From 31 August 2023 Transforming Yorkshire will no longer be affiliated with the Democratic Yorkshire Alliance. Democratic Yorkshire is reforming and continuing to focus on its own agenda which is heavily focused on proposals for a Yorkshire Constitution.
Whilst we believe that many of the proposals for a Yorkshire Constitution may be soundly based, it is not entirely clear how these will contribute to the betterment of the region in the near term. Perhaps the creation of a citizens’ assembly could be a first objective. This might focus, among other things, on the fact that there is no political entity of Yorkshire, no recognition of the county and, therefore, no voice for the county as a whole. Without recognition and the creation of a political entity for Yorkshire, it is unlikely that any real progress will be made on autonomy/devolution. Without autonomy the county looks set for further decline.
We need to break out of this spiral of decline. We need a Yorkshire government to stand up for the region. We need a Yorkshire Parliament!
There’s no doubt in my mind that the failure to deliver the People’s Constitution for Yorkshire, as intended, was something of a public relations disaster. The proposals outlined in the document were not perfect but they gave some indication of what could be, as opposed to the current shambles that we have to live with.
Some of the work may be salvaged in the future but to abandon the launch to concentrate on internal administrative matters just seems inexplicable. It has seen the end of the Alliance and is a setback for Yorkshire devolution and any future joint working.
We will recover but the cost has been significant. The message that there is a better way than the current combative, biased and elitist UK political system cannot be lost. Yorkshire deserves better.