💥 YES! A brand new Lidl is coming to Gateshead! 👷 Construction is well underway, so shoppers will soon be able to enjoy a wider range of food options in Bensham. 🍩A new store means more local jobs and cheaper shopping right here in Gateshead. 😍 And yes, the bakery section! youtu.be/VyhWUcKyIGQ

It's amazing how many people haven't visited this local hidden treasure 🤯 Do you know where it is? Comment below.

🍋 This looks amazing and its FREE! 🥦

Last night Labour voted down every attempt by Reform and the Tories to water down our Employment Rights Bill.

Gills in Dunston serves up some of the tastiest fish and chips in Gateshead. The perfect Friday pitstop in the heart of my constituency. WHICH CHIPPY DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST IN GATESHEAD?

After a busy week in Westminster I’m heading back to Gateshead with Annie. As well as keeping me company on the train, she took part in the Westminster dog of the year show. Well done to all the winners and everyone else who took part

Great North Run complete. Thanks to everyone who sponsored me, doubling my initial target. You can still give to this worthy cause at: ajbellgreatnorthrun2025.enthuse.com/pf/mark-ferg...

It’s Great North Run Day

This Labour government is investing to give our children the best start in life. This week we've rolled out 30 hours of government-funded childcare, saving up to £7,500 and supporting more parents back into work.

Flag update - I thought it needed a better home than in my drawer though so I’ve brought it into Parliament with me on my first day back in Westminster. What do you think?

Beautiful building, even better good - breakfast for lunch at the Cafe Under The Spire in Bensham

You have 2 days left to save £7,500 on childcare. Labour's 30 hours of government-funded childcare kicks in on 1st September. Visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to see what you are entitled to. Our Plan for Change is putting more money into parents' pockets & giving children the best start in life

This is my flag.

📍Gateshead is open for Business 📈 Yesterday I welcomed my friend the Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds to Gateshead to discuss how we drive more investment into our area and build on the successes we already have.

Labour is cutting waiting lists and the 8am scramble for a GP appointment. The Pharmacy First scheme allows trained pharmacists to dispense prescription-only medication, without the need to see a GP, for the following conditions:

Labour is breaking down the barriers to opportunity for young people. This government is delivering: - ✅More youth services - ✅More after-school activities - ✅Building essential skills for life and work 👉 Read more: www.itv.com/news/2025-08...

BIN THE WIPE! I'm supporting the Bin the Wipe campaign to raise awareness of the damage to life in our rivers when wet wipes are flushed down the toilet. Wipes don't break down like toilet paper. They cause blockages, flooding and pollution in our rivers.

A new Gateshead themed beer - Goat’s Head - has been launched today in collaboration with some of Gateshead’s fantastic pubs and bars. Get yourself along for a pint this sunny Friday evening like I am at Axis. Cheers!

Thank you to everyone who came to my latest surgery this morning - we covered issues from SMEs to renters rights and everything in between. I hold surgeries all year round and my office in Dunston deals with thousands of queries - and you can always contact me on [email protected]

*Gateshead business sights water leaks from space*

“The Big Angel”

A few years ago there was a sign outside the Baltic that said “The North - Almost heaven” Anyway - here’s Saltwell Park this afternoon in the sunshine. Almost heaven indeed

Thanks to everyone at Craigielea Care Home in Low Fell for inviting me to visit ahead of their summer fun day. I’ve spent most of my working life campaigning for the rights of those in care and fighting for better pay and conditions for care workers - there’s more to do, but we are making progress

Beautiful day for a (slow) lunchtime run in Saltwell Park. I’m running the Great North Run in 6 weeks(!) for Cure Usher. Please consider donating to find a cure for this rare inherited disease which causes deaf blindness ajbellgreatnorthrun2025.enthuse.com/pf/mark-ferg...

It’s Coming Home 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Congratulations to the two time European champions, the Lionesses!

Tonight Gateshead hosted the first televised Prom from outside of London *ever* and JADE absolutely smashed it. We are so lucky to have the Glasshouse, and tonight it was the venue for a concert full of pride in our region. Amazing things are happening in Gateshead

Fantastic hire by @labourlist.bsky.social - when I was Editor, Emma was one of best contributors to the site in every sense. She understands what LabourList is and what it has the power to be. Good luck @emmaburnell.bsky.social labourlist.org/2025/07/new-...

