The Yorkshire Post says: Another snub. Why Yorkshire needs a mayor

THE CASE for the One Yorkshire devolution deal is made even more compelling, and necessary, by the Government's latest snub to this region.
Dan Jarvis is the Sheffield City Region mayor.Dan Jarvis is the Sheffield City Region mayor.
Dan Jarvis is the Sheffield City Region mayor.

The stance adopted by Ministers is illogical. For months, they’ve said they won’t consider the case until the Sheffield City Region settlement is implemented.

Yet, now Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis is in place as the area’s mayor, they’ve omitted South Yorkshire from the next wave of local industrial strategies being developed.

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And decision of the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is even more perverse after Jake Berry, the Northern Powerhouse Minister, and Graham Stuart, the Trade Minister, used Yorkshire Day to highlight the scale of the export opportunities that exist here.

Given that the south of the county still has pronounced economic challenges as traditional manufacturing industries are superseded by new growth opportunities, many will conclude, regrettably, that the Government is penalising the area because Mr Jarvis is a staunch advocate of One Yorkshire.

Not only does such a silly stance reflect badly on Ministers when the Government’s commitment to the North is being challenged in so many spheres of policy, most notably transport investment, but it highlights the need for a high-profile mayor who can stand up for the whole of Yorkshire and ensure the needs of the wider public are put before the whims of the more petty politicians.