Louise Haigh, described in reports as the Prime Minister’s de facto deputy, tells Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen she is “not convinced” by his plan to provide local residents with a tax rebate. The proposal is aimed at easing the cost burden on households in the Tees Valley area. According to the reporting, the intervention comes as the UK Prime Minister has pledged to devolve more powers, a context cited in the coverage of the dispute. The articles frame the exchange as part of broader political disagreement over how devolved arrangements should work in practice, and whether the mayor’s plan fits with national policy direction on local governance and financial support for residents. No details of the rebate’s design or timing are included in the provided summaries. The accounts focus on Haigh’s reaction to Houchen’s proposal rather than on any response from other parties or further parliamentary or council steps.