Press Release
11am Wednesday 21st July 2004

Prepare for Disappointment or Match Abandoned

The children woke early on Christmas morning. A beautiful, gift-wrapped box had lain beneath the tree. They wondered. They wished. What was in the box? It was such a beautiful box. Everyone was talking about it. Shiny wrapping. Beautiful ribbon. The present inside must be a wonder, an awesome sight to behold that would capture everyone's attention. They had dreamed of what they would do with their lovely gift.

They had wished away time hoping for this day to arrive. Their hopes and aspirations lay in that box. They sat either side and gently loosened the ribbon. They delicately peeled back the translucent wrapping. What was in the box? It would be a wonder. A gift of gifts. They took off the lid and wide-eyes peered inside.

"Two pairs of socks!  Santa Claus you have betrayed us. You have shattered our dreams. We cannot turn two pairs of socks into a doll's house or a Playstation...no matter how hard we try."

Finally ! The day of reckoning comes. Thursday 22nd July, the final day for the Order defining the Roles, Powers and Responsibilities of an Assembly can be laid before Parliament in order to fit the timescale for a November 4th referendum. Will it be the great hope for those who have so far bought the dream? Or, as is more likely, will it be the reality those suspicious of empty promises and flowery dreams have been stating since the outset?

The reality is that there is nothing on offer. Nothing that will benefit the people of the North East. A toothless, talking shop full of the usual suspects with no extra money, no power and a further cost burden on the already beleaguered taxpayer.

Tomorrow is when the dream may be shattered. Tomorrow is when supporters of devolution realise in the cold, harsh light of day that there is nothing being devolved, and all we will be getting will simply be a shuffling of the political deckchairs.

That is IF the Order is laid, because as we stated some months ago, the Government is looking for a way out. We have always felt that the referendum will be postponed or cancelled. The Labour Government do not wish to suffer three referendum defeats in the Northern Labour heartlands in advance of a General Election. At the European and Local Government elections they 'got a kicking.' Another embarrassing defeat in the recent by-election throwing away a massive majority.

Prescott has been driving this vehicle alone for a while with no political allies. However, there may be an escape route being prepared with the blame being laid at the door of the Lords and not Prescott.

The Lords have to debate the Postal Ballot tomorrow and it is here where the postponement could come. As the Lords have already rejected Postal Ballots previously on five other occasions, for the LG and EP Elections, it is likely that common sense may prevail and they will reject 4th November as an all postal. Common sense may recommend waiting for the resul for the Electoral Commission's analysis due out on 13th September.

It may not even be just down to the Tories. Labour Peer, Lord Haskins was quoted last week as saying that the referenda are not winnable. So, after tomorrow we may be able to enjoy the long hot, summer instead of having to go through the motions to prepare for a referendum on the most ill-thought out, ill-conceived shambles that the people of the North East have had foisted upon them by one of the Government's most bumbling and incompetent Ministers.

We hope we are wrong and  have been looking forward to the fight, but the only sounds we are hearing is of the boxing ring being quietly dismantled to be taken off for the bigger fight to take place in the Spring.

ENDS

Neil Herron Campaign Director
North East No Campaign
48 Frederick Street Sunderland
SR1 1NF
Tel. 0191 5657143
www.northeastnocampaign.co.uk

The No campaign is often accused of simply being negative. To read our positive perspective click here.