MAYOR of the Sheffield City Region Dan Jarvis and leader of Barnsley Council Sir Steve Houghton have both insisted they will continue to push for a wider Yorkshire devolution deal despite receiving a letter from the government this week rejecting the idea.
Communities Secretary James Brokenshire wrote to leaders across Yorkshire this week saying that the so-called ‘One Yorkshire’ devolution plan, which would see new powers and funding handed down to a Mayor of Yorkshire, did not meet the government’s ‘devolution criteria’.
But Sir Steve was defiant yesterday, saying that he and fellow leaders must ‘stick to their guns’.
“There is ambiguity in the letter, so we’ll be seeking clarification on that,” he said.
“What the government needs to know is, we want a Yorkshire deal, it’s the right deal for Yorkshire, and people in Barnsley and Doncaster have voted for it.
“We are not going to accept second best in Yorkshire.
“We know Yorkshire has already missed out massively in terms of funding and investment. We know Yorkshire is getting a bad deal. We need to stick to our guns on this.”
There is support from 18 out of 20 councils across Yorkshire for the wider deal. Only Sheffield and Rotherham objected to the idea.
In December 2017 voters across Barnsley and Doncaster overwhelmingly backed a wider Yorkshire deal over the previously negotiated South Yorkshire devolution deal.
However a mayoral election in South Yorkshire went ahead anyway, with Dan Jarvis elected Mayor on a manifesto that pledged to use his term in office to bring funding and powers for South Yorkshire, while simultaneously working towards a transition to a wider Yorkshire deal.
Mr Jarvis told the Chronicle yesterday: “Although this is disappointing news, it does not come as a surprise and begs the obvious question about what criteria this proposal was judged against.
“The government are yet to publish their devolution framework. Yorkshire leaders and I have requested an urgent meeting with the secretary of state to discuss this further and continue to put the case for One Yorkshire.
“A devolution deal on this scale will enable our region to take control of our own decision-making process; harness local people’s sense of cultural identity with Yorkshire; and will add around £30 billion each year to our regional economy.
“The government have failed to give proper consideration to the case we have made for One Yorkshire. I will continue to campaign for the devolution deal that is right for Barnsley, and that local people overwhelmingly support.”
