A regional daily has urged politicians to devolve more powers to its patch in a front page ‘manifesto’ launch.

The Yorkshire Post is calling for more powers to be devolved to Yorkshire from Westminster, and has called for the county to make its “voice heard”.

The Post’s specialist writers have contributed pieces on the issues they feel need tackling with regards to health, business, transport, crime, country life and education in Yorkshire.

The newspaper previously ran an ‘manifesto for Yorkshire’ ahead of the 2015 General Election, in which it called for English devolution to be given the same importance as issues pertaining to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, and the appointment of a Minister for Yorkshire.

An editorial on the latest launch reads: “There will be some who argue that when the country is at a major crossroads negotiating its future relationship with Europe this is not the time for distractions such as English regional devolution.

“But the moment when this country is exploring new trading opportunities, considering how to replace European regional funding and farming 
subsidies and contemplating how to wield powers returning from Brussels 
is precisely the time to confront this issue.

“The decisions taken in the next Parliament will shape Britain for decades to come and settling the Yorkshire devolution question must be part of that conversation. And last year’s European referendum result was more than just a demand to cut our ties with Brussels.

“It was a backlash against a political system that to many voters seems remote and out of touch with their 
day-to-day concerns and a show of anger that while power has been handed to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, 
in England the focus remains the capital.”

It concludes “There have undoubtedly been failings in local leadership that have led to Yorkshire finding itself in the devolution slow lane. However, the mixed messages from different arms of Government under the Coalition and the passive approach taken by the current administration have also played their part.

“Whoever emerges victorious on 9 June, the General Election it is an opportunity to start afresh, to inject new energy and enthusiasm into a process that has lost its way.”