Editing Yorkshire (section)

==Politics and identity==

===Constituencies===
{{Main|Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)}}
[[File:Wilberforce john rising.jpg|thumb|[[William Wilberforce]], leading [[Abolitionism in the United Kingdom|abolitionist]], was the [[Member of Parliament for Yorkshire|MP for Yorkshire]] between 1784 and 1812.]]
From 1290, Yorkshire was represented by two members of parliament of the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of England]]. After the union with Scotland, two members represented the county in the [[Parliament of Great Britain]] from 1707 to 1800 and of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] from 1801 to 1832. In 1832 the county benefited from the disfranchisement of [[Grampound (UK Parliament constituency)|Grampound]] by taking an additional two members.<ref name="mps">{{cite web |url=http://www.election.demon.co.uk/prereform.html |publisher=Election. Demon.co.uk |title=Parliamentary Constituencies in the unreformed House |access-date=25 October 2007 |archive-date=5 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105102205/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/prereform.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Yorkshire]] was represented at this time as one single, large, [[United Kingdom constituencies|county constituency]].<ref name="mps" /> Like other counties, there were also some [[parliamentary borough]]s within Yorkshire, the oldest of which was the [[City of York (UK Parliament constituency)|City of York]], which had existed since the ancient [[Montfort's Parliament]] of 1265. After the [[Reform Act 1832]], Yorkshire's political representation in parliament was drawn from its subdivisions, with members of parliament representing each of the three historic Ridings of Yorkshire; [[East Riding of Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|East Riding]], [[North Riding of Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|North Riding]], and [[West Riding of Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|West Riding]] constituencies.<ref name="mps" />

For the [[1865 United Kingdom general election|1865 general elections]] and onwards, the West Riding was further divided into [[Northern West Riding of Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Northern]], [[Eastern West Riding of Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Eastern]] and [[Southern West Riding of Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Southern]] parliamentary constituencies, though these only lasted until the major [[Redistribution of Seats Act 1885]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.revision-notes.co.uk/revision/820.html|publisher=Revision-Notes.co.uk|title= 1885 Redistribution Act|access-date=25 October 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071012082430/http://www.revision-notes.co.uk/revision/820.html |archive-date = 12 October 2007}}</ref> This act saw more localisation of government in the United Kingdom, with the introduction of 26 [[List of UK Parliamentary constituencies (1885-1918)|new parliamentary constituencies]] within Yorkshire.

With the [[Representation of the People Act 1918]] there was some reshuffling on a local level for the [[1918 United Kingdom general election|1918 general election]], revised again during the [[List of UK Parliamentary constituencies (1955-1974)|1950s]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/about/images/historical/1918representation.cfm|publisher=Parliament.co.uk|title=Representation of the People Act 1918|access-date=25 October 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070311003222/http://www.parliament.uk/about/images/historical/1918representation.cfm |archive-date = 11 March 2007}}</ref>

===Distinctive identity===
A number of claims have been made for the distinctiveness of Yorkshire, as a geographical, cultural and political entity, and these have been used to demand increased political autonomy. In the early twentieth century, [[F. W. Moorman]], the first professor of English language at [[Leeds University]], claimed Yorkshire was not settled by [[Angles (tribe)|Angles]] or [[Saxons]] following the end of Roman rule in Britain, but by a different Germanic tribe, the [[Geats]]. As a consequence, he claimed, it is possible the first work of English literature, ''[[Beowulf]]'', believed to have been composed by Geats, was written in Yorkshire, and this distinctive ethnic and cultural origin is the root of the unique status of Yorkshire today.<ref name="moorman" /> One of Moorman's students at Leeds University, [[Herbert Read]], was greatly influenced by Moorman's ideas on Yorkshire identity, and claimed that until recent times Yorkshire was effectively an island, cut off from the rest of England by rivers, fens, moors and mountains. This distancing of Yorkshire from England led Read to question whether Yorkshire people were really English at all.<ref name="Pearson">{{cite news |first=Herbert |last=Read |title=Review of Frederic Richard Pearson, ''Yorkshire'' |newspaper=The Times Literary Supplement |date=31 January 1929 |page=79}}</ref> Combined with the suggested ethnic difference from the rest of England, Read quoted Frederic Pearson, who wrote:

