All the money in China couldn't have bought a Yes vote in the North East

Defeated Assembly Backers Spent Thousands By Rod Minchin, PA Scotsman

Groups backing the flawed North East Regional Assembly spent at least £400,000 on their campaigns only to get humiliated at the polls, it was revealed today.

Figures from The Electoral Commission show that Yes4theNorthEast spent more than £250,000, the Labour Party £125,000 and trade unions £35,000.

The final bill, which is likely to be released later this year, may not fall much short of £1 million mark.

Despite spending a vast sum of money and enlisting support from Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, London Mayor Ken Livingstone, former police chief Ray Mallon and a host of other senior politicians and celebrities, Yes campaigners received a resounding thumbs down from the North East electorate.

The North East was the first English region to hold a referendum on establishing an assembly and voted overwhelmingly by 696,519 to 197,310 against. All 23 council areas in the region produced a No vote in the November referendum.

The result was a personal humiliation for Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott who has championed the cause of regional government for over 30 years.

Supporters of the assembly argued that it would help bring economic regeneration to one of the most deprived parts of the country.

But opponents dismissed it as an expensive “talking shop” with no real powers and portrayed it as a giant white elephant – an image that stuck in voters’ minds.

According to the report published today by the Electoral Commission there were 16 registered campaigners.

Expenditure was capped at £100,000 for most participants. However, registered political parties and organisations designated by the Commission to represent each side of the referendum issue could spend up to £665,000.

The exact amount Yes4theNorthEast spent will not be revealed until later in the year because they spent over £250,000 but it could reach the £665,000 mark.

North East Says No, who were the official No campaign, spent £142,900, while its Sunderland-based No rival Neil Herron spent £28,270.

The Conservative Party, who also opposed the referendum, spent £30,243.

The Labour Party, who was in favour, spent £124,126 and trade unions £35,038.

Peter Wardle, chief Executive of The Electoral Commission, said: “The Commission is responsible for the smooth delivery of UK national and regional referendums and an important part of this is ensuring that there is transparency about what campaigners spent and whether they spent within the prescribed limits.

“The information we are publishing today shows in some detail how referendum participants used the money they received to conduct their campaigns.”