The new IPPR report spells out what many people across Yorkshire already feel: unitarisation on its own doesn’t empower communities — it risks pulling decisions even further away. If we want real change, we need real community power, not another round of top‑down restructuring.

Yorkshire’s towns, villages and neighbourhoods deserve a voice that actually matters. When decisions are made miles away, by people who don’t know the area, trust breaks down. Services become less responsive. Communities feel ignored. IPPR’s findings highlight exactly that problem — and point to a better way forward.

Yorkshire needs democracy within walking distance.

That means stronger town and parish councils, neighbourhood boards with real authority, and budgets controlled locally. It means giving communities the right to request powers from their councils together with strong regional governance.

This isn’t about bureaucracy. It’s about fairness, accountability and pride. Yorkshire has the talent, the ideas and the ambition. What we lack is the power to match it.

It’s time to put decisions back where they belong — in Yorkshire’s hands.