The concerns raised by The Wildlife Trusts about the proposed English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill deserve serious attention, particularly here in Yorkshire.

Imagine a transformed Yorkshire: Hull, York, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Doncaster, and Huddersfield all linked by fast, modern rail, seamlessly connected to Manchester. This isn’t fantasy – it’s a blueprint for a northern economic revival.

More and more influential people are speaking out about the state of our water companies — from pollution to leaks to dividends and sky‑high bills. It’s no surprise, given how badly these services have been managed. 

People want decisions made closer to home, by those who understand local needs, not by distant departments in Westminster.

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.

The Yorkshire Party is founded on a simple democratic principle: decisions affecting Yorkshire should be made in Yorkshire, by those who live and work here.