Yorkshire Forward is being abolished and the entire business community seems to be rushing to create a successor.  Why?  Shouldn’t we just wait for a few months – even a year or two – so we can evaluate just what Yorkshire Forward does that is so essential?  My guess is that those things that are really important – urban regeneration, for example – will still get support.  Hull, for instance, has already taken over the work of its urban regeneration company and Bradford is doing the same. In the meantime, just think how much money will be saved.

It is not as if Yorkshire Forward was created out of nothing.  It replaced a number of existing agencies, such as the Yorkshire and Humberside Development Agency and the Yorkshire operations of the Rural Development Commission.   Now it is proposed that Yorkshire Forward should morph into a series of Local Enterprise Partnerships – or even a Yorkshire Enterprise Partnership.  These will be “partnerships” between business and local authorities – a bit like the old YHDA, really.

As a former chairman of the Yorkshire Rural Development Committee, I have some idea of what these so-called partnerships involve and the first point to make is that they will be run by the civil servants.  Business people will be recruited as non-executive (and probably unpaid) directors.  And you will get what you pay for.  Lest I appear to be too jaundiced in my opinions, I asked a very senior business leader who had been closely involved with the old YHDA what he thought about LEPs.

His answer: “Don’t trust the Government and remember that local councillors are only interested in power.”  That doesn’t mean a Yorkshire Enterprise Partnership can’t work, but – given the rivalries between the different local authorities – it will be difficult.  And it almost certainly won’t be a partnership, as most business people would understand the term.   So let’s wait, see what really needs to be done to make Yorkshire work well and then, if necessary, set up an appropriate body to meet that need.