West Yorkshire Mayor tells MP’s: ‘We do not have devolution’

The government has been heavily criticised during a committee meeting, as metro mayors call out ministers commitment to levelling up, as regions are facing devastating budget cuts. 

Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, all spoke at the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee meeting.  

West Yorkshire Combined Authority has reported it will be receiving £37 million less than anticipated from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which replaces former European Union (EU) funding. Ministers had previously pledged no area would receive less funding after Brexit.  

The lengthy process of applying for government levelling up funds, with months of preparation for funding bids, also holds back regeneration efforts, the panel said.  

Tracy Brabin called for an end to ‘begging bowl politics and Whitehall-knows-best approach to devolution’, adding that ministers refuse to ‘let go of the purse strings’.  

She continued: ‘This government trashed the economy and, as a result of record levels of inflation, we’re now having to pause important projects that will genuinely level up opportunities right across our region. 

‘Worse still, they’re pickpocketing our region during a cost-of-living crisis by cutting the money we received from the European Union by a third – despite promising we would receive the same amount. 

‘This is not proper devolution – they are holding us back when we want to drive investment in our region.’  

Downing Street chaos delayed the approval of local investment plans, meaning there isn’t much time left for economic support to be delivered to communities and businesses before the end of the financial year.  

The metro mayors also warned that levelling up funding was often being used to support vital services, such as public toilets and leisure centres, due to vast budget cuts.  

Andy Burnham said local councils were forced to ‘plead all the time for scraps off the table.’  

The LUHC Committee warned in August the government must ensure levelling up was ‘more than a slogan’, as a Centre for Cities report found the cost of living crisis was actually widening the gap between the North and South.  

Photo by Luke Porter