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.

The key to this issue is the draft Regional Assemblies Bill, which sets out how central government sees a North-East Regional Assembly operating. It is a sickening document because it suggests devolvement of decision-making but doesn't deliver it.

On every major policy area, the assembly will have no real power. Its policies will have to fit in with national policies or complement the policies of other regions. It will have no control or influence over education, health, housing, policing, transport or the environment. Even in the one area where it will have some powers over the policies of the regional development agency - One Northeast - these are limited by the Secretary of State's veto.

The most damning indictment of the Bill and a North-East Regional Assembly comes, ironically, from organisation most committed to the concept of regional government - the Campaign for the English Regions.

In its evidence to the Select Committee considering the draft Bill it says it remains "concerned that the Bill includes too many powers for the Secretary of State to intervene, set any conditions of funding, set targets and issue regulations and guidance."

In doing so, the Campaign for the English Regions has eloquently set out the case for a "No" vote on November 4. The people of the North-East are not being offered anything more than a promise which cannot hope to be fulfilled. The promise could be a costly one and, ultimately, undermine still further people's faith in our democratic institutions.

The prospect of a toothless assembly drawing up endless policy documents and conducting pointless consultation exercises is truly depressing. We should have no truck with this political charade.