THE public sector has had a tough time since David Cameron’s Government staggered into power on the back of the Liberal Democrat coalition.

Perceived to be too costly, too wasteful, and too bureaucratic, it has been mercilessly targeted to balance the nation’s books.

But, while acknowledging its faults, we should also not underestimate the value the public sector can bring when it has real vision and aims for the stars.

Welcome to Yorkshire is the public sector body which, under the leadership of chief executive Gary Verity, has brought one of the world’s greatest sporting events to this beautiful part of the country.

Thousands of people gathered in Leeds last night for a spectacular ceremony to mark the arrival of the Tour de France.

It is an exceptional achievement which will showcase the county in a unique way and pump millions of pounds into the local economy.

It is the public sector which has delivered that opportunity, just as it was the public sector which brought the Lindisfarne Gospels back to the North-East last year, providing another invaluable boost to tourism.

In 2025, it will be the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the world’s first steam-powered passenger railway. It changed the face of the globe and deserves visionary celebration.

Wouldn’t it be brilliant if one of our authorities had a person with the imagination to seize the anniversary and welcome the world to Darlington and south Durham in the way that Yorkshire is welcoming millions of people this weekend.

In the meantime, we congratulate Welcome to Yorkshire for pulling off such a coup.

And to everyone involved in the Tour de France, we say: Bienvenue au Yorkshire!