change.”
Ambassador Crooks had a breakfast meeting with North East Mayor Kim McGuinness at the County Hall, in Morpeth, before visiting Port of Tyne for a tour and meeting with its Chief Financial Officer Mark Stoner.
In the afternoon, he then met with Tees Valley cabinet member Cllr Alec Brown before doing a tour of Teesworks and meeting with SeAH Wind CEO Chris Sohn.
Ambassador Crooks said:
“It’s exciting to be in the North East and Tees Valley as part of this first-of-its-kind roadshow – going the extra mile to develop relationships that will help us supercharge growth to every corner of the UK.
“We’re hitting the road to speak directly to community leaders and businesses, so that not a single opportunity is missed to generate trade and investment wins overseas.
“The UK Government’s Plan for Change is making Britain the best country to do business with, and I am looking forward to building on today’s roadshow discussions to showcase the North East and Tees Valley on the international stage.”
The regional roadshow builds on a keynote Foreign Secretary speech at the British Chambers of Commerce earlier this year laying out the UK Government’s mission to drive economic growth by using the FCDO’s international networks to represent the interests of British businesses and consumers overseas.
South Korea is now the UK’s 25th largest trading partner. Ambassador Crooks will use today’s roadshow visit to build on figures which show total trade between UK and South Korea was £15.4 billion in 2024 – with many companies across the North East and Tees Valley benefiting.
SeAH has invested £900m to build the world’s largest offshore wind monopile factory in Teesside. They expect to create over 700 direct jobs by 2027, plus more in the supply chain. The factory will supply vital components for the turbines of a major offshore wind farm project off the coast of Norfolk, which will generate enough clean energy to supply nearly two million households.
North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, said:
“My goal is to make the North East the home of the green energy revolution and in the last few months we’ve seen companies like LS Eco Advanced Cables show their confidence in the North East – we’re a thriving region and a great place to do business.
“I’m delighted to welcome Ambassador Crooks to the region to discuss the North East’s potential for further growth and investment.”
Redcar and Cleveland Council Leader and Tees Valley Combined Authority Cabinet Member Councillor Alec Brown said:
"We are delighted to be chosen as first location to welcome this roadshow and to have the opportunity to highlight the global-scale projects moving forward in Redcar and Cleveland and across Tees Valley.
"Our region is now at the forefront of developing the industries of the future. These will be central in driving forward the UK's growth agenda while delivering thousands of well-paid, highly skilled jobs for local people.
"We are attracting international investors and our work with outstanding South Korean businesses such as SeAH Wind and Hanmi Global is a fantastic example of how we are successfully working with global partners to bring major benefits to our region and the UK."