A beautiful sunny summer evening - and the Nine Pins has reopened

Can’t beat the Staiths cafe. Or Vera

Every month I make time to listen to young people in Gateshead Central & Whickham, visiting schools and colleges, breakfast clubs and holiday activities. Last week I held a surgery for local young people to raise the issues that matter to them. We discussed a number of topics, including:

On Friday I brought Google to Gateshead to run a free training day in digital skills, including marketing, SEO and AI. youtube.com/shorts/vmUJy...

40 years on from the bloody attack on miners at Orgreave, this Labour government is launching a full inquiry, with powers to compel witnesses. As a trade unionist I’ve been consistent in campaigning for an inquiry for truth & justice for miners. This Labour government is delivering on our promise.

*Social Media Takeover* I'm Maebh, Youth MP for Gateshead. I'm delighted that 16 & 17 year olds will soon be able to vote in elections. Watch my video for more! youtube.com/shorts/4voII...

An estimated 10,000 people in the UK live with Usher Syndrome, a rare disease that causes hearing and sight loss. I'm running the Great North Run in September for the amazing charity Cure Usher, based here in Gateshead. youtube.com/shorts/JfDb7...

I have a spare appointment at my youth surgery on Friday morning. If you are a young constituent under the age of 25 and you wish to speak to me about an issue, please get in touch to book a slot.

Every day I’m in Westminster I find a way to speak up for Gateshead and Whickham. Recently I met Home Office Minister Diana Johnson to talk about how we get more police on the streets, and continue to drive down antisocial behaviour and tackle retail crime. Under Labour police numbers are going up

I welcome the government's 'Safer Streets' summer crackdown, with more police deployed into Gateshead Town Centre. Building on Operation Shield, more visible policing will make a difference to residents, shoppers and local businesses.

Today I wore my Cardinal Hume colours tie in the House of Commons. It is always good to have a reminder of the many communities of Gateshead Central & Whickham, as I speak and listen in Parliament.

Gateshead residents should feel safe using our town centre. The government has chosen Gateshead's town centre as one of the target areas for a policing blitz this summer, with more visible policing, building on the work of Project Shield. youtube.com/shorts/YlJi8...

Gateshead is on the cusp of change. With thousands of new homes set to transform the town centre we will be home to the most exciting new neighbourhood in the North East. youtube.com/shorts/zBkVI...

Children growing up in our country deserve the best start in life. Building on the legacy of Sure Start, we’re opening Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority. That’s the difference Labour makes. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Change is coming to Gateshead. We have made progress in our first year of government, but there is so much more to do. I'll continue to work hard to secure more investment in the new homes, skilled jobs and local services our communities want. youtu.be/jSU3rtgBlok

Stomping Grounds Forest School is crowdfunding for a container at their Riverside Project in Teams, Gateshead. This hub offers outdoor sessions for families, carers, new residents, and those facing mental health challenges.

Dunston Fair is one of my favourite weekends of the year - you can tell summer has definitely started (apart from a bit of rain). Thanks to Brenda, Mark, Deb, Gary and everyone from Love Dunston for all the work they put into the fair - and everything they do for our community all year round

“I feel like I have spent much of my career pursued by bulldozers.” - Charlie Rogers Charlie Rogers lived in Westbourne Avenue, Bensham, and lived a most remarkable life.

This morning I visited Sir Brendan Foster and the team at The Great Run Company, at their HQ in Tyne Bank House. The Great North Run has done so much for Gateshead and our wider region since Brendan organised the first 'fun run' in 1981. www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPpo...

Delighted to be blowing the whistle to start races and handing out medals at the #INSPIRE Gateshead Primary Schools Athletics Festival at the International Stadium today. Well done to all of the children taking part, the schools and everyone who worked so hard to organise it

Councillor Freda Geddes is the Mayor of Gateshead, but I knew her first as Mrs Geddes, my nursery school teacher in Ryton, back in the late 1980s. Mrs Geddes taught me a lot back then and I'm grateful to have had such a supportive start in life.

Armed Forces Week Today I joined local civic leaders for the raising of the union flag in Gateshead, taking the opportunity to reflect on the dedication of our serving armed forces and their families, and our brave veterans.