It's time to re-submit the One Yorkshire devolution proposal - John Hall

In 1998, the economies of Yorkshire and Scotland were approximately the same size. Not so now – devolution for Scotland changed all that.

In 1999, Scotland achieved its own parliament with considerable success. Important decisions about Scotland are taken by a parliament that has been elected by Scotland, leading to legislation that is better suited to Scotland’s needs, priorities and expectations. This has resulted in Scotland’s economy outstripping Yorkshire’s by about 15 per cent.

In 2014, the Yorkshire Party was formed to promote regional devolution for Yorkshire and build a strong Yorkshire in a fairer United Kingdom. It is now seen as the third party of choice, slowly gaining support from Yorkshire folk. A cross-party group also came together in 2018 under the banner of One Yorkshire to undertake discussions directly with the Government.

In 2018, we were invited by the Government to come up with devolution proposals that enjoyed widespread support.

In the One Yorkshire devolution proposals, we have a deliverable plan backed by 18 authorities, the Sheffield City Region Mayor, and business and trade unions.

In February 2019, the then Local Government Secretary rejected the One Yorkshire proposals without providing a satisfactory reason. Responding, One Yorkshire Leaders said: “We are disappointed by the Secretary of State’s response, which exhibits a misunderstanding of the strength of our One Yorkshire proposals, which build on a shared identity and an established global brand.

“His letter also fails to recognise the considerable work of the great partnership we have developed, cross-party, to develop ambitious plans which we calculate would add £30bn to the economy and bring the benefits of devolution to a region of five million people.”

What resulted instead was a levelling-up agenda that divided up Yorkshire, imposing city mayors in West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and proposing one for North Yorkshire.

This unsatisfactory policy of divide-and-rule sees regions pitched against each other for funding.

Bidding processes such as this at a relatively small scale are highly inefficient, tying up time and money, are unlikely to lead to transformational outcomes and more often lead to less-than-transparent results.

It is, of course, Westminster that will still make all the decisions.

These processes are time-consuming and direct effort away from local priorities that could make a difference to people in their communities.

The Government’s failed levelling-up policy has, for the past three years, promised much and delivered little, with some projects announced with a fanfare then scaled back and subsequently cancelled. The Levelling Up White Paper earlier this year shows a significant gulf between its ambition and the reality that many parts of the North still desperately need to be levelled up.

As Yorkshire Party leader Bob Buxton says: “There’s huge regional inequality – rail investment sums it up. As recently as last year, Leeds was meant to get HS2, Bradford was getting a new state-of-the-art city centre station and all candidates for West Yorkshire Mayor supported a West Yorkshire rapid mass transit system. We’re now getting none of the above.

“As usual, the blow is softened by a vague promise – a tramway just for Leeds – but that too will be cancelled, and replaced with the next vague promise. At the same time, Crossrail is finished over budget, Crossrail2 is proposed and HS2 continues elsewhere. Only a Yorkshire Parliament will focus on the infrastructure investment Yorkshire needs – just as the Scottish Parliament reopened the Borders Railway, which is a huge success. Yorkshire needs to stop accepting being ripped off by Westminster.”

It is now time for all the parties who support devolution to come together – our city mayors Tracy Brabin and Oliver Coppard, York and North Yorkshire council leaders – to resubmit the One Yorkshire proposal, amended if necessary.

Without fair funding and devolving powers from Westminster, Yorkshire will continue to decline as we watch London, the South-East and now Scotland leave us behind.

- John Hall is treasurer of the Yorkshire Party.