Spring Statement: Will defence funding boost North East business?
"The biggest single problem that we face is the increase in National Insurance which is coming into effect in April.
"The government talks a good game on employment, it's actually doing precisely the wrong things and the fact that the growth forecast was halved this week is testament to the fact this government is getting things wrong."
Defending the government, Strickland said "the significant investment" it was making in national defence and the defence of allies would lead to British investment and jobs.
Businesses were "glad to see real investments in different industries", he said.
South Tyneside and Sunderland Green Party campaigner, Rachel Featherstone, said she welcomed additional investment but was also worried about who would ultimately benefit.
"Jobs in the North East are always a good thing but we have concerns that actually this money will end up in the offshore accounts of multinationals and shareholders and not be invested back into our communities," she said.
"We seem to be a bit of a leaky bucket here in the UK, our tax money goes into private companies and it goes out of the country."
