Regional Empowerment

According to a BBC Look North Poll, 80% of us think we need more powers locally.  They did not ask me so I do not know what the actual question was nor any of the background provided to those surveyed.  Doubtless, however, in its usual quest for balance, the BBC would have screened out any left or right field views from loony extremists.  Conveniently, all that would have remained would have nicely satisfied the BBC's desired narrative.

Our CPF group recently considered devolving powers to the regions and, in general, we were not impressed.  The arguments against ran as follows:

• Regional empowerment is superficially seductive but it is not a logical extension of English Empowerment, the English Votes for English laws issue

• Beyond the headline, it will be a difficult concept for the electorate to grasp and even more difficult to define and deliver.  Could this be another PCC fiasco?

• We have just been through a bruising Scottish Referendum campaign and the prospect of regional devolution turns  the "Better Together" argument upon its head

• Worse, regional devolution could represent the "Balkanisation" of UK, fomenting regional jealousies and playing into the hands of the Brussels centralising agenda

• Above all, the whole project is fraught with practical difficulties:

• Inevitable increase in bureaucracy and cost of government
• Regional competition for slices of a finite national cake
• Fruitless expenditure bidding for causes lost to neighbours
• Identity difficulties, for example:
• With whom would outside investors be dealing?
• How would financial guarantees be made?

• Undermines the National safety net for economically disadvantaged areas

In the run-up to a crucial election, our advice was to nod sympathetically but to recognise that regional empowerment is superficially attractive but a potential quagmire.  It would be best to consign the whole issue to the long grass of some "constitutional convention" (Ed Miliband does have some useful ideas)!

Unfortunately, there will be few votes in being seen as resistant to "radical change" in the cause of "rights and freedom" so temptingly championed by the BBC.  The bandwagon which has just left is conspicuously without a destination but watch with concern as our Yorkshire MPs scramble aboard!