POLITICIANS are set to discuss whether Yorkshire could be awarded devolved powers in a meeting in Parliament today.

17 out of 20 council leaders in the county are backing moves for the region to become more independent from Westminster, with the power to elect its own Mayor.

Names mentioned so far for the Mayoral post include former Richmond MP William Hague and the man who brought the Tour de France to Yorkshire, Sir Gary Verity.

The proposed model would see a 'Yorkshire cabinet' of council leaders working alongside the Mayor to make and implement decisions across the county.

The Yorkshire Party, which fielded candidates in the Richmond, Ripon and Skipton and Scarborough and Whitby constituencies in the last general election, is pushing for devolved powers for the region.

The party believes that Yorkshire residents deserve better representation at local level and more control over important issues.

In his election statement, Richmond's Yorkshire Party election candidate Chris Pearson said: "I am campaigning for the creation of a Yorkshire parliament, with real power over areas like policing, transport, health, energy and education.

"I believe that decisions about Yorkshire should be made in Yorkshire, not by politicians in London."

Today's meeting in Westminster has been tabled by Labour's MP for Keighley, John Grogan.