The right move

It is why few will mourn the axing of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Assembly, or Local Authority Leader Board, to quote the new name that Labour gave to these bodies shortly before the election. If only every decision that has to be taken by the new Government could be so straightforward.

Yet, before Communities Secretary Eric Pickles gets carried away with his cost-cutting rhetoric, the one-time Bradford Council leader should consider why Labour felt the need to create regional assemblies in the first place – even if the policy execution became so flawed.

It was to bring about greater co-ordination over issues like transport, and economic investment, that transcended the boundaries of local councils. They were supposed to provide a region-wide perspective, encouraging local authorities to work together to advance Yorkshire's interests.

Twelve years after "regional chambers" – the first name given to these bodies – came into being, many of the same problems remain. Yorkshire's transport infrastructure remains inherently weak; more work needs to be done to encourage private enterprise and age-old rivalries persist, such as Sheffield's antagonism towards the Leeds Arena.

It is even more important, therefore, that Yorkshire's councils work together rather than reverting to an isolationist approach. It also offers the best opportunity, in these challenging times, of ensuring that Yorkshire is not serially shortchanged by Whitehall funding formulae which continue to favour London and the South East.