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• Union federation calls for far reaching devolution of budget powers amid the prospect of no NPR or full HS2

The TUC in Yorkshire & the Humber has today (Monday) condemned reports of the downgrading of rail investment in Yorkshire as the final nail in the coffin for the Levelling Up agenda.

Calling for deep and far reaching changes to regional government to address the Levelling Up crisis, the union federation said that the existing devolution settlement was not fit for purpose, as it meant the Treasury was always able to override the will of local elected leaders.

The TUC is calling for a new financial and devolution settlement for Yorkshire, with more guaranteed funding and policy making powers, reducing the region’s dependence on the Treasury.

A motion tabled for the TUC’s 2022 Annual Regional Conference this January calls for a whole Yorkshire devolution settlement, with a directly elected mandate.

TUC Regional Secretary Bill Adams said:

“Working people in Yorkshire have seen this government promise them the Earth but deliver little. They’ve had enough.

“Council budgets have been slashed, Transport projects promised and never delivered. Now we see the government’s central manifesto commitment to Level Up the North is nothing more than a damp squib.

“This great rail betrayal shows that time is up on our current political settlement with London.

“Following decisions at our conference this coming January, the TUC will begin work on examining what Yorkshire’s future constitutional relationship with Westminster should be, to ensure a fairer sharing of powers, money and economic growth.”

ENDS

Editors note

Motions to the 74th Annual Regional Conference of the TUC will be voted on the 8-9th of January. If adopted they become official policy of the trade union movement in Yorkshire & the Humber. Details of the motion on whole Yorkshire devolution will be made available in due course per rule.

Contacts:

Gareth Forest (Lewis)
gforest@tuc.org.uk
0113 200 1075
07810 374976

TUC national press office 
media@tuc.org.uk  
020 7467 1248 

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