The political row over Yorkshire devolution will rumble on after Kirklees’ Tory leader said he would oppose the bid to exclude North and East Yorkshire.

Clr Robert Light said Kirklees Council leader David Sheard was trying to return the 1980s’ days of a Labour led West Yorkshire County Council.

In an outspoken dismissal of the Kirklees’ leaders views, Clr Light said Yorkshire would be left behind Manchester and Liverpool yet again because of the political games.

Clr Sheard says he favours the West Yorkshire biased bid and has dubbed the larger proposal as the“Lesser Yorkshire” bid.

“There’s only one sensible bid,” said Clr Light. “That’s the Greater Yorkshire bid.

“That combines the economies of the vast bulk of Yorkshire.

“It gives the overall area a more diverse economy including coastal and port access.

“It makes a strong bond that will compete with London.

Local election count, Cathedral House, Huddersfield. Robert Light.

“The other bids are political to suit the needs of the West Yorkshire leaders.

“You can’t cherry pick who your neighbours are, we need to stop playing political games, which is what Clr Sheard is trying to do.

“All this reinventing of geographic boundaries is going to end up leaving Yorkshire with nothing.

“The chance to build a much bigger and better economy is there for the taking.

“East and North Yorkshire do feed into Leeds and the West Yorkshire economy whether he likes it or not.

“It’s not about one part benefitting at the expense of others – it’s about working together.

“Yorkshire has historically lost out over whatever the government did because it didn’t have its act together.”

Referring to Clr Sheard’s email criticising efforts to get North and East Yorkshire included, Clr Light said: “Clr Sheard’s email shows he is leading Kirklees down the drain.

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“He’s stuck in the 1980s and he’s throwing away an opportunity. They just want a Labour leaders club, which is what they had in the past.”

Clr Light also disputed claims that West Yorkshire residents had rejected the chance for an elected mayor.

“Bradford and Leeds did,” he said, “but we haven’t had the opportunity to vote for an elected mayor for the region.

“At the end of the day when Boris Johnson or Ken Livingstone walk into the Treasury they’re in a powerful position and they usually get what they want.

“If half a dozen Labour leaders from West Yorkshire do, they’re lucky to get a cup of tea.

“That’s why Manchester has opted for devolution.

“If the Labour leaders are prepared to sell out our future for their own political vanity the result will be very damaging.

“Manchester and Liverpool will steam ahead and we will be left in their wake.”

Liberal Democrat group leader, Clr Nicola Turner, said: “I find the whole thing a bit bizarre. I don’t understand who’s playing what game.

Clr Nicola Turner, leader of the Kirklees Liberal Democrat group

“Hull wants to be part of West Yorkshire, it’s like they’re trying to change the geography.

“Who is set to gain from this – I would like it to be the people of Yorkshire – but I’m getting more and more confused as time goes on at what the government are trying to achieve and what our council leaders in West Yorkshire are trying to achieve.

“It feels like the Labour leaders are trying to set it up so they win all the time.

“I think we will probably end up with nothing – that’s my biggest fear. We will miss out on all the investment.”

Leader of the Kirklees Green and Independent group, Clr Andrew Cooper, said: "Let us be clear there is no popular clamour among local people for an elected Mayor and in fact where referenda have taken place the public is overwhelmingly opposed to the concept.

"The Green Party are opposed to the centralisation of power inherent in the government’s mayoral proposals. Instead of a mayor the Green Party would ideally prefer an elected assembly for the whole of the Yorkshire and The Humber Region with the same powers as the Scottish Government.

"Greens recognise that there is no actual increase in funds being offered to the region by the UK government, but instead the transfer of control from a remote Whitehall government to remote mayors.

"This is not true devolution of power that is on offer but the centralisation of power in the hands of one individual."