BORIS Johnson and Rishi Sunak braced the cold today in a visit to Teesside, where the Prime Minister revealed his connection to Darlington.

The Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer visited Teesport in Middlesbrough today, March 4, to meet with port operators PD Ports.

PD Ports welcomed yesterday's announcement of a Teesside freeport, which will be the UK's first and biggest.

The company worked to support Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen’s freeport bid, hosting consultations with 100 key businesses and stakeholders to ensure the bid for the Tees Valley was as comprehensive as possible.

The politicians and business leaders braced the region's rainy weather today on a tour around the port, with Simon Clarke sharing a photo of them on the Tees.

The MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland tweeted: "The Brilliant to see on the Tees this morning!"

Moving hundreds of Treasury jobs to Darlington will be “fantastic”, Mr Johnson said, as he revealed his “ancestors” were bakers in the town.

Speaking to reporters on the visit to Middlesbrough, the Prime Minister said: “I think it will be a fantastic thing to have an economic campus in Darlington – it’ll take a bit of time to get going but there will be 750 jobs.

“I can tell them (Treasury workers) it is a wonderful place. My ancestors actually were bakers in Darlington, you may be interested to discover.

“So they have been making the dough for the nation for a long time.”

Here are some other pictures from Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak's visit: 

The Northern Echo: Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak during a visit to Teesport in Middlesbrough. Picture: PAPrime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak during a visit to Teesport in Middlesbrough. Picture: PA

The Northern Echo: Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak during a visit to Teesport in Middlesbrough. Picture: PAPrime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak during a visit to Teesport in Middlesbrough. Picture: PA

The Northern Echo: Prime Minister Boris Johnson stands on a vehicle to move shipping container. Picture: PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson stands on a vehicle to move shipping container. Picture: PA

The Northern Echo: Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak during a visit to Teesport in Middlesbrough. Picture: PAPrime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak during a visit to Teesport in Middlesbrough. Picture: PA