Region-wide leadership ‘could bridge export gap’

YORKSHIRE’S ECONOMY is different from the UK’s as a whole, according to the report, and it faces greater challenges in many areas.

Projects to boost the economy are usually carried out by authorities in smaller areas due to a lack of co-ordination, “even where there may be economies of scale/ scope or greater impact from a coordinated approach”.

The document points to the fact that Yorkshire and the Humber’s exports are worth £16.8bn a year, only 5.1 per cent of the UK total. If export levels were in line with the total population, they would reach £27bn a year.

Another major contributor to Yorkshire’s economy not pulling its weight is that it has only 7.3 per cent of the business population, a shortfall of 56,700 companies THE AUTHORS of the report wrote that there was “strong support for devolution” when they consulted with the region’s businesses.

And while there were mixed views on whether Yorkshire was the best geography, it was the most favoured option amongst those who expressed a view.

Reasons for this include “advantages around leadership, prioritisation, brand and international business, as well as issues including transport and labour markets”.

The report said: “There was a strong sentiment that Yorkshire and areas within it were ‘being compared to the national average. This limits employment and the ability of businesses to grow.

A Yorkshire-wide devolution settlement could add to the support already available at local level with help from high-growth businesses, “which may benefit from pan-Yorkshire leadership and coordination to spread understanding/best practice and provide expertise and specialisms that smaller geographies may be unable to provide”.

The report adds that there are considerable similarities across Yorkshire in economic structure, particularly around the business base, productivity, employment, and on innovation and exporting.

North Yorkshire is the main exception, as employment and skills figures are healthier than the rest of the region, but it “still shares many of the same challenges”, says the report. left behind’ by not having a devolution deal and that ‘we just need to get on with it’. The notion of Yorkshire identity was also addressed in the report, though critics say more than this is needed to make devolution work. Well recognised inside and outside the region, the Yorkshire identity was identified as a “significant asset” for international trade and investment, as well as “in sectors such as tourism, food and cultural industries”. According to the report, this suggests “the potential to develop further the positive effects of the Yorkshire brand in growing Yorkshire’s profile and activity in international markets”.