A united front in the battle for One Yorkshire
Council leader now backs region-wide devolution
YORKSHIRE WAS presenting a united front on devolution today after an 18th council leader came out in support of a region-wide deal.
Wakefield Council leader Peter Box, who until now has declined to publicly back a One Yorkshire solution, told The Yorkshire Post he would work to reach a historic agreement by 2020.
He said he had changed his position, despite preferring a more limited ‘city region’ devolution model, because of government attempts to use perceived differences between local leaders as an excuse not to hand over vital powers and funding.
It means that of the 20 local councils in Yorkshire, only Sheffield and Rotherham, who have already reached their own agreement with Ministers, do not now support a devolution deal on the widest possible geography.
Earlier this month, the leaders of Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Doncaster, East Riding of Yorkshire, Hambleton, Harrogate, Hull, Kirklees, Leeds, North Yorkshire, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough, Selby and York councils reaffirmed their support for a One Yorkshire deal.
The Government has previously said it would not support any agreement that undermined the Sheffield City Region devolution deal, which was signed in 2015 but has yet to be implemented.
In a statement released exclusively to The Yorkshire Post, Coun Box, a former chairman of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Assembly, said a ‘coalition of the united’ had the best chance of “transforming our region and making a real difference to the lives of those people we are privileged to represent”.
He said: “I believe that a cityregion devolution model had the potential to deliver the biggest growth in the shortest time for Wakefield.
“It’s clear that the overwhelming majority of councils believe that growth can be delivered on a wider Yorkshire geography. At the end of the day though, we all want an ambitious devolution deal.
“Over the last few weeks it’s become apparent that the government will use any difference between us over the best model of delivery as a reason for not devolving any of the powers and resources that we need to deliver our shared ambitions. That cannot and must not be allowed to happen. As someone who chaired the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Assembly for almost ten years I am totally committed to getting the best deal for Wakefield, the wider region and its res- idents. I will therefore be putting my full support behind the One Yorkshire proposal and will work closely with colleagues across the county to try and ensure that we have a deal in place by 2020.”
A Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government spokeswoman said: “We have always said we would welcome discussions on a widely-supported greater Yorkshire devolution deal provided the Sheffield City Region deal was not threatened. The election for the South Yorkshire Mayor has received legislative approval by Parliament and will take place in May 2018.”
I will be putting my full support behind One Yorkshire. Wakefield Council leader Peter Box changes his mind on the best way forward.
THE CASE for a One Yorkshire devolution deal is now, more than ever, unarguable following the backing of one of the region’s most senior figures in local government, Peter Box.
The former chairman of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Assembly’s decision to back the drive, after previously expressing some reservations, can only add to the gathering momentum towards securing a deal that will benefit every part of Yorkshire, and every resident, irrespective of where they live.
It is now up to the Government to respond quickly and positively to the clearly expressed wish of an overwhelming majority of the councils in our region for a settlement that will place Yorkshire on the same advantageous footing as other areas which have already secured devolution deals and elected mayors.
Coun Box is undoubtedly correct in his assessment that the Government will use any sign of dissent within Yorkshire to delay devolution. This must not happen. Devolution is not about exploiting differences, but about empowering regions, and the Government should respect and acknowledge the spirit of unity that prevails in our county.
The message coming from Yorkshire could not be clearer. The region believes that we are strongest, and stand to gain most from the benefits of devolution, by speaking with a single voice and setting out an ambitious and comprehensive vision for the future.
It would be a dereliction of the Government’s duty to do the best for Yorkshire for it to drag its feet any further on giving us the means to exploit our region’s economic potential to the fullest.
Yorkshire is now more united in its view of what is best the for the region than at any stage in the long process of devolution.
It is now up to the Government to heed that viewpoint and act without delay.