A POLITICAL party pledging to stand up for Yorkshire has unveiled its general election manifesto.

Yorkshire First was born out of last August’s announcement of the Yorkshire Pledge, which calls for the white rose county to have its own decision-making powers.

Yorkshire First wants priority for local and regional government.

It is not a rallying call for independence, but devolution of power, said party leader Richard Carter in York yesterday.

“There needs to be a complete reorganisation of local government to take power closer to the people, something similar to the Swiss system,” he said.

“Their equivalent of parish and town councils keep 40 per cent of the taxation, a further 50 per cent goes to the region to provide key public services. We think that’s a much better way, rather than waiting for crumbs from the Westminster table.”

Yorkshire First has pledged to fight a number of seats and has previously said it plans to run a candidate in the Shipley constituency and in up to three other Bradford seats on a ticket of “equality, justice and autonomy”.