Exclusive: ‘Arrogant’ Tory mayor Houchen blames ‘atrocious’ civil servants for party’s woes

Labour’s Andy McDonald says Tees Valley mayor has “demonstrated again that he wishes to be free to behave exactly how he likes without being questioned or criticised.”

By Lucas Amin and Peter Geoghegan

Ben Houchen used to like civil servants. A couple of years ago, he publicly celebrated his Conservative government’s moves to relocate hundreds of civil service jobs to the north-east.

Now, it seems, the Tees Valley mayor has identified who is to blame for Britain’s - and the Conservative’s - problems…. yep, it’s civil se…