Our Ambitions
The Yorkshire Party 2017 General Election Manifesto sets out why Yorkshire needs a voice and how the Yorkshire Party will be that voice. We have highlighted how our county should become a modern, thriving region through real and meaningful devolution via a Parliament for the whole of Yorkshire. We recognise that might be a little way off so here we set out the core ambitions for our newly elected Members of Parliament and how we plan to achieve them, so ensuring that we give a voice to the people of Yorkshire.
Once elected, your Yorkshire Party Member of Parliament will:
Campaign to establish a Yorkshire Parliament, directly elected via a fair voting system. This parliament will be accountable to the electorate, making transparent decisions on their behalf, treating the needs and aspirations of everyone across Yorkshire equally. It will provide one united and powerful voice to Yorkshire.
Ensure that our exit from the EU and the negotiation of any future trade agreements benefit Yorkshire.
Demand the spending imbalance in education is rectified. A school in the City of London received £8,587 per pupil in 2015/2016, whilst a school in York received £4,202 per pupil over the same period. The Yorkshire Party recognises that this is patently unfair and impacts the potential of our young people.
Fight to prevent the closure of more hospitals or hospital wards across the county. Quality healthcare is not only vital to the continued health of Yorkshire, but it is also crucial that this care is delivered as locally as possible.
Demand an equal share of infrastructure funding to improve Yorkshire's transport network. The ability of our county to attract private investment, exploit commercial opportunities, and to compete in the global marketplace is hindered by an outdated and, in some cases, crumbling infrastructure. For every £1 spent on roads, railways, flood defences and energy infrastructure in Yorkshire, the Westminster government spends £10 in London. Your Yorkshire Party MPs will fight this imbalance.
Seek to tackle the housing crisis in our county while continuing to protect the green belt. Every aspect of our lives is affected by where we live and the home we live in. Our health, family life, job prospects, educational attainment, finances, and general wellbeing are all impacted by our location and home. It is important to encourage both housing developers and social landlords in Yorkshire to invest in good quality, affordable housing to buy and to rent.
Oppose Westminster's plans to introduce fracking across Yorkshire. At the same time, the Yorkshire Party recognises that local communities and energy suppliers must be engaged in developing a sustainable and affordable green energy policy.
Yorkshire is home to several barracks and army bases. The Yorkshire Party will fully support our armed forces veterans living in the county through our housing and other social policies.
Work with the police, community organisations and local authorities, to improve the safety of our communities. This includes an emphasis on measures to prevent domestic, racial, and sexual violence and abuse.
Yorkshire Party
Building a fairer, stronger and more prosperous Yorkshire within the United Kingdom.
Our Strategy
Yorkshire's renewal and prosperity will not occur overnight. Decades of chronic underinvestment and neglect by London can only be reversed by a dedicated team of individuals working together to speak up for Yorkshire.
To start moving in the right direction, we need three things:
Independent, freethinking, and hardworking Yorkshire Party candidates elected to parliament. Their purpose will be to represent the interests of their constituents and to speak up for Yorkshire at Westminster.
The Yorkshire Party trusts our elected representatives to act on behalf of their constituents without the need for a party whip or outdated political dogma. Your MP will be free to bring their own perspective to the issues of the day, challenging and scrutinising legislation, spending, and government policy on your behalf.
Your Yorkshire Party MP will fight for a fair deal for Yorkshire in public investment in education and infrastructure. They will work with local councils to protect services and defend your hospitals, libraries, museums, sports halls, rural schools and other amenities essential to developing and maintaining successful communities.
Every Yorkshire Party MP will act as a Yorkshire ambassador, seeking out opportunities for investment in skilled, well-paid jobs in modern industries. They will consult with their local communities to find imaginative and cost-effective solutions to the issues that face our county in the years ahead.
A Yorkshire Party holding Westminster to account during the negotiations on leaving the European Union and in negotiating any future trade deals with other parts of the world.
The Yorkshire Party is determined that any support of negotiations is conditional on the government obtaining the best possible deal for Yorkshire.
Any deal must bring with it opportunities for renewed prosperity and opportunity within our county. The Yorkshire workforce deserve access to high-skilled, well-paid in thriving modern industries, while their workers' rights are protected. Our companies must be allowed to compete fairly across the world, exploring and exploiting new markets for Yorkshire goods and services, while the environmental and human rights protections that have been developed over the last 40 years must be maintained.
The people of Yorkshire must be heard, regardless of whether they voted to stay or leave. Only if all concerns and aspirations are acknowledged can we begin to formulate a deal that will work effectively for Yorkshire.
Your Yorkshire Party will consult widely with constituents, local businesses, and trade union representatives. While we will support the government when they get it right, we will hold them to account when they don’t. We will act in the interests of our county without prejudice or preconceptions.
A Parliament for Yorkshire with meaningful devolved powers and the ability to make decisions on behalf of the people living and working in our county.
A parliament would draw national and international investment into our county. It will ensure fair spending on education, the NHS and social care, along with listening to the concerns, needs, and aspirations of people across Yorkshire. Such a parliament can unite us, working for our common interests both at home and abroad. Only by devolving power to an accountable, transparent and democratic Yorkshire Parliament will our county be able to meet its potential. Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and London have directly-elected parliaments or assemblies which allow them to make their voices heard. Why shouldn't the people of Yorkshire have the same?
SUPPORT THE YORKSHIRE PARTY AND SPEAK UP FOR YORKSHIRE TODAY
Find Out More:
e: campaigns@yorkshireparty.org.uk
