Policies matter more than Parliament’s relocation to York – The Yorkshire Post says

It is already clear that the cost of relocating both the House of Commons and House of Lords to alternative sites in London, and within the security cordon, will be prohibitive.

And while it would be the ultimate irony if Parliament moved to York, the birthplace of arch-plotter Guy Fawkes, there will be significant practicalities to overcome given the number of Ministers and officials who are based in London.

Yet, in some respects, the York Central development site is so prestigious – and so crucial to the region’s future fortunes – that Parliament’s temporary relocation might prevent it from achieving its full potential.

After all, an even stronger case can be made for moving an entire Whitehall department, like the Treasury, Defra or Department of Transport, out of London to the north of England.

Not only would this accrue significant savings for the public purse, but it would also signal the Government’s determination to advance its ‘levelling up’ agenda and lessen the UK’s economic dependency on the capital.

For now, the PM’s insistence that York is considered as a temporary base for Parliament is just that – talk – when the North’s 15 million residents are waiting for definitive action to tackle social inequality.

And while the Covid-19 pandemic continues to have political, economic and social consequences that were unforeseen at the start of 2020, Mr Johnson’s intervention is likely to be taken more seriously, and not dismissed as a gesture, if every Government department is given specific ‘levelling up’ policy targets on which the performance of Ministers, and senior civil servants, will be judged. Perhaps this could be called the York Act of Parliament.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

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James Mitchinson

Editor