POLITICIANS love statistics and in the run up to May's general election they will be bombarding those of us less enamoured by facts and figures with any number of reasons why they're right and everyone else is wrong.

That said, here's a couple of stats to make the most hardened cynic take note. Yorkshire has a larger population than Scotland and an economy twice the size of Wales, but has the powers of neither .

It's a sobering thought and a new political party hopes these truisms will convince people to give them their vote and help get more of a say in what goes on up here.

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

This is not a rallying call for independence, but devolution of power, says party leader, Richard Carter. In a nutshell Yorkshire First wants priority for local and regional government, with national and European government only acting where necessary and beneficial.

And Mr Carter adds that of all the people he has asked, the vast majority told him the parliament should be in York.

"We're deadly serious about this," he says. "We have a UK that's not working for us. As far as we're concerned, the existing parties have been at the wheel when they shouldn't have been at the wheel and Yorkshire has had a bad 40 years.

"We want a region that is set up to win. At present we're almost set up to lose."

Strong words, but he has a point. This county has 22 councils, but no unity of action. It has local enterprise partnerships and city regions, but little say on matters that affect them.

"There needs to be a complete reorganisation of local government to take power closer to the people, something similar to the Swiss system," says Mr Carter.

"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, while just 10 per cent goes to the state. We think that's a much better way, rather than going cap in hand, waiting for crumbs from the Westminster table."

However, there might be the odd hurdle to contend with, such as the small matter of EU supremacy under the Treaty of Rome and the European parliament having no remit over national devolution.

Yorkshire First is undeterred, though, and will fight a number of seats in the general election based on a manifesto launched this week in York's aptly named Parliament Street.

The party describes itself as neutral, with members expected to operate according to the Bell Principles, a code of conduct for elected representatives formulated by ex-independent MP and former BBC correspondent Martin Bell.

Five general election candidates have been selected so far, with more to be announced over the next few days.

And the sights aren't only fixed on the North. Primary school teacher Chris Whitwood, a Yorkshireman living in London, will contest the seat of Cities of Westminster and London as a protest against election broadcast rules.

The idea is to draw attention to what the party calls 'absurdities' that demand any party in England has to fight a minimum of 89 seats to qualify for party election broadcasts, even though there are only 54 constituencies in Yorkshire.

A directly elected, accountable Parliament isn't the only aim. Yorkshire First wants to create a Yorkshire Futures Fund mutually owned and operated, funded to drive sustainable growth in the region. It plans to introduce a Made in Yorkshire label and has policy initiatives on the economy, energy and education.

Mr Carter says he's also calling for Yorkshire Day, August 1, to become a new bank holiday for the region, commemorating the abolition of the slave trade brought about by Yorkshire MP, William Wilberforce.

"A lot of successful countries in Northern Europe are the size of Yorkshire," he says. "But we're stood here fighting with our hands tied behind our backs. Yorkshire has no overall voice and that is not good enough."

In a bid to claim this power of speech, people from as far away as Essex and Kent are saying 'I'll stand, what do I need to do'.

"People are looking for change," says Mr Carter. "In Labour strongholds there is currently no choice. We offer one."

He says politicians from almost every party have already come on board. One of them is Diana Wallis who spent 12 years as a Lib Dem MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber and caused an outcry when she resigned in 2012, after coming third in the European Parliament presidential election.

"As an MEP for this region I have seen at first hand how it's been under represented and sold short," she says. "People seem to be pretty fed up with the Westminster establishment, we might be able to make a difference."

So now Mrs Wallis is standing as Yorkshire First's general election candidate for Haltemprice and Howden. But she will have a fight on her hands. Historically, this is the second safest seat in the country and has been held continuously by the Conservatives since 1837.

"In a sense we are a one issue pressure group; a movement rather than a political party, to make people realise they can have a different way of doing things," says Mrs Wallis.

"What happened last year in Scotland was extraordinary and it reinvigorated democracy. I'd like a peace of that action in Yorkshire please."

York Press:
Richard Carter outlines the Yorkshire First party’s policies in front of the TV cameras

Richard Carter was born in Holmfirth and went to Holmfirth High School and Huddersfield New College before studying history at Sussex University. He qualified as a teacher at Leeds University, before setting up his own business.

Mr Carter presently advises businesses (something that he has done for around 14 years) and has business interests in West Yorkshire.

Previously a member of the Labour Party, though never active, Mr Carter believes the region should come before party, with more of a voice for Yorkshire in the world, not less. "I realised that I could either hold my hands up and say all politicians are the same, or I could try to do something about it," he says. "I decided that action matters."

Despite being an avid Leeds United fan, Mr Carter enjoys football, he hikes regularly, and recently become a grandfather.

Standalone quote "We're stood here fighting with our hands tied behind our backs. Yorkshire has no overall voice and that is not good enough." – Richard Carter, party leader, Yorkshire First.


Counting on county opinion

York Press:
SUPPORTER: Robyn Whiting, from York, is backing Yorkshire First

Most pressure groups and single policy parties are the preserve of the middle aged, but Yorkshire First is proving popular with younger people, possibly because it is apolitical in terms of left or right. 20 year old Robyn Whiting, from York, says no other party fully represent what she believes in.

"I should be able to make a decision over my future. I want it to be in Yorkshire, so I must do something about it , because all the jobs are leaving for London.

"It's about getting more power for Yorkshire to make this community better. It starts with people standing for election and it's up to the people of this county to vote for Yorkshire First. If enough people are elected, the government will see that Yorkshire wants more power and independence. This is a vote for a Yorkshire parliament."

W D Toulman of Walkington, East Yorkshire was so impressed with what he heard at the manifesto launch that he offered to get some car stickers made.

"Is more independence for Yorkshire a good idea? Absolutely," he says. "Why should Scotland get away with it when Yorkshire is more prosperous and has more people living here. The problem we have is apathy. It kills a lot of things in politics. In most cases things get done by a small minority of people, if these people are highly motivated, who knows what might happen.

York Press:
DISCUSSION: Mr W D Toulman of  Walkington, East Yorkshire, discusses politics with Diana Wallis, Yorkshire First’s General Election candidate for Haltemprice and Howden

Isobel Bernays also seemed to like what the party was promising.

"I'm 100 percent in favour of pushing this issue. The government decided to give Manchester everything and make it the capital of the north so they could turn round and say 'what are people complaining about? The north has now got this and that. But where does that leave us?"

Good point. Only this week George Osborne announced that Greater Manchester is to become the first English region to get full control of its health spending, as part of an extension of devolved powers. 'It's about giving people greater control over their own affairs, which is central to our vision of the northern powerhouse' he insisted, without any hint of irony.

Then there is MediaCity?

"For five million people in Yorkshire, when they say now we'll go to your area's news on BBC HD, a screen comes up saying HD is not available in your area yet, accompanied by the sound of birdsong," says Isobel.

No birds on ITV HD, but where does the regional news comes from? Granada of course - based in Manchester.

"I think there's a concerted effort against Yorkshire," says Isobel. "There is non-stop appeasement from Westminster to Scotland and now this ridiculous thing about Cornish people being recognised as an ethnic minority.

"Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland keep their regional development agencies when they already have assemblies, parliaments, mayors and whatever. The rest of the country has nothing."