North East NO Campaign - in the media



	In the Media 'Axe unelected assembly' call Newcastle Journal - 11th November 2004 The North-East's unelected regional assembly should be abolished and "buried" for good, according to Tory leader Michael Howard.Challenging the Prime Minister on the Government's commitment to the existing body, Mr Howard said the decision of 78pc of voters last week to reject an elected version proved the regional assembly issue was "dead" in the public's mind... Click here to read the full article Blair refuses to scrap assemblies Yorkshire Post, 11th November 2004 Prime Minister Tony Blair has refused demands from Tory leader Michael Howard to scrap Yorkshire's controversial unelected regional assembly, and the seven others like it around England, in light of last week's overwhelming rejection of plans for regional devolution... Click here to read the full article MPs want more power to tackle regional affairs Newcastle Journal, 10th November 2004 North-East MPs should be given the right to hold their own special parliamentary investigations into regional affairs following last week's rejection of elected regional assemblies, it was claimed yesterday... Click here to read the full article Isolated by huge 'No' vote Newcastle Journal, 10th November 2004 After last week's referendum gave a resounding 'no' to an elected regional assembly, Ross Smith asks if the man heading the unelected body for the North-East can still justify his job... Click here to read the full article Prescott to keep his assembly Newcastle Journal - 9th November 2004 John Prescott was yesterday accused of ignoring North-East voters' rejection of regional government when he said he would keep his unelected assemblies going instead... Click here to read the full article 'Yes' leader says idea is finished Hull Daily Mail, 6th November 2004 The man who led the campaign for a regional assembly in Yorkshire has admitted the idea is finished. Skidby-based farmer Lord Haskins, who was leader of the "Yes" campaign in the aborted referendum for Yorkshire, said the Government's defeat in a referendum in the North East had helped kill off the idea of assemblies... Click here to read the full article Search begins for new way forward Northern Echo - 5th November 2004 Last night's devastating rejection of an elected regional assembly left campaigners looking for scapegoats and a new way forward for the North-East. There was agreement that the No campaign had fought a clever, simple and forceful campaign that had tapped into the public's distrust of politicians at all levels. Its large inflatable white elephant had become the enduring image of the campaign, and Yes was never able to come up with anything to match it... Click here to read the full article The end of a dream called devolution Northern Echo - 5th November 2004 It has been a long and winding road from 1997, when a regional assembly was first mooted, to the North-East referendum. Political Editor Chris Lloyd looks at some of the milestones, high points and unexpected turns along the way. Click here to read the full article NO - loud and clear Northern Echo - 5th November 2004 The North-East delivered a devastating blow to the Government's dream of devolved Government last night by voting in overwhelming numbers against the idea of a regional assembly. In an historic poll, the region resoundingly voted against the idea of a directly-elected regional assembly to govern the North-East's affairs. In total, 696,519 people voted against and 197,310 voted in favour. Click here to read the full article What was on offer Newcastle Journal - 5th November 2004 There has been much debate during the past few months about the powers on offer to an elected regional assembly. For many, what was laid bare in the Government's draft Regional Assemblies Bill provided a solid foundation upon which to build in the future. It was a positive indication of the Government's drift towards further regionalisation. However for those against, the responsibilities and duties of any assembly in England were simply just not good enough. Here The Journal reviews exactly what the draft Regional Assemblies Bill says and what electors have been voting on... Click here to read the full article Academic result ends the war over councils' future Newcastle Journal - 5th November 2004 The vote on the future of local government in County Durham was split between the option of one unitary authority or three, with both sides claiming victory last night. An increasingly hostile war of words between Labour controlled authorities over which form of local government should prevail in the county provided few definite answers last night. Because of the No vote in the regional assembly question, neither option will now go ahead... Click here to read the full article Devolution big bang blows up in Government's face Newcastle Journal - 5th November 2004 It was intended to be a big bang - a day when the North of England proved to the rest of the country it was no longer going to be bullied by a dominant south. When John Prescott originally envisaged the November 4 referendum, it was with confidence that the North-East, North-West