The frustration was palpable as Yorkshire’s great and good stood shoulder to shoulder clutching white roses on the steps of Bishopthorpe Palace, York. They had come together in the historic city for Yorkshire Day to call on the government to break a long-running stalemate with local authorities and agree to a devolution deal in God’s Own County.
Leading the launch of the One Yorkshire campaign group seeking the creation of a combined authority of 5.4 million people was the archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, who repeated its slogan: “Many peoples, boroughs, councils and counties, but one Yorkshire.”
The proposal, which originated with politicians in Leeds, would set up a devolved authority – like those established in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and the Liverpool city region – covering all of the county. It would be headed by a directly elected mayor and would oversee transport, economic development and skills.
Yorkshire’s economy is currently worth an estimated £110bn, which supporters of the deal have said could rise to £200bn in 30 years. The proposals have the backing of 18 of Yorkshire’s 20 local authorities, the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Institute of Directors and the TUC.
“If you really, really ... really, really want to change the economic balance of the country and you want to change the political balance of the country then you have to do devolution at scale,” said Stephen Houghton CBE, the leader of Barnsley council.
“It is always much better when key decisions are taken here rather than by ministers in London. They [the government] have done nothing but resist us so far but we are going to keep the pressure on and as a campaign it is growing stronger.”
Many cited the government’s mishandling of this summer’s rail chaos as proof that devolution was needed in the area. And they expressed disappointment that their calls were being ignored.
“It is very difficult to understand why government are holding us back in this way. We are starting to feel like we are really being left behind,” said Judith Blake, the leader of Leeds city council.
Sentamu had previously called for “urgent steps” with plans in place by the end of January 2018 for an “all Yorkshire devolution deal to take effect with the election of a mayor for the whole of Yorkshire in May 2020”.
With one of those deadlines now passed, the region’s largest newspaper, the Yorkshire Post, published an open letter challenging the housing and communities secretary, James Brokenshire, to visit the region to take “personal charge of the negotiations”.
The letter said: “Put simply, today’s annual celebration of Yorkshire pride should be the last without a definitive devolution plan in place which unites the region, galvanises the government and empowers local leaders.”
