Yorkshire is next on the devolution list
WEST and South Yorkshire are next in line for devolution deals, the deputy prime minister has promised.
Speaking at today’s Northern Futures Summit in Leeds Nick Clegg said he wants the deals done with the Leeds and Sheffield City regions by December, and, there won’t be an obligation to introduce a mayor in order to get them.
The calls follow the major devolution deal with the Government for the transfer of powers covering transport, housing, planning and policing – under the remit of a directly-elected city mayor – which Greater Manchester announced this week. The new mayor will be elected in 2017.
Earlier in the day, economist Jim O’Neill who is chairing the Cities Growth Commission which advocates devolution, said cities like Leeds, Sheffield and Liverpool can secure a Manchester-style deal, but they need to show government they can deliver.
Clegg was in Leeds for the one-day conference which also set out plans to invest in Northern road and rail infrastructure, and announced plans for more to be spent promoting tourism.
He said: “The more of us that talk about the North in our conversations, with buoyant attitudes and smiles, the more people who want to come here. We shouldn’t present ourselves as the region with a chip on our shoulder, we are here because we’re immensely proud of what the North has to offer. The rest will follow.
“The great thing about Northern Futures is the degree of consensus across parties in favour. That is a very powerful thing. This government and any future government will not be able to ignore further devolution. The genie is out of the bottle – it is irreversible.”
