REGIONAL ASSEMBLY

Northern Echo Letters 10.02.05

I AM deeply concerned that Councillor Chris Foote-Wood should continue to believe (HAS, Feb 5) that my comments regarding the abolition of the North-East Assembly are a personal attack on him.

This is simply not true. I am merely offering the public facts about what I see as a gross misuse of taxpayers' money.

I respect the fact that the assembly was part of a 30-year dream for Coun Foote-Wood, but in a democratic society we have to abide by results. So the councillor finds himself in the awkward position of sitting on a North-East Assembly against the wishes of the overwhelming no result. It makes him look rather hypocritical.

Rather than demonising those who voted 'no', he may be afforded more respect if he resigned from the assembly. - Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland Conservatives.

COUNCILLORS should respect the wishes of the people (HAS, Feb 5) and disband the unelected assemblies.

Unfortunately, the local parties are merely mirroring their Westminster party policies.

Another example of our shoddy representation in England is in the case of the English student who is going to the European Court of Justice because she is being discriminated against in Scotland over tuition fees.

How did English MPs allow this to happen when a majority of them were against tuition fees? So we have unelected devolved MPs running English departments, unelected and possibly illegal regional assemblies and quangos running amok throughout the country.

If Tony Blair was never keen on elected regional assemblies why is he continuing to support unelected ones?

This Government has been kicking England around since devolution for Wales and Scotland and it's time it stopped. - K Young, Darlington.