Politicians from across the political spectrum have welcomed the announcement of the Hull & East Yorkshire devolution deal.

Councillors and Members of Parliament from various parties have had their say on today's announcement that Hull & East Yorkshire will soon join many other parts of England in having a combined authority headed by a directly elected mayor.

Six Labour Party MPs from the region (Emma Hardy, Diana Johnson, Karl Turner, Mel Onn, Nic Dakin and Lee Pitcher) have released a joint statement in reaction to the agreement. It reads: “These agreements have been negotiated by local councils but can only be the first step towards laying the foundations for deeper and wider devolution through the English Devolution Bill.

“As Labour MPs we are committed to working with the Labour government to secure deeper devolution and crafting a deal that delivers growth, prosperity and good jobs for people across Hull, East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire. This is the first step on that journey, and we are determined to progress it even further.”

The Leader of East Riding Council, Conservative Anne Handley has also welcomed the news of the devolution agreement.

Cllr Handley said: "I am delighted that we are finally here; our devolution journey has been going on for over a decade and throughout that time we have lost out on money and investment.

She continued: "This deal is vital for our regions future and will get us better roads, better trains, better buses, better and more jobs and education and skills locally to ensure its local people who get those jobs."

Similarly, the Leader of Hull City Council, Liberal Democrat Mike Ross has expressed his reaction to today's news.

He said: “After years of being left out in the cold on devolution, the people of Hull and East Riding can now get the fair deal they deserve."

Cllr Ross continued: “This is a big step forward in unlocking huge investment into the city, achieved by the two local councils working together."

It's not just politicians who have expressed their gladness with today's news. Simon Bird, Chair of Humber Freeport has said: "We also welcome the Government’s specific recognition of the key role Humber Freeport will play in ensuring pan-Humber co-operation over coming years to ensure opportunities for investment and growth within the sub-region are maximised.

"As a pan-Humber organisation, working closely with both the public and private sectors, we are committed to supporting the devolution process and look forward to working closely with the new combined authorities and elected mayors to unlock the Humber’s huge potential."