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04
Oct 2020
This political column is written by John Harris CBE. John is a former Chief Executive of South Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council and has been a Harrogate resident for the past 10 years. John is a supporter of One Yorkshire which campaigns for a single Yorkshire authority.
What is going on? Doubt and uncertainty is growing about the devolution prospects for North Yorkshire and the English counties. Is this to be yet another government U turn?
County areas were to get executive mayors with devolved funds but with unitary local councils, Two tier local government is confusing, costly, and needs to be abolished. North Yorkshire needs a more efficient, effective and economic unitary council structure, ideally with Harrogate combined with York and Selby. The major functions lie with two existing bases (North Yorkshire County Council/York City Council) so the transition disruption to effect the government proposed change in 2022 can be overestimated. An Executive Mayor would focus new energy and investment - a step towards an eventual promised land of proper devolution with a One Yorkshire outcome.
Devolution is needed. The process was in place for North Yorkshire - it is so easy to say this is not ‘the right time’, finding reasons to put things off. North Yorkshire was offered this deal independently of the White Paper; will we lose out?
So what is going on?
Nationally, uncertainty and speculation about government intentions has grown as disquiet amongst conservative supporters has increased. Publication of the autumn devolution White Paper covering all English counties is rumoured to have been shelved:
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