Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis, writing for the Barnsley Chronicle, sets out why he’s voting for a ‘One Yorkshire’ devolution deal.
By Dan Jarvis MP
LAST week, Barnsley’s councillors voted unanimously to support the council’s plan to hold a community poll on the future of Yorkshire devolution.
This means that all Barnsley residents will get a ballot paper in the first week of December asking them for their opinion. All of us will get to vote on whether we want Barnsley Council to pursue either the ‘One Yorkshire’ or the Sheffield City Region devolution deal. Barnsley Council will be bound by the result.
A lot of people have already put forward their views on Yorkshire devolution: Council leaders, MPs, businesses and trade unions. But it is now time that the public had their say.
Many people have asked me how I will be voting in the poll. I think people want straight talking from their MP, and that is the Barnsley (and Yorkshire) way. So I’m going to be very clear about what I think.
The Federation of Small Businesses, the Trade Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry have all made strong economic arguments for the ‘One Yorkshire’ deal. And I, like them, believe that a ‘One Yorkshire’ deal is by far the better option for growing our regional and local economy, attracting investment and creating good jobs.
Our region faces enormous strategic challenges: An ageing population; the risk of jobs being lost to automation; and the need to invest in our infrastructure and in skills and training. To tackle these challenges we need to be bold and ambitious about what we can achieve through devolution. According to a very timely recent report, the North of England risks being left further behind unless we devolve significant economic power. Tinkering around the edges will not cut it.
The Brexit debate has raised important questions about how wealth and power are distributed in our country. As we get ready for life outside of the European Union, Yorkshire needs to maximise its influence in order to thrive in a fast-changing political and economic landscape.
The reality is that the Sheffield City Region is just not big enough to give us the clout that we need. It would be one of the smallest devolved areas in the country and would only unlock £900m in additional money, that’s over the next 30 years. When you consider both inflation and the fact that that money is spread across Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley, £30m is small change compared to the investment our region needs. We also do have to ask the question; how much of that money would Barnsley get? Not much.
Instead, by working together across Yorkshire, we will be best placed to co-operate and compete with other devolved areas. A ‘One Yorkshire’ settlement would be second only to London in size. This would give us serious influence on the national and international stage. We would be a true powerhouse.
In Barnsley we instinctively identify much more with Yorkshire than we do with our nearest big city. I am confident about what we can achieve if people feel a renewed sense of purpose for Yorkshire.
Devolution will profoundly affect the future of Yorkshire for generations. This community poll gives us in Barnsley an opportunity to show a lead in the debate about the future direction we want our county and the country to go in. Political leaders across Yorkshire and down in London will be watching closely what we decide to do.
So I would urge everyone to vote when they get their ballot in December it’s all done online or by post, so no need to go to a polling station because this is about the future of our great county of Yorkshire, and the future of our children and grandchildren. It is vital we get this right; so let’s be part of something that can make a real difference to our lives.