{{blockquote|There is something characteristic about the very physiognomy of the Yorkshireman. He is much more of a Dane or a Viking than a Saxon. He is usually a big upstanding man, who looks as if he could take care of himself and those who depend upon him in an emergency. This is indeed the character that his neighbours give him; the southerner may think him a little hard: but if ever our country is let down by its inhabitants, we may be sure that it will not be the fault of Yorkshire.<ref name="Pearson"/>}}

During the premiership of [[William Pitt the Younger]] the hypothetical idea of Yorkshire becoming independent was raised in the British parliament in relation to the question whether Ireland should become part of the [[Acts of Union 1800|United Kingdom]]. This resulted in the publication of an anonymous pamphlet in London in 1799 arguing at length that Yorkshire could never be an independent state as it would always be reliant on the rest of the United Kingdom to provide it with essential resources.<ref>Anonymous pamphlet, Thoughts on national independence, suggested by Mr. Pitt's speeches on the Irish union by a member of the honourable society of Lincoln's Inn, (London: Printed Privately, 1799), pp.25–27</ref>

Although in the devolution debates in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] of the late 1960s, which paved the way for the 1979 referendums on the creation of a Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly, parallel devolution for Yorkshire was suggested, this was opposed by the [[Scottish National Party]] Member of Parliament for Hamilton, [[Winifred Ewing]]. Ewing argued that it was offensive to Scots to argue that an English region had the same status as an 'ancient nation' such as Scotland.<ref>Hansard Parliamentary Papers, HC Deb, 14 February 1969, vol. 777, cc1725-76</ref>

The relationship between Yorkshire and Scottish devolution was again made in 1975 by Richard Wainwright, MP for Colne Valley, who claimed in a speech in the House of Commons:

{{blockquote|The nationalist movement in Scotland is associated with flags, strange costumes, weird music and extravagant ceremonial. When... people go to Yorkshire and find that we have no time for dressing up, waving flags and playing strange instruments—in other words, we are not a lot of Presbyterians in Yorkshire—they should not assume that we do not have the same feelings underneath the skin. Independence in Yorkshire expresses itself in a markedly increasing determination to establish self-reliance.<ref>Hansard Parliamentary Papers, HC Deb, 18 December 1975, vol. 902, cc1832-52</ref>}}

Following the local government reforms of 1974, Yorkshire lost its overall sheriff and the ridings lost their lieutenants and administrative counties. Although some government officials<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aroundsaddleworth.co.uk/Old-Website/White_rose_red3.htm|publisher=AroundSaddleworth.co.uk|title=White Rose or Red|access-date=25 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728172415/http://www.aroundsaddleworth.co.uk/Old-Website/White_rose_red3.htm|archive-date=28 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Charles III of the United Kingdom|King Charles]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/9-23-2004-59624.asp |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |title=Elsewhere (reprint of original article) |date=23 September 2004 |access-date=30 December 2010 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20090316081249/http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/9-23-2004-59624.asp |archive-date=16 March 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> have asserted such reform is not meant to alter the ancient boundaries or cultural loyalties, there are pressure groups such as the [[Yorkshire Ridings Society]] who want greater recognition for the historic boundaries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshireridings.org/news/the-yorkshire-ridings.html|publisher=[[Yorkshire Ridings Society]]|title=About|access-date=3 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120805051852/http://www.yorkshireridings.org/news/the-yorkshire-ridings.html|archive-date=5 August 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1998 the Campaign for Yorkshire was established to push for the creation of a Yorkshire regional assembly,<ref>{{cite book |first=Robert |last=Hazell |title=The State and the Nations: The First Year of Devolution in the United Kingdom |location=London |publisher=Imprint Academic |date=2000 |page=118}}</ref> sometimes dubbed the Yorkshire Parliament.<ref>{{cite news |title=Where there's muck |newspaper=The Independent |date=18 March 1999 |page=3}}</ref> In its defining statement, the Campaign for Yorkshire made reference to the historical notions that Yorkshire had a distinctive identity:

