Why York and Exeter were cut-price Counties

Why are HMS York and HMS Exeter criticized as cruiser designs?

They were unimaginative County-class derivatives that surrendered too much capability for too little saving.

York and Exeter are introduced as less capable derivatives of the County class rather than clean-sheet cruisers. Their most obvious change was the removal of one main-battery turret, accompanied by cuts elsewhere in the design. The saving came from subtracting from a proven hull instead of reorganizing the ship around a new requirement. Shrinking an existing warship this way can produce a compromised type with little economic advantage.