On Tuesday, the independent Electoral Commission appointed the official Yes and No campaigns to lead the arguments in the referendum.

The debate can now finally begin. The polls show that only about 20 per cent of people have made up their minds, so everything is still to play for. We at North-East Says No are looking forward to the campaign.

It is very clear that North-East businesses are against the Government's plans. They understand that an assembly would lead to more bureaucracy and higher council tax, but would not be able to deliver what the people of the North-East want: more jobs. The strength of business opposition was confirmed on Monday when we published the names of another 50 top business leaders, including Martin Ballanger, chief executive of a major bus company, and Howard Dawe, managing director of Bellway. Personally, I have never met a business person who is in favour of the assembly.

A regional assembly would also be unable to address the other major priorities of North-East people; schools, hospitals, policing and dualling the A1. An assembly would have no power to improve local schools by hiring extra teachers, or reduce waiting lists by providing extra resources to hospitals. An assembly would not be able to make our streets safer by putting more police on the beat or force the police to address people's priorities.

Nick Raynsford, the Local Government Minister, made clear that all the assembly would be able to do with regards to dualling the A1 was to recommend its upgrade. But surely this is something that our MPs - including the Prime Minister and senior ministers - have been doing for years, and if they have made no progress, it is impossible to believe that an assembly would be able to do any better.

An assembly would cost North-East people, as we would have to pay for more professional politicians and their staff. The Government estimates that the assembly will cost £25m a year to run - a million pounds per politician. And this doesn't even begin to consider the costs of a building for the assembly. We will pay for this with higher council tax.

A regional assembly would be a recipe for inaction - just more of the same. It would not address the problems of the North-East or create new jobs. It would just be an expensive talking shop. The politicians will tax - we will pay. I urge people to vote No.

* John Elliott is chairman of North-East Says No.