At the end of the 19 th Century, Newcastle was big in coal and industry. In the 1960s, the city's industrial base went into decline. The only reminder of that past now is the Vickers Tank Factory.
Nowadays, the economy of the regional capital (population 260,000) is based upon tourism, IT and a boisterous nightlife. Newcastle is known throughout the UK as 'Party City' (in 1999, Newcastle finished 8 th in the Best Party City in the World contest, as many people will proudly tell you). At weekends, youth from all over Britain travel up to Newcastle to have a good time, probably helped by the advance of low-cost carriers.
Labour ousted
Newcastle was a Party City in another sense as well, but that party, Labour, didn't have quite such a good time. It was ousted in the council elections of 10 June 2004, when the Liberal Democrats won a landslide victory. One of the LibDem's election promises: "No more demolition". Rather awkward for the Scotswood neighbourhood, as council officials and residents had agreed on a plan in which demolition was an integral part. But in the end, the new City Council also agreed to a combined demolition/regeneration scheme. |
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