Julian Pushes the Government for Devolution in Yorkshire
June 11, 2015
Julian recently raised the case for devolution in Yorkshire once again while taking part in a Parliamentary debate over City Regions and Metro Mayors. Speaking in the debate Julian made clear that he wanted to see a closer union with North Yorkshire and East Riding, stating:
“The importance of York, North Yorkshire and the East Riding as a valuable counterweight to the competing interests of Leeds, Sheffield and Hull must not be overlooked…We share many of the essential services with North Yorkshire, and I sincerely hope that York will be able to achieve its ambition of working closely with its long-established partners to deliver greater benefits for our local communities.”
In the debate he also stressed that the only way we can achieve a Yorkshire powerhouse is to dissolve the responsibilities for investment in our transport infrastructure, and he cited such projects as dualling the northern ring road and rail links to Leeds Bradford airport:
Julian went on to warn the Minister that:
“It would be a mistake to restrict the offer of greater powers to a small, elite club of metropolitan centres. Every region of the country must be free to seize the opportunity of controlling its own destiny. That is the only way in which devolution can be truly successful….Devolving transport funds to York would provide the ancient city with the tools that it needs for a modern transport infrastructure that fits the demands of the 21st century.”
Responding to the debate was the Parliamentary under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, James Wharton MP. He addressed Julian’s concerns about whether counties would count too in the devolution project and responded by saying:
“The answer is that of course they do. The Bill we are considering is an enabling one that will allow us to tailor packages for different areas right across the country. We want to see cities succeed—they can be drivers of growth—but counties contribute a huge amount to our economy as well, and we want all those areas to come forward, make deals and find devolution settlements that work for them, so the Government are making an absolute commitment to pursue devolution not only for cities but for counties.”
Reflecting on the Ministers comments, Julian stated:
“I welcomed the Minister’s encouraging words and I look forward to the Bill coming to the House so that it can be debated in full to ensure counties such as Yorkshire really benefit from the transformative potential devolution can offer.”