{{blockquote|Yorkshire and the Humber has distinctive characteristics which make it an ideal test bed for further reform. It has a strong popular identity. The region follows closely the historic boundaries of the three Ridings, and there is no serious debate about boundaries. It possesses strong existing regional partnerships including universities, voluntary and church associations. All this makes it realistic to regard Yorkshire and the Humber as the standard bearer for representative regional government.<ref>Campaign for Yorkshire literature, quoted in Robert Hazell, ''The State and the Nations: The First Year of Devolution in the United Kingdom'' (London: Imprint Academic, 2000) p.140</ref>}}

The Campaign for Yorkshire was led by Jane Thomas as Director<ref>{{cite news |title=New Director for Campaign Group |newspaper=Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph |date=13 October 1999 |page=5}}</ref> and Paul Jagger as chairman. Jagger claimed in 1999 that Yorkshire had as much right to a regional parliament or assembly as Scotland and Wales because Yorkshire 'has as clear a sense of identity as Scotland or Wales.'<ref>{{cite news |first=Martin |last=Wainwright|title=Revolutionary Yorkshiremen edge towards devolution |newspaper=The Guardian |date=18 March 1999 |page=11}}</ref> One of those brought into the Campaign for Yorkshire by Jane Thomas was Herbert Read scholar [[Michael Paraskos]], who organised a series of events in 2000 to highlight the distinctiveness of Yorkshire culture. This included a major exhibition of Yorkshire artists.<ref name="martin">{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=Martin |title=Arts: Where There's Muck, There's Art |newspaper=The Independent |date=4 August 2000 |page=9}}</ref> Paraskos also founded a Yorkshire Studies degree course at [[Hull University]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Robin |last=Yound |title=Ee by gum! Yorkshire gets its own degree |newspaper=The Times |location=London |date=8 March 2001}}</ref> Interviewed by ''The Guardian'' newspaper, Paraskos linked the start of this course to the contemporary devolution debates in Yorkshire, Scotland and Wales, claiming:

{{blockquote|If Yorkshire is arguing for a parliament, there needs to be a cultural argument as well, otherwise why not have a parliament of the north? There is a rediscovery of political and social culture going on in a very similar way to the early assertions of a Scottish identity.<ref>{{cite news|first=Joseph |last=Plomin|title=Hull launches degree in Yorkshire studies|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London|date= 8 March 2001|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2001/mar/08/highereducation.uk|access-date=2 October 2022}}</ref>}}

In March 2013, the Yorkshire Devolution Movement was founded as an active campaign group by Nigel Sollitt, who had administered the social media group by that name since 2011, Gareth Shanks, a member of the social media group, and Stewart Arnold, former Chair of the Campaign for Yorkshire. In September 2013, the executive committee was joined by Richard Honnoraty and Richard Carter (as an advisor), who had also been involved in the Campaign for Yorkshire. The Movement campaigns for a directly elected parliament for the whole of the traditional county of Yorkshire with powers second to no other devolved administration in the UK.<ref>{{cite news |first=Dean |last=Kirby |title=Campaigners want to ditch George Osborne's Yorkshire devolution plans and create Northern Powerhouse |newspaper=The Independent |date=26 August 2015 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/campaigners-want-to-ditch-george-osbornes-yorkshire-devolution-plans-and-create-northern-powerhouse-10473615.html |access-date=19 June 2019 |archive-date=19 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190619152528/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/campaigners-want-to-ditch-george-osbornes-yorkshire-devolution-plans-and-create-northern-powerhouse-10473615.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ydm-what">{{cite web |title=What we Want |url=https://yorkshiredevolution.co.uk/what-we-want.html |publisher=Yorkshire Devolution Movement |access-date=19 June 2019 |archive-date=8 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408194235/https://yorkshiredevolution.co.uk/what-we-want.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2014, Richard Carter, Stewart Arnold and Richard Honnoraty, founded Yorkshire First, a political party campaigning for the creation of a Yorkshire parliament by 2050 based on the Scottish Parliament. It was later renamed the [[Yorkshire Party]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Grant |last=Woodward |title=The grass roots party putting Yorkshire first |newspaper=Yorkshire Post |date=6 July 2015}}</ref> A Social democratic party, it has parish, town, district and county councillors, and stood in 28 constituencies in the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]]. Yorkshire Party candidates have also run for the position of [[Directly elected mayors in England and Wales|directly elected mayors]] in [[Mayor of Doncaster|Doncaster in 2017]] (receiving 3,235 votes, 5.04%) and the Sheffield City Region in [[2018 Sheffield City Region mayoral election|2018]] (receiving 22,318 votes, 8.6).

