The decision to abolish the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber has received a mixed reaction in Bradford.

Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles, the former leader of Bradford Council, yesterday announced plans to bring down the axe on the regional Government office based in Leeds.

Mr Pickles said the “arbitrary” division of the country into regions was not “efficient, effective or popular”. Far from being voices of their regions, the Government Offices were “agents of Whitehall” interfering in local decision-making, he said.

The axe will not finally fall until the end of the Government’s spending review this autumn.

But Gerry Sutcliffe, the Labour MP for Bradford South, said: “They are breaking the link between local and national Government.

“The regional office co-ordinated things, but getting rid of it will just make it more competitive between cities without any regional co-ordination.”

David Ward, Liberal Democrat MP for Bradford East, said: “There’s still a need for something at regional level – everyone seems to be agreed on that – but we’re not quite sure what.”

Philip Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley, said: “They (regional Government offices) are self-serving bureaucracies that are a complete and utter waste of time and money.”