TODAY'S announcement that two tax offices in Bradford and one in Shipley are to close could not have been more badly timed.

Although widely expected, the confirmation came less than 24-hours after the leader of Bradford Council started a new push for a 'One Yorkshire' devolution deal.

The 'One Yorkshire' narrative will ring pretty hollow for the thousands of people in the Bradford district who are set to lose their jobs just so HMRC can set up a regional centre in neighbouring Leeds.

But in a perverse way this decision shows just why we need to take back power from London.

We don't blame Leeds for what has happened. This is the fault of Government officials who brushed aside all criticism of their plans.

The economic argument for staying in Bradford was cast iron: accommodation costs are on average 30 per cent lower than in Leeds and more than half the staff who will move into the new regional hub are already based here.

No wonder the Government's plans were labelled "unrealistic" by the National Audit Office.

Granted, some staff may relocate, but they will face significantly higher travel costs when they do.

Chief executive Jon Thompson says the new hub will make HMRC "an important contributor to the economy... in and around Leeds". But not so much to the equally important economy of Bradford.

This short-sighted decision has dealt a big blow to the district and anyone who believes in the effectiveness of the Northern Powerhouse partnership.