‘Support our ambitions’ – Leaders urge Prime Minister to back region’s priorities

20 December 2019

The Leaders of West Yorkshire and York councils and the Chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership have urged the Prime Minister and his new Government to support the region’s investment priorities.

Their letter to Boris Johnson sets out the opportunities and challenges for the region in key areas with specific requests for Government support on devolution, skills, transport, tackling the climate emergency and development of mass transit proposals. It also asks the Prime Minister to recognise the significant pressures on local government and deliver a funding settlement which addresses that demand, particularly in protecting children and adult social care.

The letter says:

“We write to outline our key priorities, and to urge your newly-returned Government to support our ambition to create a region delivering clean growth which benefits all our communities. 

“Following your recent commitment to the devolution agenda, we also ask that powers and funding are provided that allow us to make progress.”

The letter also identifies reaching a devolution settlement as an “urgent priority” and sets the goal of making significant progress by the new Government’s first Budget.

It says:

“Our urgent priority is to secure the benefits of devolution for all our communities. This is a vital part of completing the devolution map across the country and will enable us to drive economic growth, tackle the climate emergency and regenerate, strengthen and level up our towns. 

“We seek to build on the progress made following your speech in Rotherham supporting Yorkshire-wide collaboration and opening up negotiations on a possible Leeds City Region agreement, as well as deals covering the rest of Yorkshire. We ask that these productive discussions continue, with a view to agreeing a way forward that can be announced in your Government’s first budget.” 

Read the full text of the letter and supporting documents.