Five things you need to know in Yorkshire today

1. “We’ll give Yorkshire back the funds lost by Brexit”

The Labour party has promised Yorkshire it will make up the European Union funding the region will lose from Brexit if the party wins the next general election. Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry made the promise that Yorkshire will continue to receive the hundreds of millions of pounds to help the region’s economy in the 2020s. The region is currently due to receive about £600m in “structural funds” in the EU funding round. Chancellor Philip Hammond has promised projects which have been signed off by this year’s Autumn Statement will have their funding guaranteed even if Britain leaves before 2020.

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2. Doctors warn inadequate care system betrays Britain’s elderly

Elderly people across the UK are being failed by the country’s “inadequate and fragmented” health and social care system, the British Medical Association has warned. The BMA estimates that four in ten people over the age of 65 have a long-term illness. The published report claims the current arrangements in place are not suited for the increasing pressure of looking after the older population with complex needs. The UK currently has 6.5 million people providing a level of unpaid care to a relative, close friend or neighbour.

See today’s YP

3. Lay-bys on ‘smart’ motorways are ‘death zones’

Emergency lay-bys on motorways are being called “death zones” and “desperate unreachable havens” by drivers. The stopping places are to be no more than 2.5 km (1.6 miles) apart on motorways where the hard shoulder can be converted into an extra traffic lane during busy periods. Drivers are saying this is insufficient to avoid broken down vehicles being forced to stop in live running lanes and puts them at risk of being hit from behind. AA president Edmund King is now calling for the Government to “go back to the drawing board” and design a more “acceptable” scheme.

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4. Labour launches women’s mentoring scheme in memory of Jo Cox

Labour’s General Secretary Ian McNichol announced the party will be launching a mentoring programme to help women into leadership roles. Mr McNicol said the project was a fitting tribute to the mother-of-two, who was a champion of international feminism. The programme is set to train over 600 future female leaders over the next five years.

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5. Ministers are tightening screws on rail firms

Passengers of delayed trains could now be entitled to compensation as the Government is considering a proposal that will require companies to announce details of how to claim the money. Rail minister Paul Maynard said train companies could tell passengers where and how to claim compensation if there train is delayed by 30 minutes or more. If passengers are unhappy with compensation, Mr Maynard said they could pursue their claim through courts.

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