Shambles now about to become absolute chaos

What Raynsford hasn't figured is that we are now in the 'Purdah period' where no more information can be put into the public domain...begins 28 days prior to the first ballot papers going out on 18th October. This has been confirmed by the Electoral Commission's Head of Referendums, Douglas Stewart.

The other problem is that it is not only Durham's leaflets that have to be corrected... it is the 1,900,000 as all of these voters could influence the decision by voting Yes which will lead to the knock on effect in the areas with two questions.

Resignations must follow...

No Campaign legal threat imminent.

Home rule costs blunder
Sep 17 2004
By Ross Smith, The Journal
The Government has admitted getting its sums wrong over the likely cost of local government reorganisation in County Durham.

Switching to a system of three unitary authorities across the county would cost £11m more than originally thought, local government minister Nick Raynsford (pictured) admitted.
Now, 200,000 new information leaflets are having to be sent out to households in County Durham correcting the mistake.

The news is a boost to the county council, which favours the alternative option of having one authority across the whole area.

The Government's corrected figures show that option would cost £37m to implement, with the three-council option costing £49m.

Voters will choose which system they would prefer in a referendum at the same time as the regional assembly poll.

Should an assembly get the go-ahead, the two-tier local government system in Durham and Northumberland will be abolished.

Mr Raynsford said: "We will shortly be writing to all households in County Durham correcting this error.
"The Government will meet the costs of implementing either option, as stated in the leaflet."
Durham County Council leader Ken Manton said: "We have always maintained, from the very outset, that it would cost significantly more to set up any multiple of all-purpose councils rather than just the one.
"We have also maintained that a cluster of unitaries would cost many millions of pounds more a year to run than one.
"Our latest estimates, based on the most comprehensive exercise yet carried out, suggest it will cost almost £25m a year more to run three unitary councils than one."
Meanwhile, there was a blow for regional assembly campaigners yesterday when the Institute of Directors rejected plans for devolution.

In a poll of members in the North-East region, 82pc opposed an elected assembly. But the response rate to the survey was only 10pc.
Mr McGawley said: "The fact that 90pc of our members chose not to register an opinion indicates a worrying lack conviction on the issue and possibly points to increased apathy following months of campaigning for the cause."

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott yesterday announced plans to give any elected assembly in the North-East the power to run Newcastle and Gateshead's pathfinder housing project in the even of a `yes' vote.
The scheme is one of nine in the country sharing a £500m Government pot to tackle housing blackspots and areas of low demand.

Unveiling the plans, Mr Raynsford said: "We think that this responsibility would sit well with elected assemblies' strategic housing powers."