Harrogate MP says patchwork devolution leaves county weaker
Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Liberal Democrat MP has called for a single Yorkshire Parliament to replace the current arrangement of four separate mayoralties, arguing that the present system leaves the county without the clout to run its own schools, hospitals and railways.
Speaking on Yorkshire Day, the MP said the Government’s recent move to give mayors a greater share of locally generated income tax and business rates was welcome but inadequate. He warned that splitting resources and negotiating with Whitehall from four different mayoral areas simply deepens divisions and reduces the county’s bargaining power.
“A divided Yorkshire is a weakened Yorkshire. We are carved into four mayoral areas, each negotiating separately with Whitehall, each fighting for a slightly bigger slice of a pot that London still controls,”
The MP highlighted the county’s scale in comparison with other parts of the UK, noting that Yorkshire has a population comparable to Scotland and an economy the size of Wales. He argued that those facts should entitle the county to similar powers over key public services.
What powers are being asked for?
In his intervention he specified the areas he believes should be devolved to a regional body:
- Education and skills — control over schools and further education to shape local learning and career pathways;
- Transport — responsibility for regional rail, bus services and local transport planning to improve connectivity;
- Health and social care — powers over hospitals and care services to better align provision with local need.
These are the same policy fields the MP had previously sought to put into law via an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which would have enabled the Secretary of State to establish regional governance bodies with locally determined names and structures.
| Current arrangement | MP's proposal |
|---|---|
| Four separate mayoralties negotiating with Whitehall | A single Yorkshire Parliament with devolved powers over education, transport and health |
Local consequences for Harrogate
For Harrogate residents the debate is not abstract. Control over transport could influence local rail services and bus routes into the spa town; education powers might affect funding and oversight of colleges and sixth forms used by young people across the district; and responsibility for health could change how hospitals and community services are planned and funded in North Yorkshire.
At present, responsibilities for these priorities sit largely with national departments or are subject to negotiations between individual mayoral offices and Whitehall. That leaves local councils and MPs often lobbying for piecemeal gains rather than making strategic, county-wide decisions.
The Prime Minister’s recent announcement on devolution grants mayors increased local levers over taxation and housing, but the MP said that still falls short of meaningful regional autonomy. He urged the Government to consider a structure that puts decision-making closer to the people who use and run local services.
Whether the idea of a Yorkshire Parliament will gain traction in Westminster depends on political will in Whitehall and the position of the Prime Minister. The MP is not alone in pushing for more joined-up regional governance, but proposals for devolved assemblies often prompt questions about cost, representation and the precise powers to be transferred.
For now, Harrogate remains part of the existing patchwork of authorities. But the conversation over who runs our schools, plans our transport and shapes health services has been given fresh momentum — and, as the MP put it on Yorkshire Day, it is a debate the county cannot afford to lose.
