THE Northern Echo is stepping into the debate about how the North-East is to be run in the future by hosting a fringe meeting at the Labour spring conference.
Alan Milburn, the Darlington MP who is Labour's election supremo, will be one of our key speakers along with Ray Mallon, the Mayor of Middlesbrough.
The meeting - Life After the Big 'No': Where Does the North-East Go From Here? - seeks to find ideas about how the region will be governed following last autumn's overwhelming rejection of an elected regional assembly.
John Elliott, the Bishop Auckland businessman who led the North-East Says No campaign, will be another panellist alongside Andrew Sugden, the director of policy at the North-East Chamber of Commerce.
Mr Milburn said: "This debate is absolutely crucial to the future of the North-East, and this is a very good opportunity to think about its future."
The meeting is at 7.30pm tomorrow, in the Sage, and will be open to all conference delegates.
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