===Monarchy and peerage===
{{Main|Kings of Jórvík|Earl of York|Duke of York|House of York}}
[[File:TheSingleWhiteRose.jpg|thumb|The [[White Rose of York]] remains as the prime symbol of Yorkshire identity]]

When the territory of Yorkshire began to take shape as a result of the invasion of the Danish Vikings, they instituted a monarchy based at the settlement of Jórvík, York.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.viking.no/e/england/york/rulers_of_jorvik.html|publisher=Viking.no|title=The Rulers of Jorvik (York)|access-date=24 October 2007|archive-date=24 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024040833/http://www.viking.no/e/england/york/rulers_of_jorvik.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The reign of the Viking kings came to an end with the last king [[Eric Bloodaxe]] dying in battle in 954 after the invasion and conquest by the [[Kingdom of England]] from the south. Jórvík was the last of the independent kingdoms to be taken to form part of the Kingdom of England and thus the local monarchal title became defunct.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.viking.no/e/england/york/jorvik_who_ruled_it_and_when.html|publisher=Viking.no|title=Jorvik – who Ruled it and When?|access-date=24 October 2007|archive-date=19 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219125414/http://www.viking.no/e/england/york/jorvik_who_ruled_it_and_when.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Though the monarchal title became defunct, it was succeeded by the creation of the Earl of York title of nobility<ref name="northeasthiss">{{cite web|url=http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/page24.htm|publisher=NorthEastEngland.talktalk.net|title=Timeline of North East History|access-date=24 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071029173256/http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/page24.htm|archive-date=29 October 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> by king of England [[Edgar the Peaceful]] in 960. (The [[earl]]dom covered the general area of Yorkshire and is sometimes referred to as the ''Earl of Yorkshire''.)<ref name="northeasthiss"/> The title passed through the hands of various nobles, decided upon by the king of England. The last man to hold the title was [[William le Gros, 1st Earl of Albemarle|William le Gros]], however the earldom was abolished by [[Henry II of England|Henry II]] as a result of a troubled period known as ''[[The Anarchy]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/03miHistoryInt2.pdf|publisher=SQA.org.uk|title=Murder in the Cathedral: Crown, Church and People 1154–1173|access-date=24 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527221320/http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/03miHistoryInt2.pdf|archive-date=27 May 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The peerage was recreated by [[Edward III of England|Edward III]] in 1385, this time in the form of the prestigious title of Duke of York which he gave to his son [[Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York|Edmund of Langley]]. Edmund founded the House of York; later the title was merged with that of the [[King of England]]. Much of the modern-day symbolism of Yorkshire, such as the [[White Rose of York]], is derived from the Yorkists,<ref name="whiterosehistory">{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshirehistory.com/yorkshirerose.htm|publisher=YorkshireHistory.com|title=The White Rose of Yorkshire|access-date=24 October 2007|archive-date=2 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080502231315/http://www.yorkshirehistory.com/yorkshirerose.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> giving the house a special affinity within the [[culture of Yorkshire]]. Especially celebrated is the Yorkist king [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] who spent much of his life at [[Middleham Castle]] in Yorkshire.<ref name="middleham" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.richardiiiyorkshire.co.uk/|publisher=Richard III Society – Yorkshire Branch|title=Why a Yorkshire Branch Site?|access-date=24 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124043401/http://www.richardiiiyorkshire.co.uk/|archive-date=24 November 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since that time the title has passed through the hands of many, being merged with the crown and then recreated several times. The title of Duke of York is given to the second son of the [[British monarch]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukdukes.co.uk/the_dukes/the_duke_of_york/|publisher=UKDukes.co.uk|title=The Dukes of the Peerage of the United Kingdom: Duke of York|access-date=24 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080319081521/http://www.ukdukes.co.uk/the_dukes/the_duke_of_york/|archive-date=19 March 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>