FORMER Conservative party leader William Hague has backed proposals for City of York Council to remain as it is and for North Yorkshire County Council to form a single authority for the rest of the region under local government reorganisation.

Conservative MP for Scarborough and Whitby Robert Goodwill has also backed the plans over a rival proposal, which would see the county split into two separate councils with York, Selby, Ryedale and Scarborough merged in the east.

But York's Conservative group are in favour of the east to west split which would dismantle City of York Council in its current form.

Mr Goodwill said: “You need the strength, scale and experience that a new unitary North Yorkshire would provide, working on the county’s current footprint, as proposed by North Yorkshire County Council.

“This way you would replace the current wasteful and confusing two-tier system of local government and create one council for the entire county working in partnership with the City of York to create a devolved authority under an elected mayor. It would be a powerful voice in the north."

City of York Council's Liberal Democrats, Labour, Green Party and York Independent Group also back plans to keep the city council in its current form.

The government has launched a consultation on the proposals.