Exclusive: Top business people call for agency to escape axe

The future of the agency has been cast into doubt as both the Tories and Liberal Democrats propose an overhaul if they win power.

But in a letter published in today's Yorkshire Post, eight businessmen – led by former Northern Foods chairman Lord Haskins – have written to politicians urging them to keep the agency as "a cornerstone of our regional economic policy".

"As Britain emerges from the recession, Yorkshire and Humberside must not be left behind as happened in the past," they write.

The businessmen – who also include Sheffield Forgemasters' managing director Graham Honeyman and Prof Keith Ridgeway, of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Park – said the agency has an "excellent" record of investment and job creation and has the support of the business community.

They also single out its regeneration of former mining areas, work to stabilise the financial sector in the credit crunch and pioneering work to create jobs in new green technologies.

This newspaper stressed the importance of retaining Yorkshire Forward in our Manifesto for Yorkshire launched at the start of the campaign.

Labour's Minister for Yorkshire, Rosie Winterton, said abolishing Yorkshire Forward would be disastrous.

Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague, fighting to be re-elected in Richmond, said: ""If Yorkshire businesses, councils and residents want Yorkshire Forward to continue to exist, then it will under a Conservative government. It must though focus on promoting economic growth."