‘He doesn’t care where he is’ - Teesside or Tyneside? What North East MPs said about that Boris Johnson tweet

Teesside or North Tyneside? Easy to mix up, isn’t it, if you have no clue where you are or the geography of an area of the UK, I suppose?

Well, that’s exactly what Boris Johnson did when attempting to signpost his visit to Whitley Bay ahead of the local elections on Thursday in a positive manner.

Instead, as is so often the case with bumbling BoJo, his attempt to show support and interest in the North East has backfired massively after a tweet faux pas.

One of Johnson’s No.10 media team tweeted out an image of the PM eating an ice cream on Whitley Bay’s sea front on his visit to the region yesterday, with the words: “Fantastic day to be out campaigning in Teesside, where we’re delivering a massive programme of investment as part of our plan to level up the whole of the UK”.

The tweet was deleted and another soon reposted with the words: “It was a fantastic day to be out campaigning in the North East.”

However, the damage was done. And it’s not something that went down well with locals, or MPs from the region.

Here’s a summary of what has been said.

Tynemouth MP Alan Campbell added: “The PM believes he was campaigning in Teesside. Actually, he was in Whitley Bay North Tyneside. He doesn’t really care where he is or what he says.

“He doesn’t really care about who he meets or what they care about.”

He continued: “Good to see the PM in Whitley Bay showing Labour in local government. In the last 10 years Labour has delivered regeneration in Whitley Bay -FACT. In the same period the Tory Govt cut £127 million in grants to North Tyneside - FACT.”

Bridget Phillipson, MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, said: “Teesside, Tyneside, all the same to him. He doesn’t even know where he is. Britain deserves better.”

Newcastle central MP, Chi Onwurah, tweeted: “Dear Boris Johnson if telling the truth means anything to you whatever (which I doubt) try checking the facts before announcing something to the world...”

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner also took to social media to deride the PM error. She wrote: “Erm…how to say this…? That’s NOT Teesside.”