North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has defended a £16,000 taxpayer trip to Tokyo after Reform accused her of achieving “absolutely nothing” by going

The North East mayor has been forced to defend a £16,000 taxpayer-funded trade trip to Japan after critics questioned whether the overseas visit delivered real value for money.

Kim McGuinness travelled to Tokyo in November on a trade mission aimed at attracting investment to the region, holding meetings with major firms including Nissan, Hitachi and NSK. However, details released under a freedom of information request show the 11-day visit cost the public purse more than £16,000.

Figures provided by the North East Combined Authority (NECA) reveal that flights for the mayor and two officers totalled £9,536, with a further £6,025 spent on hotel accommodation between November 13 and 24. Additional costs included £245 for local transport, £300 for a translator and £123 on food and drink. The total bill came to £16,229.92.

During the visit, Ms McGuinness announced the signing of two Memorandum of Understanding agreements with Hitachi, which operates a train factory in Newton Aycliffe. The agreements relate to the development of zero-emission buses and proposals for an e-fuels hub at the Port of Tyne aimed at decarbonising shipping.
The mayor said the trip was a success and insisted more international visits would follow.

She said: “I’m not going to be the sort of mayor who sits behind a desk all day waiting to act. I’m proud to go out there and find the jobs and investment we need and to tell people how great this region is.

“Hitachi, a huge global corporation, said they want to invest more money and create more jobs in the North East, and they signed the deals to do just that. We also showcased local innovation, from Durham-based solar panel firm Power Roll to offshore and automotive businesses. We’re selling our North East to the world.”

NECA confirmed that all flights were taken in either economy or premium economy class and said all costs were covered by combined authority funds, apart from a single meal paid for by Hitachi, estimated at £100 per person.
However, rival politicians were quick to criticise the scale of the spending and questioned what tangible outcomes had been achieved. Reform UK’s leader of Durham County Council, Andrew Husband, said the mayor’s meeting with automotive supplier NSK appeared to have produced “absolutely nothing”, particularly after the company announced plans to close production sites in Peterlee.

His deputy, Darren Grimes, described the Japan visit as “posturing” and warned that high energy costs and increased national insurance contributions would deter firms from investing in the UK regardless of overseas meetings.
Newcastle Liberal Democrat councillor Greg Stone said international engagement was welcome but argued the key issue was whether the benefits matched the expense.

He said: “The main achievements from the trip appear to be two goodwill agreements with Hitachi, who are already well established in the region. These may lead to future job creation, but there have been few concrete announcements since her return.

“Given the travel and carbon costs involved, it is fair to ask whether similar outcomes could have been achieved closer to home.”
Ms McGuinness hit back at her critics, accusing them of putting politics ahead of jobs. She said: “This is the choice for the North East – a mayor who will go out there and bring back jobs, or opponents posturing on social media while dismissing the value of investment. I will always put jobs and growth for our region first.”