A PARLIAMENTARY petition has been launched to give Yorkshire its own parliament.

Yorkshire Party leader Bob Buxton started the petition to “allow a referendum on devolving powers to a Yorkshire Regional Parliament,” with powers and funding similar to Scotland and Wales.

Dr Buxton said: “It’s Yorkshire’s turn to have Yorkshire’s choice. We need a stronger Yorkshire in a stronger, fairer United Kingdom. A Yorkshire Regional Parliament, controlling our fair share of public spending, would help to rebuild our economy and infrastructure, create new jobs, lead the way in green technology, empower education, build greener homes on regenerated derelict sites and revolutionise transport.”

“Primary schoolchildren in London get 50 per cent more funding per year than ours in Yorkshire. Our health and social care services are underfunded. Planned transport improvements keep getting downgraded and postponed, with Bradford set to miss out on a city centre station on the new Pennines line."

Dr Buxton, who lives in Rawdon and is the Yorkshire Party candidate for West Yorkshire Mayor, was also critical of the mayoral system: “If I win, I’ll make the most of the limited powers and funding available - but they are very limited."

More than 600 people had signed the petition within days of its launch. It will run for six months. A total of 10,000 signatures are required for a Government response, and 100,000 are needed for a Parliamentary debate to be considered.

Visit https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/559524 to sign the petition.