Michael Gove has announced deeper devolution for West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Liverpool City Region.
The deal will not be along the lines of the trailblazing one that Andy Burnham received for Greater Manchester but a level four deal
It has been described as a stepping stone and the plan is for a single funding settlement after the next spending review in Autumn
Michael Gove told business, political and civic leaders at the Convention of the North this was “the day that the North truly takes back control”.
“The theology is devolution. The reality is improved lives for all,” he told the audience in Leeds.
Commenting on the announcement Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said:
We’ve accepted the limited powers the government are offering but it falls far short of what we want and deserve.
At a minimum, we should be getting the same settlement as trailblazers – but we should be even more ambitious than that to truly shape our own futures.
