A cross-party, cross-sector, cross-regional committee seeking greater powers for Yorkshire and greater collaboration across the White Rose County
One Yorkshire was launched on Yorkshire Day 2018 by the then Archbishop of York. The Committee comprises council, business, trade union, academic and political leaders with the goal of supporting the Yorkshire Leaders Board in their work on devolution.
The Committee facilitates discussion on the future of Yorkshire governance featuring a broad range of voices. The original aim of the Yorkshire Leaders Board was to achieve devolution across the county as a whole, but in the end four mayors and combined authorities were created in the following order:
West Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
York and North Yorkshire
Hull and East Yorkshire
In this Parliament, the One Yorkshire Committee has a particular focus in encouraging collaboration between public and private institutions across the region.
We welcome the White Rose Agreement – backed by all four of Yorkshire’s Mayors. This recognises the power and authority the Mayors have in their own respective areas to improve the lives of people who live there with solutions that are right for them, but seeks to bring the Mayors together where working together on shared objectives can lead to better outcomes for Yorkshire as a whole.
The One Yorkshire Committee – working with other partners – aims to establish an annual One Yorkshire Conference, promoting collaboration for the greater good across the White Rose County.
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History of One Yorkshire
2018 Economic Case
In 2018, a report The Economic Rationale for Devolving to Yorkshire was commissioned by Yorkshire Councils and produced by Steer economic development.
2019 General Election
Before the General Election in December 2019, the Archbishop led a delegation of Yorkshire council, political, business and trade union leaders to Parliament. As a result, the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and the Green Party all committed themselves to One Yorkshire Devolution in their election manifestos.
Labour Party:
“Britain is one of the most centralised countries in Europe. Labour will decentralise decision-making and strengthen local democracy. We reiterate our commitment to One Yorkshire, and will make directly elected mayors more accountable to local councillors and elected representatives.”
Liberal Democrats:
“In some areas of England there is a greater appetite for powers, but not every part of the country wants to move at the same speed and there cannot be a one-size fits-all approach. All areas should however have access to the same opportunities and mayoral authorities should not be ranked higher in terms of the powers with which they can be granted. We will enact permissive legislation to empower groups of authorities to come together to establish devolved governance – for example to a Cornish Assembly or a Yorkshire Parliament, building on the One Yorkshire campaign. We will proceed by consensus as far as possible but will not allow one local authority to veto a coherent proposal.”
Green Party:
Give fuller voice to regional and national identities.
The Conservative Party did not offer support for One Yorkshire and after the result of the General Election, it became clear that four sub regional devolution agreements was most likely.
2020 Together Yorkshire
In September 2020 ‘Together Yorkshire’ an online conference on the future of Yorkshire Governance and Collaboration was organised by the One Yorkshire Committee. The resulting report emphasised that the Yorkshire Leaders Board could become a fulcrum for county wide policy initiatives. It could also play a crucial role in bringing elected mayors and council leaders together to discuss common priorities and avoid the county becoming balkanised into four competing areas duplicating resources. The creation of the Yorkshire Climate Change Commission is a good example of what is possible and was promoted at the Together Yorkshire Event .
2020 Recognition of Yorkshire Leaders Board
Meanwhile the Government has for the first time recognised the role of the Yorkshire Leaders Board as part of the West Yorkshire Devolution Deal:
“In addition to the funding provided in this deal, and in recognition of the ambitions for closer collaboration across Yorkshire reflecting the Yorkshire brand and its cultural heritage, Government will provide £200,000 in 2020/21 to support the establishment of a Yorkshire Leaders’ Board, as a practical step for facilitating greater collaboration on a Yorkshirewide basis. This is in the context of the Government continuing to work with areas to achieve its ambitions to secure devolution deals for the whole of Yorkshire, and exploring future opportunities with the Leaders Board.”
2023 Parliamentary Reception
In 2023, the One Yorkshire Committee organised a Yorkshire Reception in the House of Lords, which was supported by the following organisations:
The Yorkshire Leaders Board
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire
The Yorkshire and Humber CBI
IOD Yorkshire and North East
Policy Yorkshire,
Screen Yorkshire
Yorkshire and Humber TUC
Yorkshire Universities
The Yorkshire Society
March 2025 White Rose Agreement
The White Rose Agreement was signed in Selby Abbey by the Mayors detailing the areas in which they would co-operate.
June 2025 One Yorkshire Conference
The One Yorkshire Committee – working with other partners – announced a plan to establish an annual One Yorkshire Conference, promoting collaboration for the greater good across the White Rose County.
Funding
In December 2018, the Campaign was awarded a grant of £32,500 by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd.
The Committee was also recently given a grant of £10,000 by the Yorkshire Leaders Board ‘to facilitate partnership engagement that could help progress the work of the Board’.
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