Prime Minister pledges more powers for a future Yorkshire Powerhouse
June 3, 2015
Today in Parliament, York Outer MP Julian Sturdy raised the issue of devolved powers for York, North Yorkshire, and the East Riding with the Prime Minister.
Speaking in the House of Commons during the first Prime Minister’s Questions of the Parliament, Julian asked “Thanks to the Government’s careful financial stewardship York’s economy continues to grow with unemployment a fraction of what it was five years ago .However, can the Prime Minister assure me that his offer of devolution will percolate right through the great county of Yorkshire, empowering rural communities and cities like York to deliver a Yorkshire Powerhouse that rivals Manchester or London?”
In a detailed reply, David Cameron responded by saying “I can certainly give my Honourable Friend that assurance. He talks about the strength of the Yorkshire economy, the claimant count in his own constituency, the people claiming unemployment benefit in his constituency has come down by 74% since 2010. In terms of the Northern Powerhouse, what we see is the linking up of the great northern cities, as a counterpoint to the strength of London.
“We are making good progress with that but certainly yes we want to see more money, more resources, and more powers devolved to those cities, and if we take for instance the York, North Yorkshire, and East Riding Local Growth Deal, that is creating at least three thousand jobs, allowing 4,000 homes to be built. So we have made good progress and there is more to be done in this Parliament.”
Julian welcomed the Prime Minister’s positive response. He said “I am delighted that the Prime Minister recognises the strength of the Yorkshire economy and that we need greater powers to create more jobs and tackle the north-south divide head on. However, it is essential that everyone in Yorkshire benefits from devolution, regardless of whether they live in a city or in the countryside. I will be campaigning to make sure that York, along with North Yorkshire and the East Riding are able to play a full and valuable role in a future Yorkshire Powerhouse”.
The proposals contained in the Queen’s Speech on devolution will be debated later on today in the House of Commons, where Mr Sturdy will set out his campaign for greater powers for the whole of Yorkshire.
Pictured: Julian speaking in today’s Prime Minister’s Questions
