North East Referendum mystery may be cleared up

In a courtesy call today from Douglas Stewart, Head of Referendums at the Electoral Commission, he confirmed that they had received a 'Freedom of Information' request with regard to the designation decision in the North East referendum. As a courtesy he wished to make us aware. They do have 20 working days to comply with the request, which brings it to on or about 6th April. There are a few Data Protection Act issues which need sorting out first with regard to names and addresses mentioned in the applications.

Hopefully, we will possibly clear up the mystery as to why a Conservative backed campaign, set up so late in the day, ended up with designated status. If anyone is in any doubt as to the sham the NESNO campaign was with regard to its genuine concern for the North East and the regional assembly agenda one need look no further than their website www.northeastsaysno.co.uk which doesn't even have the courtesy to publish the result of the referendum.
Bags packed. Up and away back to London to tell all the backers for the No Campaign for the referendum on the European Constitution what a great job they did.

We hear from an insider at a Conservative Party briefing by their Campaign Director, James Frayne, that he personally came to the North East and sorted the shambles out because there was nothing here. Oh Mr Frayne...and we thought Pinnocchio stretched the truth. Shame on you!

Now that the actual campaign spending figures have been disclosed it will be interesting to find out the name of the print firm that produced NESNO's A5 referendum address for the free mailshot to all 1.9m voters. Our quotes came in at around the £15,000 mark. NESNO spent over£49,000 but I am sure that they shopped around.

If anyone wishes to see the content of the request for information to the Electoral Commission it is copied below (along with the response) although I can't quite recall how we came to have a copy ;-)

From:
Ms *******
3rd March 2005

To:
Jacqui Dixon
The Secretary to The Commission
Electoral Commission
Trevelyan House
30 Great Peter Street
London
SW1P 2HW
0207 271 0500
info@eletoralcommission.org.uk

Dear Ms Dixon

I am conducting independent reasearch on referendum campaign strategies with a view to publishing a paper in advance of the referendum on the European Constitution.
I am therefore very interested in the recent referendum held in the North East for an Elected Regional Assembly, especially in light of the recently published figures on the relative spends of each of the campaign groups.
I am also very interested in why there were more than one group applying for the position of those officially representing the 'No' outcome.
I understand that there was only one submission on behalf of Yes4theNorth East for designation for the 'Yes' outcome but three for the 'No' outcome. They were from BNP, North East Says No Ltd. and the North East No Campaign.
I would be grateful therefore, if you could release, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the following:

-copies of the applications from the above parties campaigning for both outcomes ( I understand that now the outcome is decided there will be no 'sensitive' campaign tactics or information).

-copies of the minutes of all the meetings with the commissioners involved in the designation decision and details of correspondence between the commissioners and the Head of Referendums, Douglas Stewart.

-copies of any reports by Douglas Stewart, Head of Referendums, which I understand from press reports, were not considered by the commissioners.
I am quite happy with the figures available on your website with regard to the relevant spends of each of the groups, and I understand that the Yes4theNorthEast figures will be published shortly.

Many thanks for your co-operation.

Yours sincerely,

******** ***********

And the response

Dear Ms ***********,
I refer to your e-mail request of 4 March 2005.
As you may be aware the Commission has 20 working days in which to respond to your request, and taking account of the impending bank holidays, this means that you may expect a response by 6 April 2005.
Yours sincerely,
Jacqui Dixon
Secretary to the Commission
0207 271 0616