Don’t follow euro model

From: Lionel Pyrah, Cambridge Street, Normanton.

FORMER Leeds MEP Michael McGowan enthusiastically advocates a devolved Yorkshire. He indicates that ‘a single voice to speak on behalf of the whole region’ now has wide support from businesses, commerce, local authorities and a host of other relevant bodies.

All very well, but what about the county’s residents? And why also should we follow the European model of regions such as Bavaria and Catalonia?!

In my view, devolution for the Broad Acres is a misguided concept on four levels.

Firstly, it would not include the Sheffield City Region; secondly, it would introduce yet another level of unwanted bureaucracy; thirdly, we have no idea which local authority would distribute the extra Government money – it could be York – and fourthly, a new-style local authority based on the Leeds City Region, together with the one earmarked for Sheffield, would surely provide greatly enhanced economic growth and opportunities in those areas and Yorkshire with, arguably, better results than the plan now being championed by Mr McGowan and others.

Spin-offs aplenty from Leeds and Sheffield City Regions would soon be evident throughout the county once the city mayors and the cash bonanzas were in place.

Finally, in the interests of democracy, I suggest that we, the people, need a referendum to decide an issue too important to be determined by politicians alone; our lives are the ones that will be affected in the long term.