THE YORKSHIRE Party has claimed that without powerful devolution, the area will continue to lag behind London in transport.

Party leader, Bob Buxton, said: “£1.1 billion on two new London stations opened last week, around £20 billion on Crossrail by the time it's finished and who knows how much on the London-focused HS2 project? London gets everything it needs but little progress is being made on a West Yorkshire mass transit system or any ambitious transport project in Yorkshire.

He added: “Younger people are increasingly concerned about climate change. Public transport investment is a key weapon against it. The current fuel crisis shows how people across Yorkshire have to rely on their cars - the alternatives offered by current bus and train services are very poor. Yet a direct airport rail link with a park-and-ride has been rejected on cost grounds - but that would be much cheaper than the new London line and would ease dense congestion."

He said a regional parliament for Yorkshire would be focused on Yorkshire and accountable to Yorkshire voters.