NESNO hits the front page again.We Couldn't Possibly Comment...

but here is today's FRONT PAGE headline in the Newcastle Journal.
Just for the record, our No Campaign call centre is in Sunderland, manned by people from the region.

Building lie sparks outrage
Oct 21 2004
By Ross Smith, The Journal

Anti-regional assembly campaigners were last night accused of running a "lie machine" by claiming that a plot of land for a new headquarters had already been bought.
Call centre staff working on behalf of North East Says No claimed the land had been bought at Little Thorpe, near Easington in County Durham, and that it would be the home for an expensive new chamber, similar to the Scottish Parliament.

The story was put out by workers at a call centre in Preston which is run by the UK Independence Party.

North East Says No later confirmed the story was not true and said that the centre had "made a mistake".

But Yes4theNorthEast have lodged an official complaint with referendum watchdogs the Electoral Commission, claiming it was "completely inaccurate and extremely worrying".

When The Journal contacted the call centre yesterday and asked about a new building, the worker said: "They've apparently got a plot of land they want to build it on."

The Journal asked where it was, and after checking with a colleague, the woman replied: "Little Thorpe." A
North East Says No spokesman later said: "Someone at the call centre's made a mistake. It won't happen again. "They're wrong and we've told them to stop."

But `yes' campaign director Ross Forbes said: "For people who are genuinely interested in the issues, and ringing up for more information, to be told that there will be a new building built in Little Thorpe, near Easington, to house the assembly is completely inaccurate and extremely worrying.

"This is building the `no' campaign lie machine to disturbing new heights. The people of the North-East should not believe a word of the Tory-led `no' campaign's nonsense."
The land cited by the call centre is owned by the NHS.

Alan Napier, leader of Easington Council, said: "It's laughable. We've looked at that site as regards civic premises, but there were problems with it. If it was bought, we would normally hear about outline planning permission. We've heard nothing of the sort about that."

The `no' campaign claims a new building is "inevitable" and could be as costly to tax payers as the Scottish Parliament.