Lord Ben Houchen, Baron Houchen of High Leven, is a Conservative life peer and the directly elected Mayor of the Tees Valley, first elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021 and 2024.
As Mayor, he has led significant regeneration projects across Teesside, including the public takeover of Teesside International Airport and the redevelopment of the South Tees industrial site.
In 2023, he was elevated to the House of Lords. He now also serves as Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Trade and Investment, helping to shape policy and promote the UK’s global trade ambitions.
Britain was forged in the fires of the Industrial Revolution. Regions like Teesside were the powerhouses that helped build a global economy. Towns like Middlesbrough, once proudly stood as “Ironopolis”, at the centre of global industry. The metals produced in our foundries
