Result from the North East...the People have spoken

Thanks to everyone across the country who has followed and supported what we have done, and to those who have assisted the campaign from within and outside the region....a team effort.

BBC Online
5th November
North East votes 'no' to assembly

Figures suggest a turn-out of about 50% People in the North East have voted "no" in a referendum on whether to set up a new regional assembly.

The total number of people voting against the plans was 696,519 (78%), while 197,310 (22%) voted in favour.

Official figures showed 47.8% of the region's 1.9 million voters took part in the all-postal ballot.
A "no" vote is a blow to government plans to increase devolution in the English regions as the North East was seen as most likely to approve them.

John Elliott, chairman of the North East Says No campaign, was pleased with the result.
He said: "I'm not interested in giving the government a bloody nose - I am sure they are honourable people. But I would rather John Prescott has two weeks' embarrassment than us be saddled with a £25m white elephant.

'Blown out of the water'
Conservative spokesman for the regions Bernard Jenkin said the vote would mean the end of plans for a north-east assembly.
He told the BBC: "The whole idea of regional government has been blown out of the water by this vote.
The whole idea of regional government has been blown out of the water by this vote
Bernard Jenkin MP

The end for regional devolution?

QUICK GUIDE
UK devolution"People are fed up with being dictated to from Westminster but they don't want a toothless talking shop as offered by the Labour Party."
But local government minister Nick Raynsford has pledged to hold two further referendums in Yorkshire and Humberside and the North West.
Referendums there were postponed because of the alleged fraud problems with the postal voting systems.
Ministers argued the assembly would give a voice to regions distant from Westminster and return power to local people from the non-elected bodies that oversee many services.
'Little power'
It was to take strategic decisions in economic development, transport, planning, housing and culture and tourism.
But anti-regional assembly campaigners argued the new tier of government would be an expensive talking shop with very little real power.
The challenge for the government was to work out how power could be properly devolved down to the counties and cities, he added.
People had two weeks to return their ballot packs in the all-postal vote, but some were handed in at town halls.