Andrew Hebden is Assistant Editor (Business) of The Journal »
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Andrew Mernin is the Digital Journalist for nebusiness »
Matthew Rippon is an IP lawyer for BHP Law »
Formerly editor of a national business lifestyle magazine, Jez Davison is a business writer for the Evening Gazette in Teesside »
Ross Smith, Head of Policy and Research at the North-East Chamber of Commerce »
Ian Brown, Northumberland farmer and businessman writes about the agricultural industry »
Accessibilty Champion Steve Wilkinson on the importance of inclusion »
Andrea Wilkinson of Shared Interest is visiting Swaziland to deliver business training »
Jonathan Wheatley from Stokesley-based MC Ware writes about IT matters »
Mark Lisgo is a Northeasterner who works for law firm Eversheds in Abu Dhabi, UAE »
Adam Lopardo is director of the Sponsors Club for Arts & Business, bringing business and art together »
Curator Danielle Pender shares the peaks and pitfalls of working with 21 designers on a month-long exhibition »
Paul Williamson is from Deloitte »There will be plenty of sympathy in the North East for the plight of Bradford & Bingley employees who are turning up for work this morning completely in the dark about what the future holds for them.
If anything, their future must be in even graver doubt than that of the thousands of Northern Rock workers who were plunged into similar uncertainty when their own employer was taken into the hands of the Treasury.
Personally I feel extremely saddened that the B&B will now cease to exist in any recognisable form and certainly as an independent financial institution.
Having grown up just a few miles from Bingley and worked as a business journalist in Bradford for many years, I know many people who work at the B&B.
I also know just how important the bank is for the region and especially for the Bradford district which has taken its fair share of knocks over the years.
Now is not the time for apportioning blame over the B&B's demise.
However, it is extremely telling that its downfall signals the end for the final former building society which underwent demutualisation around the turn of the century and had survived as an independent institution.
There were grave concerns about what would happen to these proud organisations when they were placed at the behest of shareholders rather than their members.
It gives me no satisfaction to say that those have now come home to roost in quite spectacular fashion.
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