Government pledges £285 MILLION to mayors in Yorkshire
“For too long, too many decisions about places like South Yorkshire have been made hundreds of miles away by people who don’t know our communities like we do”
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has pledged a £285 million fund for Yorkshire’s mayors ahead of the Budget.
Ahead of his first Budget on Wednesday, October 28, John Healey has put forward the massive investment in Yorkshire leadership to let communities “decide their own future”.
It comes as the Andy Burnham-led Government has committed to improving growth in every postcode by moving powers out of Westminster and into local leadership.
The Mayor of South Yorkshire, Olive Coppard, has celebrated this latest investment, saying: “For too long, too many decisions about places like South Yorkshire have been made hundreds of miles away by people who don’t know our communities like we do.
“Devolution gives us the power to take our future into our own hands, to invest in the things that matter to our communities and create the jobs, homes and opportunities we need.
“So I welcome the Chancellor’s commitment to putting more money and more power in the hands of Mayors. Because when decisions are made closer to the people that are most impacted by them, we can not only make better decisions but fundamentally change how politics works for people across our country.”
At the Budget, the Chancellor - who also serves as MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough - is expected to announce further financial support to communities across the country.
The Government will also confirm that it will work with Mayors to design a new £1.5 billion borrowing facility from 2028, giving them the access to capital needed to back the local priorities that will build growth in every postcode.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey, added: “Local people have the right to decide their own future. Yorkshire and the Humber is full of potential – but it has gone untapped and wasted while money and power has been held in Westminster.
“Mayors and local leaders know what their communities need to grow, which is why we are giving them more money, more power and more capacity to get projects moving, build homes and make the right decisions for their areas.
“By putting more power and funding into local hands, we can unlock growth, create opportunity and restore hope for the future in Yorkshire and the Humber.”