Conservative support could hold the key in Yorkshire devolution discussions

The Greater Yorkshire proposal - for a single devolution deal to be agreed covering the whole of West and North Yorkshire, East Riding and Hull - is backed by 13 Labour and Conservatives MPs from across the area as well as Conservative MEP Timothy Kirkhope.

Those supporters include four Conservative MPs with constituencies in West Yorkshire where councils have submitted a rival devolution blueprint.

Greater Yorkshire supporters hope the backing received from those West Yorkshire Conservative MPs will help convince their ministerial colleagues to explore the idea further.

The leader of every Conservative council group in West Yorkshire is also supporting the Greater Yorkshire plan.

Mr Kirkhope said: “We will be meeting with Ministers to clarify both the proposal that was put to them and to guage the Government’s current inclination so we can see how the project goes forward.”

Chancellor George Osborne was last week presented with six different plans for how his ‘northern powerhouse’ offer to give areas more control over their own affairs in areas such as transport and skills could work in this region.

North and North East Lincolnshire are part of a Greater Lincolnshire proposal while South Yorkshire councils are working with neighbours in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Councils in the remainder of Yorkshire could not all agree on the way forward leading to four different proposals going forward.

The Greater Yorkshire plan says: “We consider that this option will provide the strongest solution to support local growth, create faster transport links between cities and rural areas, improve skills and increase training.

“We must accept that South Yorkshire has decided that they will be responsible for their future.

“This geography ensures that Greater Yorkshire, all of Yorkshire except South Yorkshire, provides for all local authorities to be included in the Northern Powerhouse project, with no one being excluded because of location or economic challenge.”

The Greater Yorkshire plan is not supported by West Yorkshire’s five Labour-run councils which have put forward a Leeds City Region proposal covering themselves and the neighbouring authorities of Harrogate, Craven, Selby and York.

Supporters of the Leeds City Region bid argue it is focused on economic growth and therefore meets the Government’s primary goal of devolving powers.

The Yorkshire Post is hosting a debate on how the region should respond to the Government’s offer of more control over its own affairs.

The panel will include Leeds City Council leader Judith Blake, Humber Local Enterprise Partnership chairman Lord Haskins, West Yorkshire Combined Authority chairman Peter Box, Hull City Council leader Stephen Brady and Andrew Carter from the Centre for Cities thinktank.

For the opportunity to join the debate in Leeds on September 17, email [email protected] with details of a question you would like to ask.