North East NO Campaign - news archive



	News archive Region must reject this meaningless charade Editorial - Darlington & Stockton Times THE idea of regional government for the North-East is unquestionably appealing. Devolving power from Whitehall bureaucrats and politicians and allowing meaningful decisions about projects and services to be made by the people most affected by them is politically highly desirable. By linking local taxation with local policies, it should be a way to involve people more in local politics and strengthen the democratic process. That's the theory and there is evidence that it may work in practice - namely in Scotland, Wales perhaps, and certainly in Germany where regional government has been the norm since the end of the Second World War. Unfortunately, the regional government the people of the North-East are being offered in next month's referendum is not regional government at all... Click here to read the full article 74% say 'no' to Assembly The Journal - 27th September 2004 Company bosses will vote overwhelmingly against setting up a North-East Assembly, a poll of nearly 900 firms reveals today. The news is a blow to the Government's devolution plans on the first morning of the Labour Party conference... Click here to read the full article Home rule blow The Journal - 24th September 2004 Business leaders last night dealt a blow to regional assembly campaigners by saying they cannot endorse devolution plans because they would not help North-East firms... Click here to read the full article Campaigners plan court battle The Journal - 22nd September 2004 Campaigners fighting plans for an elected assembly are preparing a court action to make the Government reprint an information leaflet. Neil Herron of the North East No Campaign, intends to apply for a judicial review over what he claims are "misleading statements" in the `Have Your Say' booklet... Click here to read the full article The rigging of a referendum Christopher Booker, Sunday Telegraph - 19th September 2004 The forthcoming referendum on an elected regional government for the North-East is generally dismissed by the media as just a "local story". This is their loss, however, for not only do they miss its far-reaching national implications, they are losing an opportunity to report on a fascinating political soap opera... Click here to read the full article Home rule costs blunder The Journal - 17th September 2004 The Government has admitted getting its sums wrong over the likely cost of local government reorganisation in County Durham. Switching to a system of three unitary authorities across the county would cost £11m more than originally thought, local government minister Nick Raynsford admitted.... Click here to read the full article Herron backers to challenge poll decision The Journal - 17th September 2004 Supporters of anti-assembly campaigner Neil Herron are set to challenge the decision not to make him the official No campaign leader in the North-East, it has been revealed... Click here to read the full article Calls for probe into `no' votes The Evening Chronicle - 16th September 2004 Campaigners against a North East Regional Assembly are calling for a probe into the Electoral Commission's decision on the official Yes and No parties. The North East No Campaign is calling for the investigation after a different No campaign, North East Says No (NESN), was selected... Click here to read the full article Prescott warned on local powers The Journal - 11th September 2004 Councillors have launched a fight to stop their powers being usurped by a North-East Assembly. The Local Government Association has submitted evidence to a House of Commons committee saying responsibilities will be taken from councils if an assembly is established. Click here to read the full article Honesty, not numbers, is important The Evening Chronicle - 1st September 2004 Letter from Judith Wallace, Chairman of the North East NO Campaign Click here to read the letter Fury over council tax hike warning The Journal - 30th August 2004 Homeowners in Northumberland are facing a £106-a-year hike in their council tax if they vote for the creation of two authorities to run the county, it was claimed last night. The claims by county council chiefs sparked fury among campaigners in favour of the move... Click here to read the full article Home rule vote allowed The Journal - 27th August 2004 The referendum on a North-East assembly should be Britain's last all-postal vote, the Government's election advisers will declare today. And the Electoral Commission would not have supported a referendum going ahead as planned if ministers had waited for their opinion before starting the process... Click here to read the full article Assembly postal ballot plan fury The Evening Chronicle - 27th August 2004 Election watchdogs sparked fury today after backing an all-postal ballot in the referendum on a North East Assembly - despite problems at the June elections. The Electoral Commission is urging Ministers to scrap all-postal ballots at future elections after claims of fraud at the European and local elections elsewhere in England... Click here to read the full article Date: 12th July 2004 - The Journal Bosses Line Up To Urge 'No' Vote Date: 9th July 2004 - The Journal Dismay As Powers Denied Date: 9th July 2004 - The Northern Echo Storm As Devolution Polling Date Named Date: 6th July 2004 - The Northern Echo My View: I Do Not Want Squabbling Regions Date: 16th June - The Journal Johns Ad Not So Fab Date: 9th June - The Journal Assembly Hopes Suffer Blow Date: 17th May 2004 - The Journal Assembly Needs More Powers Date: 11th May 2004 - The Guardian North-west MPs line up against local assemblies Date: 12th April 2004 - The Journal What if... Date: 17th March 2004 - The Journal 'No' Campaign Split Date: 16th March 2004 - The Journal A Distant Prospect Date: 9th March 2004 - The Journal Would We Get Dual Control Date: 2nd March 2004 - The Journal Second Council votes against Assembly Date: 25th February 2004 - The Journal Council to fight against Assembly Date: 19th February 2004 - The Journal Prescott: Potential benefits will dwarf the expense Date: 19th February 2004 - The Journal What each taxpayer would be charged Date: 19th February 2004 - The Journal Bill for referendum is likely to be over £2.8m Date: 19th February 2004 - The Journal Home rule cost in focus Date: 18th February 2004 - The Journal Regional Assembly: The Journal Poll Date: 18th February 2004 - The Journal Party Lines


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