Honorary degree for man of vision

Sir Ian Wrigglesworth has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music in recognition of his long and varied career which has seen him influence investment, growth, change and prosperity in the region.

Born on Teesside, Sir Ian’s interest in politics began at university in London. His career started when he worked for the National Union of Teachers and moved on to the Co-operative Party where he prepared briefings, speeches and policy statements. Gaining more political experience, he was soon adopted as a Labour and Co-operative Party candidate for Teesside Thornaby and was elected to Parliament in 1974, holding his seat for 13 years.

However, internal tensions within the Labour Party grew throughout the 1970s and Ian was part of a group that broke away to form the Social Democratic Party (SDP) which became the Liberal Democrats. Sir Ian became the SDP’s spokesman for trade and industry and in 1988 became the first national President of the party. He was the founder Chairman of the Liberal Democrat Business Forum and, for almost ten years, held the position of Chairman of the Liberal Democrat Trustees.

He was knighted in 1991 for his political and public service.

Throughout the 1990s, Sir Ian retained his links with businesses in the region. He was Chairman of the Northern Region CBI and founder Chairman of both the Northern Business Forum and UK Land Estates, one of the biggest property and development companies in the North East. UK Land Estates was responsible for the expansion of the Team Valley and Tyne Tunnel Trading Estates, the Teesside Industrial Estate and the Newburn Riverside Development in Newcastle.

He was also a member of the Northern Development Company and chaired the NewcastleGateshead Initiative. He led the 2008 European Capital of Culture bid which has been credited with raising self-esteem, pride and confidence in the area.

Today, he is Chief Executive of Bluehall Properties, Chairman of the Port of Tyne and Deputy Chairman of the Government’s Regional Growth Fund. Working with Lord Heseltine, Sir Ian is distributing over £2 billion to regional private sector companies to help to create employment opportunities and help businesses to expand, particularly in the Northern regions which have heavily relied on public sector employment.

The Port of Tyne, which is one of the country’s largest deep sea ports, importing and exporting an estimated £10 billion of goods per year, has undergone major change under his leadership to bring it into the 21st century. Sir Ian has implemented an entirely new operational strategy and has brought in substantial new business, including bringing cruise ships to the region.

Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Northumbria University, Professor Andrew Wathey, said: “Sir Ian has had a massive influence on the region and beyond as a man who creates visions, encourages change and helps businesses to transform themselves. His efforts over the last 40 years have created opportunities for millions of people and, as such, he is an outstanding role model for our graduates.”