NORTH-EAST ASSEMBLY

Northern Echo (Hear all Sides) 02/03/2005

IT SEEMS odd that The Northern Echo reports on the North-East Assembly in great detail for two days running without asking one probing question (Feb 23 and 24).

Such as: Are the employment contracts for the employees of the assembly held by the local authorities?
Are these contracts of assembly employees underwritten by the local authority members of the assembly?
Are any redundancy payments due to any employee of the assembly, underwritten by the local authorities?
Are any of the pension fund obligations of the employees of the assembly underwritten by local authorities?
Where in the Local Government Acts 1972 or 2000 does it state that the contractual employment/pension arrangements of a voluntary outside body are the responsibility of the council taxpayers of the local authority membership of that voluntary outside body?
In effect, are councillors using our money to underwrite an assembly we voted against?
Stop the foolish building of more houses, along with investment in the South-East, and send some investment our way - we don't need an assembly to work that out.
Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland Conservatives

NICK Morrison's article about regional assemblies is rather superficial (Echo, Feb 24).

Public opinion polling before the referendum indicated popular support for the idea of an elected assembly. It was when the actual proposals appeared that opinion started to change because people realised that what was on offer was inadequate.
Referendums are not a good way to decide policy. They polarise opinion and encourage negative campaigning. Thus the referendum last November rejected a specific proposal which even supporters of the "Yes" campaign - like me - thought wasn't good enough, but left the whole issue of dealing with the problems of the North-East.
Until we think of something better we shall have to make do with the unelected regional assembly. In the circumstances, I think it does a good job.
David Taylor-Gooby, Peterlee.

THE Liberal Democrats have accused Tony Blair and his Government of being very authoritarian. The chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, Sir Alistair Graham, a former trade union boss and a native of Newcastle, came to a similar conclusion. He said: "Tony Blair and the Government are open to the charge that they want to control everything."
The North-East experienced this with the regional assembly referendum. A range of political sharp practices were used both before and during the referendum, which was further compounded by the PM's refusal to take note of the massive vote against an assembly and disband the unelected assembly.
What must be done to overcome the Government's shortfalls in democracy? A move back to Parliamentary democracy from the current presidential style would be good. Let's have more free votes for our MPs to allow them to reflect their constituents' needs. Introduce a Civil Service Act to re-establish their integrity and impartiality; and an act to give Parliament the power to appoint heads of inquiries and audit cronyism in public appointments. Will it happen if New Labour gets a third term?
Les Graham Balmoral, Hexham.