PENISTONE and Stocksbridge MP Angela Smith, whose constituency covers three of Barnsley’s western-most wards, is opposed to Barnsley’s other Labour MPs on the subject of devolution, and here she explains why.
By Angela Smith MP
EVERYONE in South Yorkshire is painfully aware that our devolution process has hit a bump in the road.
As things stand, South Yorkshire is scheduled next May to elect, for the first time, a Metro Mayor, a post created to give our area an opportunity to improve strategic decision making in relation to transport, planning and economic development, by devolving powers from central government.
The agreement that gave the green light to this was signed by the four leaders of the South Yorkshire authorities and the government itself.
The bump in the road, however, is the refusal of Barnsley and Doncaster to agree the measures needed to implement the devolution agreement. In other words, the powers and budget to be made available to the new mayoral post.
Both authorities have expressed an ambition to join a One Yorkshire arrangement instead, which would see the whole of the county joined together in a bigger devolutionary arrangement.
Barnsley has also decided to test public opinion on this and the Community Poll it has organised asks voters in our area to indicate which devolutionary approach they prefer. The closing date for votes is December 20.
While these polls are not binding and government can ignore them, they are nevertheless a test of public opinion.
As an MP who represents both Sheffield and Barnsley, I understand just how problematic and difficult the negotiations have been to conclude a deal in South Yorkshire, and I commend the leader of Barnsley Council and former chair of the combined authority, Coun Sir Steve Houghton, with regard to the way in which he has conducted those negotiations.
I also believe, however, that the choice laid before Barnsley voters is divisive and unnecessary. The deal on the table, the Sheffield City Region Deal, brings in not just devolution of transport funding for our area from central government, but also an additional £30m a year in investment funding.
Since when have Barnsley folk rejected the bird in the hand for two in the bush? There is no guarantee that the ‘One Yorkshire’ concept will ever take off. Given the fact that the South Yorkshire authorities have found it so hard to find agreement, and given the fact that Leeds still hasn’t found a way of putting together a deal for its own part of Yorkshire, what chance have we got of pulling the whole of Yorkshire together?
Already, North Yorkshire is indicating that district council leaders there are twitchy about the prospect.
The point is, there is nothing about the South Yorkshire deal which prevents us from moving forward to a One Yorkshire arrangement in the future, if it materialises as a serious prospect. Local Barnsley figures have talked about ‘transitional arrangements’ for South Yorkshire in anticipation of a wider Yorkshire agreement, but I would point out that we already have a ‘transitional arrangement’ on the table. It’s the South Yorkshire deal, signed and sealed and ready to take off the shelf. Why would we want to go back to the drawing board?
If we turn our backs now on what is on offer, we will be turning our backs on a total of £1.3bn of extra funding for our area, to grow our economy in the way we think best.
I know elected mayors are not everyone’s cup of tea, but this way of doing business is now rapidly taking root across the country. Look at Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham, already raising the profile of his region and already, incidentally, knocking on the door of government and asking for more powers to be devolved to him from Westminster.
Do we really want to be left behind? Do we really want to risk what we have, for the sake of a prize that may never be within our grasp? Do we really want to wait for the rest of Yorkshire to get its act together?
As I’ve already said, we have our deal. It’s ready and waiting, only requiring our leaders to give the go ahead to the final arrangements.
The people of Barnsley like common sense and practical decision making. On that basis, I’m asking you all to say yes to the South Yorkshire deal on December 20.
