06/11/04

With so few powers promised, this was not a true test of the region's desire to take power from London.

Labour further alienated many core supporters of devolution by insisting on local government re-organisation being linked to a Yes vote.

Devolution is not an issue that will go away, because the problems of the North-East remain.

Under both Labour and Conservative rule from London, the gap between North and South has widened. Yes and No voters are agreed that the fight for a fair deal for our region must go on.

Liberal Democrats believe we now need a Convention of the North: a forum where people from all three northern regions can reflect on the future. - Fiona Hall MEP, Liberal Democrat, North-East of England.

I'M disappointed by the patronising suggestion in your editorial (Echo, Nov 5) that the No voters in the regional assembly referendum were too easily swayed by the No campaign playing on our fears.

I doubt many people gave any credibility to the silly gimmickry of either campaign. I voted No because I believed:

1. The problems of Teesside and East Cleveland would be of peripheral concern to an assembly dominated by Tyne and Wear.

2. South Teesside and East Cleveland would be separated irrevocably from the rest of North Yorkshire.

3 I did not want to see the historic counties of Durham and Northumberland wantonly destroyed.

England is a 'seamless garment'. It simply cannot be carved up into discrete, distinctive regions. What geographical criteria were used to decide that everywhere west of the Pennines from Carlisle to Crewe constitutes one North-West region, whereas east of the Pennines, two regions, the North-East and Yorkshire, are deemed to exist?

So, what is the way forward? Westminster should just leave us alone to make those links and associations which we believe are practical for our locations, instead of forever trying to impose structures on us from above. - VE Wood, Redcar.

AWAY from the North-East for a month, I did not follow the regional assembly debate and was amazed to discover the No result.

The basic idea of an assembly is excellent but adverse criticism of adaptable details has sunk a great project. We tend to endure the accustomed 'old' whilst rejecting the untried 'new'.

Very few southerners know anything relevant about the North-East and not many visit our region. Few visitors from abroad know about or visit this area, which is generally regarded as cold and even unfriendly. Yet recently a 17-year-old from the south of France declared, after a seven week summer visit: "The weather: it was better than in France".

A sound, responsible and influential government which could have spoken for the whole region much more eloquently than the many separate councils, has been rejected. The rejection will be regretted for many years. We must plan now to ascertain the needs, and combine the powers, of the different parts of the region. The North-East must be made strong, and unified. We deserve to be made justly proud of our region. - DW Oliver, Sunderland.

AS a supporter of regional government, I am bitterly disappointed with last night's result and I cannot understand peoples' motivations for voting No. I felt that any argument against could be turned on its head to be a more compelling argument for. But perhaps that was one of the failings of the Yes campaign, they couldn't comprehend why anyone would oppose and hence how to win them over.

However, my point is not to gripe. Without wishing to do ourselves down again, we do have deep-rooted problems to tackle in the North-East and, judging from last night's soundbites, both sides seemed to agree that the No vote was not necessarily a vote for the status quo.

This was an emphatic decision, but one that should not be seen as negative and reactionary. Let's take the positives. The referendum itself has gone some way to filling the democratic deficit in the region. It has built up interest and debate. So let's now see both sides, who claim to be motivated with the interests of the North-East at heart, maintain this momentum and work together to draw up an alternative proposal for a way forward and take this to Whitehall and Westminster to get positive changes for the North-East. - Eddie Halstead, Crawcrook.

THE most crushing No vote came in Darlington, where, by a margin of seven to one, people chose to ignore the pleadings of both The Northern Echo and Alan Milburn.

Why did you both honestly think you could win? The merest step outside the door would have shown you that ordinary people thought the whole regional assembly was a deeply flawed idea.

Hardly anyone wanted it, and the spin now being put out that it would have been successful if it had been given more powers is quite frankly barmy. Local people see themselves as Darlingtonians and English. The idea of allegiance to some spurious regional identity just never rang true.

Add to that the idea of more paid politicians and the support of an unpopular Government, and the whole project was doomed to failure. The biggest loser in this is John Prescott, whose baby it was and whose misreading (probably guided by overpaid civil servants) of the situation was truly spectacular. - Ian Galletley, Darlington.

AS a policeman, Ray Mallon was admired and, like many, I would like that style of policing implemented throughout the nation.

However, Mr Mallon's behaviour of late has been bizarre and completely out of touch with ordinary folk. To imply that anyone who votes No is a southern "two-bit" Tory was a statement of contempt for the people of the North-East. Keep it up Ray, such behaviour is typical of the politicians of today, a place surely waits aboard New Labour's propaganda machine.

To emphasise my view, Mr Mallon's column (Echo, Nov 5) correctly states how the history of this great nation is being taken for granted. The possible passing of the Green Howards, like that of the Durham Light Infantry, will be a very sad day indeed.

Hold on, Ray Mallon campaigned last week for the Yes vote, which ultimately meant the break up of England and the United Kingdom, now he's gone all-sentimental for British history. As they say, the farther up the tree the monkey climbs, the more of its backside you can see.

The North-East people have stood shoulder to shoulder; they have spoken for the people of England and the United Kingdom. Politicians be warned. - Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland Conservatives.