Rishi Sunak must avoid George Osborne’s approach to austerity: The Yorkshire Post says

But while Mr Osborne’s claim that “We are all in this together” soon rang famously hollow as spending cuts fell disproportionately on the North and poorer areas, Rishi Sunak must ensure that principle is genuinely adhered to in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

New research by the IPPR North think-tank has found that over the last decade, the North saw a £347 per person fall in spending on services by councils compared to a £279 fall across England.

There are already some concerning signs about where the economic impact of Covid-19 is starting to hit – an increasing number of councils are raising the alarm bell to warn that they could soon be forced into effective bankruptcy and focus only on providing statutory services unless they urgently receive more Government support.

IPPR North rightly points out that devolution deals are central to economic and social recovery – a view echoed by Sheffield City Region mayor Dan Jarvis who is today calling for a New Deal for the North to hasten the region’s recovery.

Mr Sunak knows very difficult decisions lie ahead in rebuilding the economy.

But it is vital the Johnson Government’s “levelling up” promise delivers in reality and does not become seen in the same light as Mr Osborne’s ‘Northern Powerhouse’ concept did; a memorable piece of rhetoric that changes little on the ground.

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

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor