An Assembly for Yorkshire

An Assembly for Yorkshire? Background The Yorkshire Party believes that the historic county of Yorkshire, with its own distinct identity, economic output and culture should be able to determine their own future in the form of an Assembly for Yorkshire. We believe that the people of Yorkshire should have more say in how their lives are run and that locally elected politicians should be taking the key decisions about Yorkshire’s future – not unelected bureaucrats or disinterested ministers in London. There is certainly a desperate need to address the centralising influence of London and the South East of England. A proper democratic settlement for Yorkshire It is the view of The Yorkshire Party that Yorkshire merits a standalone Assembly, similar to that afforded to the other parts of the UK, Yorkshire is a region/county which, as well as having its own distinct identity, has a unique regional position that reinforces Yorkshire position in the UK. It also has a distinct economic profile, however at the present time, Yorkshire is disadvantaged in having no form of effective devolved governance. It continues to lack the powers to make important political, economic, environmental and social decisions for itself. Government bodies, quangos and agencies which develop key strategies and policies are located outside of Yorkshire and are not accountable to the people of Yorkshire. They inevitably fail to recognise the strengths of Yorkshire or understand the special needs of its communities. It means that approaches specifically relevant to Yorkshire are rarely pursued by central government. The Yorkshire Party is campaigning for the recognition of Yorkshire as a distinct region including all forms of governance and administration. At the heart of this, we are campaigning for a new democratic settlement, with the meaningful devolution of significant powers to an Assembly of Yorkshire. An Assembly of Yorkshire It is proposed that the Assembly for Yorkshire be elected on a proportional representation basis and the Yorkshire Party has a manifesto commitment to the creation of a legislative Assembly of Yorkshire, the Assembly would have the capability to create primary legislation within its various areas of competence, without reference to Westminster, as well as democratic control over most areas of domestic politics in Yorkshire, and associated public expenditure, as listed below: Agriculture, fisheries and food, including food standards and food security. Arts and culture, including broadcasting, libraries, museums, and support for Yorkshire cultural traditions. Economic development, including regeneration, promotion of trade and inward investment, and promotion of tourism. Education and training, including early years and school education, further and higher education, training policy and lifelong learning. Energy policy, including renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. Proposals for a devolved Assembly for Yorkshire from the North Yorkshire Branch of the Yorkshire Party Dec 2021 Page2 Environment and heritage including all forms of environmental protection, flood defence and the protection of the historic environment. Health, including full responsibility for the Health Service in Yorkshire. Home affairs, including the police and other emergency services, prisons and emergency planning. Housing, including investment in affordable housing. Local government, including local government finance and taxation. Planning, including a Planning Policy Framework for Yorkshire. Social services, including child protection and support for the voluntary sector. Sport, including a Yorkshire Sports Council. Transport, including responsibility for all forms of road, air and sea transport, as well as support for the public transport infrastructure. The Assembly would also have the ability to vary a whole range of taxation instruments, including income tax powers. Economic basis of the devolution settlement The United Kingdom – even taking into account the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – is an over-centralised state, dominated by London and its hinterland. As a consequence, central government policies favour the South East of England. Other areas lose out and this is reflected in the economic performance of areas such as Yorkshire. Central government has failed Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Party believes that the best way to improve the Yorkshire economy would be for strategies and policies to be devised by those people who live in Yorkshire and have a tangible stake in the success of their policies. The Yorkshire Party maintains that the Assembly of Yorkshire would be in a strong position to build a more prosperous economy. It would, for example, be able to support Yorkshire’s traditional and emerging industries, build on Yorkshire’s sense of place and space, its unique brand, and coastal/maritime potential. It would also be able to prioritise infrastructure improvements that would benefit the Yorkshire economy. Frequently Asked Questions Q1. Would the creation of a Yorkshire Assembly lead to independence? A1. The Yorkshire Party is not campaigning for independence. As already explained in this policy document, The Yorkshire Party is campaigning for an Assembly for Yorkshire, which would be within the framework of the United Kingdom. We believe it would enable Yorkshire to become an empowered part of the UK. Q2. Wouldn’t an Assembly of Yorkshire simply be another layer of expensive politicians? A2. The Assembly of Yorkshire would be responsible for making strategic decisions about Yorkshire’s future. It would bring greater decision-making back to Yorkshire, and it would do away with the need for so many unelected bodies. It would also lead to a significant reduction in the number of unelected individuals on such bodies with little or no democratic control. Proposals for a devolved Assembly for Yorkshire from the North Yorkshire Branch of the Yorkshire Party Dec 2021 Page3 Q3. Isn’t Yorkshire just too small for its own Assembly? A3, There are even independent countries, with populations smaller than that of Yorkshire. These include Iceland (320,000), Luxembourg (525,000) and Malta (455,000). There are also countless examples of smaller regions that have devolved governments. Closer to home Wales (which has an Assembly!) has a population of just over 3,000,000 and the gross domestic product for Wales in 2019 was approximately £77.5 billion. By contrast the gross domestic product of Yorkshire in 2019 was £146,8 billion and a population of 5.4 million (2019) Q4. Wouldn’t an Assembly cost us all a lot more? A4. The Yorkshire Party is confident that a new democratic settlement for Yorkshire would actually save money and boost the Yorkshire economy. The increased democratisation of the UK would lead to the abolition of a large number of unelected bodies, and the Assembly of Yorkshire would also ensure that much of the business of government and administration, presently carried out in places such as Birmingham or London, would be happening in Yorkshire – creating a significant number of well-paid new jobs. An Assembly would also be best placed to manage the expenditure of the majority of the public sector in Yorkshire and to create the conditions to develop a more successful and sustainable Yorkshire economy. Q5. What would be the point of MPs after an Assembly came into being? A5 The Assembly of Yorkshire would not be independent of the UK and local MPs would still need to play a full and constructive role at Westminster. They would need to represent Yorkshire perspectives on a wide range of issues that the Assembly would not be responsible for, such as foreign policy and defence. Q6. Would the new Assembly need a new purpose-built building? A6. The Yorkshire Party considers that the Assembly of Yorkshire would not need such a new building. It is the view of the Party for Yorkshire that existing buildings already in the public sector could accommodate the new democratic settlement for Yorkshire.