As the move towards devolution in England continues, many in Yorkshire argue that, given the white rose county’s strong sense of identity, any transference of powers should be to the county as a whole rather than to the Government’s preferred option of city regions. In this study, Stewart Arnold examines just how strong the sense of Yorkshire identity and brand is and how this might contribute to the devolution debate.

Stewart Arnold is a lecturer in marketing and communications at the Hull University Business School. Now working on a part time basis, Stewart first joined the university in 1992. His research work analyses the association between identity, brand and place, especially in the context of Yorkshire.