and Yorkshire and the Humber regions would speak decisively on home-rule... Click here to read the full article Bill for Bills and the rest comes to around £11m Newcastle Journal - 5th November 2004 It has taken years of debate, months of detailed legislative work and millions of pounds to arrive at last night's historic poll. Although a final figure has yet to be revealed, the cost of reaching the November 4 regional assembly referendum has hit almost £11m, thanks to Government information drives, campaigning and drawing up parliamentary Bills... Click here to read the full article Prescott sees his hopes go up in flames Newcastle Journal - 5th November 2004 The eyes of the entire country were fixed on a leisure centre in Sunderland last night. So much so that the 90-strong press gallery outnumbered the 88 vote-counters on the other side of the gym. It was clear from an early stage that the No campaign was building up a big lead and within an hour of the count starting Yes campaigners were talking about starting all over again... Click here to read the full article Wipeout for assembly Newcastle Journal - 5th November 2004 The North-East overwhelmingly rejected calls for an elected regional assembly last night with voters dismissing the deal out of hand by almost four to one. Click here to read the full article Pressure on Prescott as region votes on assembly The Guardian - 4th November 2004 John Prescott will be anxiously pacing the floor of the counting centre in Sunderland tonight as he awaits the result of England's first devolution referendum. The deputy prime minister has devoted huge political energy to the campaign for a yes vote and knows that his pet project - if not yet his job - is on the line... Click here to read the full article Parties will accept vote Newcastle Journal - 4th November 2004 The three main parties last night confirmed that tonight's referendum result will be the final word on whether a North-East assembly should be set up, after turnout exceeded 40pc... Click here to read the full article Council faces legal threat on press releases Newcastle Journal - 3rd November 2004 A North council is being threatened with legal action over publicity material that its opponents say is trying to "prejudice" the regional assembly vote. Olive Brown, leader of the Labour group on Wear Valley Council, has accused Durham County Council, which is Labour-controlled, of breaking regulations... Click here to read the full article Assembly ballot nudging 40pc Newcastle Journal - 3rd November 2004 Fears of a low turnout for tomorrow's historic vote on a North-East regional assembly have been smashed with almost 40pc of voters having their say... Click here to read the full article No campaigners back themselves with £2,000 Newcastle Journal - 29th October 2004 Anti-regional assembly activist Neil Herron is set to re-double his efforts to secure a No vote after gambling a four-figure sum on the referendum result. The North East No Campaign director has clubbed together with strategy director Colin Moran to stake £2,000 on the region rejecting plans for devolution... Click here to read the full article Big guns fire head-on Newcastle Journal - 29th October 2004 The issues were put back to the forefront of the devolution debate yesterday as two heavyweight figures on either side of the argument clashed on the streets. After Ray Mallon's tirade against No campaigners on their Durham doorstep on Wednesday, the Middlesbrough Mayor turned his focus back to the merits of a regional assembly. North East No Campaign director Neil Herron met the former detective outside Sunderland station as he made his way up the North-East coast by train yesterday... Click here to read the full article Campaigners say sorry to Denise Newcastle Journal - 26th October 2004 The campaign for a regional assembly has been forced into a climbdown after one of its high-profile supporters described comments attributed to her on a leaflet as "rubbish". TV agony aunt Denise Robertson, a backer of Yes4theNorthEast, was outraged at remarks on a Yes4theNorthEast mailshot... Click here to read the full article Old folk's party switches sides Newcastle Journal - 26th October 2004 A political party representing senior citizens has changed sides in the regional referendum to endorse a no vote. The party has offered its support to the North-East No Campaign, run by `metric martyr' Neil Herron... Click here to read the full article Anti-Assembly campaigner says he has found himself with the chance to vote No four times. Sunderland Echo - 22nd October 2004 Neil Herron, of the North East No group, has received three extra ballot packs for the regional assembly referendum. Royal Mail staff took delivery of more than 200,000 packs on Monday and all voters in the city should have theirs by Saturday. Mr Herron, though, who moved house in June, received not only his ballot pack yesterday but also those for three previous occupants. He said the mix-up showed there was a massive potential for fraud in the all-postal ballot... Click here to read the full article *Click here to view the news archive*


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