YP Comment: Let's get down to Brexit business - Next round of EU talks start

It is an important week for both men and their respective teams as they get down to the nitty-gritty of what is a hugely complex legislative exercise. Over the next few days there will be detailed discussions on all aspects of the divorce treaty, including citzens’ rights, finance and the issue of the Irish border.

The future prosperity of this country depends on Brexit being implemented as smoothly as possible, and for this to happen the UK’s negotiators need to be both resolute and diplomatic. Compromises will inevitably have to be made by both sides.

What we don’t need are unhelpful remarks like those made by the Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, who recently said the EU could ‘go whistle’ over its financial demands. Such political bravado might play to the gallery but it has no place in such important negotiations.

Mr Davis and his team will have to roll up their sleeves and show their collective mettle if early progress is to be made, and it’s imperative that it is in order to ensure we avoid a political stalemate.

We must hope that the Brexit Secretary is more adept when it comes to sitting down at the negotiating table than former Prime Minister David Cameron who asked for little, and secured even less, during his EU renegotiations.

It was Theresa May who set an ambitious timetable to begin Britain’s extrication from the EU and the challenge now is to see this process through to a successful conclusion, for both sides. Mr Barnier is right about one thing, the clock is indeed ticking.

Economic boost - Leeds grows faster than London

When George Osborne outlined his vision for building a “Northern Powerhouse” in 2014, he talked enthusiastically about creating an economic success story in the north of England to rival London.

The former Chancellor may be pleased to learn that the economy in Leeds has grown faster than London’s in the three years since his initiative was launched – though perhaps less so now that he’s swapped his Cheshire constituency for the job of newspaper editor in the capital.

According to the The UK Powerhouse report, which is produced with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), the economy of Leeds has grown by eight per cent since the end of June 2014, compared to just under seven per cent in London.

It is a welcome tonic for the region though the long-term forecast is more gloomy, with London’s economic growth, and places like Milton Keynes, expected to outstrip that of Leeds, accelerating still further the North-South divide.

The report came out on the same day that final routes of the Manchester and Leeds branches of HS2 were finally confirmed, which follows the announcement of construction contracts worth £6.6bn and the promise of 16,000 new jobs.

Just as the Siemens wind turbine plant is crucial to Hull’s economic future so, too, is HS2 for Leeds. With Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry having ruled out a Yorkshire-wide devolution deal, the focus for growth will revolve around our burgeoning cities and none more so than Leeds.

The challenge now facing our business and political leaders is to grasp these opportunities.

Rural crime fears - NFU calls for new task force

Farmers are the lifeblood of our countryside communities but when it comes to rural crime all too often they face a ‘postcode lottery’ that depends on the approach, and resources, of overstretched local police forces. Which is why the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is calling on the Government to create a cross-departmental rural crime task force to crackdown on criminal gangs.

The NFU, which represents more than 55,000 farmers in England and Wales, warns there has been a sharp increase in the number of crimes being reported with farmers increasingly concerned about their safety.

Rural crime is big business, costing almost £3.5m a year in Yorkshire alone, and there simply has to be greater consistency in tackling it. Farmers cannot be seen as easy targets and those that prey on them must face the full force of the law, no matter where they are. It’s the very least our hard-working rural communities deserve.