Mayors vital in rescuing region

Devolved powers to combat slump

IT IS the grimmest of measures of how hard coronavirus has hit Yorkshire’s economy that we have one of the country’s highest proportions of workers reliant upon Government support to keep their jobs.

Thirty per cent, or threequarters of a million people, are dependent upon the Chancellor’s safety net, and levels are even higher in North Yorkshire, with rural Craven coming in at 41 per cent.

This week, Rishi Sunak will outline how he plans to steer the economy out of the serious trouble into which the pandemic and lockdown has plunged it.

But whatever he proposes, the dynamism and determination of our own region will play a crucial role in the recovery.

Today’s call by the region’s Trades Union Council for Yorkshire’s new metro mayors to use their powers to support jobs will be widely welcomed because it aims to build on the strengths and benefits that devolved powers bring to create practical and achievable ways forward.

The ability of elected mayors to shape the fortunes of their areas based on local knowledge and by utilising regional expertise has always been the strongest argument in favour of devolution. Now, in the face of an economic crisis, this regionally-driven ability to take action for the benefit of all is about to come into its own.

By forging ahead with high-profile projects such as West Yorkshire mass transport, green buses and rail engineering in Doncaster and Goole, there is a real opportunity for metro mayors to play a vital role in mitigating the worst effects of the pandemic’s economic shock.

In tandem with the package that Mr Sunak unveils on Wednesday, our region’s own resourcefulness and insight into the needs of its residents will be key factors in weathering this storm. Never before have the benefits of devolution been so potently illustrated.