What do North East businesses need from the Budget?
Sunderland-born Andy Haldane, ex-Bank of England chief economist, says firms have faced a "huge squeeze".
What do North East businesses need from the Budget?
Sunderland-born Andy Haldane, the former chief economist at the Bank of England, wants to see lower costs for businesses.
A leading economist has urged Chancellor John Healey to do more to support local firms in the forthcoming Budget.
Haldane, who was born in Sunderland and is now president of the British Chambers of Commerce, said businesses in north-east England had endured a "huge squeeze over the last 10 years".
He called on the government to reduce business costs and hand more power and funding down to local level.
A Treasury spokesperson said the chancellor was "fully focused" on giving "businesses a bit of breathing space".
Healey will outline Labour's tax and spending plans when he presents his first Budget on 28 October.
Haldane said: "We need to give local leaders here in the North East, the mayor Kim McGuinness, the powers they need to be master of their own destiny.
"This region of the UK has huge latent potential, some fantastic business foundations around clean energy and offshore wind, around AI, around the advanced manufacturing.
"The potential for growth here is as great as in any region in the UK."
John McCabe says costs for businesses need to be cut in the Budget
Local business groups have also urged measures to help employers.
John McCabe, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce, said: "It's a really tough time for business right now, with rising costs, particularly the costs of taxation, the costs of compliance with legislation.
"So those costs have got to be cut."
Meanwhile, Natasha McDonough, founder of Sunderland-based market research company MMC Research, called on the chancellor to do more to support start-up businesses.
"There's a lot of people out there who are running full-time jobs and they've got what we now call side hustles.
"But actually, these are sensible businesses that could turn into something bigger."
The Treasury spokesperson added: "The chancellor is fully focused on his priorities, to give families and businesses a bit of breathing space, back British jobs, and drive growth in every postcode, underpinned by a commitment to meet the fiscal rules."