Yorkshire Day — August 1 — is celebrated today.

Yorkshire has a unique heritage and identity and York will mark the occasion in style when a band-led procession of mayors and civic heads from all over the county heads to York Minster.

The annual event is orchestrated by The Yorkshire Society, which was formed in 1980 to promote Yorkshire.

The society is non-political but as devolution is a hot topic, this year it organised a debate on the future governance of Yorkshire on the night before Yorkshire Day.

So what in the end is or could Yorkshire Day be about?

The new government is publishing proposals to extend powers to elected executive mayors — a process started by the previous government. 

We already have elected executive mayors and combined local authorities for north, west and south Yorkshire to be joined next year by Hull and East Riding so we are well placed — but is that the end point or a step on the way to something more transformational?

What is genuine independence?

Devolution in its pure form is genuine independent local decision making on critical issues — not just delegated and centrally funded — underpinned by local revenue raising powers.

What we are getting are welcome steps in the direction of local decision making, building on the perceived success of mayors Tracy Brabin in West Yorkshire and Oliver Coppard in South Yorkshire. The newly elected David Skaith in North Yorkshire and York will be keen to emulate their impact.

Nevertheless, executive mayoral delegation is not the same as full on regional devolution. And remember: Yorkshire’s population matches that of Scotland and is substantially larger than Wales and Northern Ireland so why can’t we have similar powers and autonomy? 

Yorkshire Day celebrations send a strong public message to recognise Yorkshire’s heritage and identity and its strength and potential, as well as to glimpse at what its future could be if its potential was unlocked through unified governance and enterprise.

Those who wish for Yorkshire devolution can only welcome mayors being given delegated powers by a government willing to actively liaise and engage with elected mayors. This is tangible progress, and having four elected mayors acting together could be a powerful force demonstrating what the future of a One Yorkshire could be. But it remains effectively delegation rather than genuine devolution.

Back to the future

There is a personal dinosaur point of mine to be made. Fifty years ago there were four county councils (North, West and South Yorkshire as well as Humberside) which came together in a loose grouping known as the Yorkshire County Councils Association. When I was chief executive of South Yorkshire I coordinated it and, despite differing political controls, we combined strongly and successfully to pressurise the UK government and a responsive European Union for investment in infrastructure, transport, employment creation, training and skills.

Sounds familiar? But the concerted effort could not survive three of the four county councils being abolished. Now there is a sense of deja vue as we are to have four elected mayors and combined authorities, which are great in their own right and they have the new potential to be unstoppable working together for Yorkshire as a whole.

So where are we now? Delegation is not devolution but it is a real start.

Yes we can welcome the concept of four powerful influential elected mayors focussed on Yorkshire’s need for investment, growth and prosperity and for radical action to deal with poverty, inequality and underachievement. But we want more.

It is still only delegation. We need further development leading to greater autonomy in decision making and genuine devolution to Yorkshire as whole.

Celebrate Yorkshire’s heritage and identity today — but dream too for genuine devolution in some form of regional assembly to realise the uniqueness and strength of the whole of our wonderful Yorkshire in achieving a better life and community for all of us.

John Harris is a member of the One Yorkshire committee, which is a cross-party, cross-sector, cross-regional committee seeking greater powers for Yorkshire. It supports the work on devolution of the Yorkshire Council Leaders Board.