Burnham pledge to move No 10 to the North will 'supercharge' West Yorkshire regeneration
Burnham has promised sweeping devolution if/when he becomes PM
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead!
I hope you’ve all had a good week and have got plenty of sleep in reserve ahead of England’s game at 1am tomorrow morning!
In today’s edition, we’ve got some reaction from West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin to Andy Burnham’s set piece speech earlier in the week.
She believes that the news that Burnham is wanting to bring some of the functions of Number 10 up north will mean West Yorkshire has a chance to supercharge its regeneration. Full details are below.
Plus, a couple of nuggets in the Calderdale Digest (including a bit of shameless self-promotion!)
So, on with the news…
Calderdale Digest
🍺 I promised a bit of shameless self-promotion and here it is, if you may be so kind as to indulge me!
The bar I co-own, The Beer Necessities in Todmorden, has just been named Halifax and Calderdale CAMRA Pub of the Season for summer 2026!
It’s fair to say that the award is much more the work of our manager Matt and our brilliant team, rather than me and my business partner Damien but we’re all absolutely chuffed to bits!
We opened the bar in September 2024 and we’ve been blown away by the response and the welcome we’ve received from the people of Todmorden.
The bar isn’t open for the footy in the early hours of tomorrow morning but is open from 1pm today if you do fancy checking it out - we’re on Water Street!
🏦 Halifax MP Kate Dearden has slammed the decision by Lloyds Banking Group to axe the Halifax banking brand.
Lloyds has confirmed it will scrap the brand, after reports in May suggested it may be on the cards.
The group has said it remained committed to the town of Halifax, where 3,000 staff are based.
Ms Dearden said: “The Halifax was a local institution, built on the hard work and investment of working people who came together to create what became the UK’s largest building society.
“In recent weeks, I have been in close communication with Lloyds, making clear that the Halifax name should be preserved. I am disappointed we have not been successful, but I will continue those discussions with Lloyds to ensure their commitment and continued investment in Halifax long into the future.
“That also means working together to support the incredible local charities, community organisations and businesses that do so much for our town.
“While the Halifax brand will disappear, Lloyds can still play a major role in our local economy by investing in Halifax and creating the opportunities our young people need to thrive. I look forward to working with them to ensure Halifax remains a brilliant place to live, work and invest.”
All customers will see their accounts transferred over to the Lloyds brand.
Region’s regeneration will be ‘supercharged’ under Burnham devolution plans
By Chris Young
Andy Burnham’s plans to transfer powers out of London will “turbocharge” West Yorkshire’s regeneration – Mayor Tracy Brabin has claimed.
On Monday, Makerfield MP Burnham, so far the only announced candidate in the Labour leadership contest, gave details of what the country could look like once he becomes Prime Minister.
He has pledged to create an “outpost” of 10 Downing Street in Manchester and devolve more powers to local Councils and Mayoral authorities.
He said they Westminster system was “broken” and “as a result, the country isn’t where it should be.
“It is stuck in a rut, and clearly we can’t go on like this.”
He also promised the “biggest council house building programme since the post war period” and the “biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen.”
He said: “Let me say this very directly: the days of Whitehall fighting the devolution of power into the regions and nations are over for good.”
Mr Burnham has also suggested the nation’s business rate system could be reformed.
Currently business rates are set by Government, but collected by local Councils. Councils received half of the income from business rates, while the Government receives the other half.
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin has long called for more powers to be devolved from Government to local mayors and Council leader.
After his speech she said: “Andy led the way in the devolution revolution, putting place before politics and changing Greater Manchester.
“We know devolution is already delivering for people in West Yorkshire – and these proposals will turbocharge our plans to build a West Yorkshire that will work for all.
“People are desperate for change. Transferring more powers to mayors who know their areas best will help us lower the cost of living, regenerate our high streets and enable good growth across the region.”
Councillor Louise Gittins, Chair of the Local Government Association, said: “Successive devolution agreements have demonstrated that devolving powers to local communities is the best way of unlocking the potential of people and their places, while boosting inclusive economic growth.
“It is now vital that the government steps up its ambition to deliver genuine devolution right across England, giving councils who know their communities the power to tackle long-standing local and national challenges, including driving infrastructure investment, plugging skills gaps, building more affordable housing and boosting productivity.
“By working together as equal partners across different levels of government, we can build prosperity and opportunity for our communities and businesses.”
That’s it for this edition, thanks for reading!
Enjoy the football tonight/tomorrow morning if you’re watching and remember: IT’S COMING HOME!
C’mon England!
Andrew