Region’s voice must be heard in Brexit talks, says MP

COMMUNITIES must work together to ensure the voice of the region is heard in Brexit negotiations, a leading MP has said, as a new report looks at the powers elected mayors could have.

IPPR North’s report says England’s cities could rival places like Frankfurt and Barcelona, with new mayors closing the economic gap with London.

Elected mayors are a step towards giving England a voice in Brexit talks, it adds, calling for more to be done to represent English regions.

Now, as voters in six areas outside of Yorkshire prepare to go to the polls next month, Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis said Northern decision makers must work together to ensure the region is taken into account.

“It’s absolutely right that the nation’s voice, and that of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, is very much taken into account,” he said. “But here in the North, this is incredibly important for our future as well.

“Taking back control shouldn’t mean that decisions previously taken in Europe are now taken in Whitehall. There needs to be a way in which we can have a greater say in our lives and a way to shape our future. Elected mayors are a way of doing that.”

Next month’s election could signal the start of the “devolution decade”, IPPR North said, and Mr Jarvis added that the region must ensure it benefits when the country leaves the EU.

“The challenge is in securing the best possible deal for the country, yet one that allows us to prosper in the North,” he said. “That requires us working together across the political divide to ensure that the voice of the region and of the North is taken into account.”