On Monday, leaders of City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council joined the leveling secretary, Greg Clarke, to sign a “historic” deal that brings a radical shake-up of local government in the region. It will include the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election in May 2024 and is worth, according to the government, £540m over 30 years. Keith Aspden, the Lib Dem leader of York city council, praised the deal, pointing out that it is more funding per head of population than other devolution settlements. It should also be seen as a step towards something bigger, he said, adding: “Some of us have long had ambitions for a Yorkshire mayor who would represent a population and have a scale that would have an undeniable influence in Whitehall and in government. “ Instead, there is currently one mayor for South Yorkshire and one mayor for West Yorkshire, while a North Yorkshire mayor will now be added. Hull and East Yorkshire could be next. “Some people definitely want to see these pieces as a stepping stone to more accountability and representation at Yorkshire level,” Aspden said. “Not everyone agrees, but I would certainly be in favor of continuing to work with colleagues in East, West and South Yorkshire on this journey.” One of those who disagrees is the Secretary of State, who said Yorkshire was too big and diverse to work. But Clark said the deal for York and North Yorkshire was an important deal that would increase prosperity and opportunities for the region. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Civil servants in London could not know what was best for an area that was “completely unique”, he said. “The richness and diversity within [the area] it eludes any attempt to understand it by people sitting in an office in London. You need Yorkshire people to lead and make decisions about things that happen.’ The agreement was signed at the National Railway Museum in York on Yorkshire Day. The perfect day, some said. Others pointed out the irony of Yorkshire Day being created as a protest against local government reorganization in 1974. Carl Les, the Conservative leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said it was a good deal that should be seen as just the start of better things – “It’s getting your foot on the ladder”. Les was more cautious about the idea of full Yorkshire devolution, saying: “I can understand the government’s concern about creating an entity with devolved powers that is actually the size of the Scottish economy and the size of the Scottish population.”
