Why the North Yorkshire devolution deal must go ahead - The Yorkshire Post says

Devolution is of central importance to Yorkshire’s future prosperity, especially against the current backdrop of economic uncertainty as a result of both the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit.
When they meet tomorrow to discuss the issue, Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick must not let the people of North Yorkshire down.When they meet tomorrow to discuss the issue, Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick must not let the people of North Yorkshire down.
When they meet tomorrow to discuss the issue, Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick must not let the people of North Yorkshire down.

So it is a matter of grave concern that the Government has cast doubt on whether to proceed with a devolution deal for North Yorkshire that could unlock £2.4bn in new funding for an area where the need for massive extra investment has been apparent for many years.

It would be a betrayal of the communities and the people of the county if devolution does not go ahead.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It is simply not good enough for the Government to cite the effect of the pandemic as a reason for delay or abandonment, when Covid makes the necessity of North Yorkshire being able to chart its own future all the more pressing.

Although there are disagreements – some of them bitter – over the shape of devolution for North Yorkshire, with the county council favouring a single new unitary authority, and the district councils proposing an east-west split, there is a consensus that new powers are needed.

It would be counter-productive of the Government to fail to grant them, and also undermine public confidence in the Prime Minister’s oft-repeated pledge to level up the economy and end damaging injustices in the allocation of funds.

Leading figures in North Yorkshire are all agreed that a devolution deal would be transformative, as it has proved for other areas. It would be completely unjustifiable for the county to be left at a disadvantage, which would be the result of devolution being denied.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

When they meet tomorrow to discuss the issue, Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick must not let the people of North Yorkshire down.

If they do, they will not be forgiven by voters.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.