Devolution is alive and kicking in Yorkshire, says leading lawyer

Businesses across the region can benefit from greater funding and decisions being made closer to home, according to Ward Hadaway, the law firm which organises the definitive run-down of the fastest growing companies in the region, the Ward Hadaway Yorkshire Fastest 50.

Jamie Martin, the managing partner at Ward Hadaway, which has operated a growing Leeds office since 2008, said that despite the current state of flux and uncertainty surrounding devolution in Yorkshire, the “basic idea” remains solid and highly relevant to companies of all kinds.

Mr Martin said: “While it is fair to say that devolution in Yorkshire has not had the easiest time of late, I believe it is very much alive and kicking.

“On a fundamental level, having greater control over the decisions which affect things like investment, transport, infrastructure and skills is something which I believe most people in the region want – providing it is backed up with the funding to put those decisions into practice.

“Circumstances have conspired to make achieving this more difficult than many of us would have wanted, but I still believe that devolution in Yorkshire is something worth persevering with and worth fighting for.

“It is not a magic bullet which will solve all the issues which the region faces, but devolution has the potential to shape all our futures for the better, regardless of the final form it eventually takes across Yorkshire.”

Mr Martin said: “While it is important to get the final agreements right for all concerned, this does need to be balanced with the very real time pressures which are present.

“Nearby regions such as Greater Manchester, Merseyside and the Tees Valley already have agreements in place, are already benefiting from additional funding, and will hold their Mayoral elections in less than four months’ time.

“This leaves Yorkshire playing catch-up, to an extent, so I hope that a way can be found through to reach the right agreement for the region soon.

“As we at Ward Hadaway have seen, not just through our own work with Yorkshire companies and entrepreneurs, but also with the Ward Hadaway Yorkshire Fastest 50, there is already so much to be proud of in this region. However, there is even more potential out there and getting the right deal on devolution would be a major step towards realising that potential to its fullest.”

The Ward Hadaway Yorkshire Fastest 50 has been celebrating business success and achievement across the region since 2011. By analysing company financial figures, the Yorkshire Fastest 50 identifies and highlights the privately-owned, profit- making companies who have seen the biggest annual expansion in their turnover in recent years. This process creates a definitive list of the 50 fastest growing companies in Yorkshire. The latest version will be published in The Yorksire Post at the end of next month.

This year’s Yorkshire Fastest 50 awards will be handed out to the fastest growing small, medium-sized and large businesses at a special awards ceremony in Leeds.

One of those three winners will then receive the accolade of being crowned Yorkshire’s overall fastest growing business for 2017.

Mr Martin said: “Companies in the Ward Hadaway Yorkshire Fastest 50 exemplify the best attributes of the region – hard work, determination and an ability to work together towards a common aim.

“It is these qualities which will also hopefully help to deliver the right devolution agreement for Yorkshire, which in turn could help create and nurture the award-winning companies of the future.”.