THE official opposition to the proposed regional assembly is to be revealed this morning.

The Electoral Commission has called a press conference in Newcastle to announce which of the three groups vying to be the official No campaign for the November 4 referendum has been successful.

The North-East Says No Campaign, chaired by businessman John Elliott, is tipped to win ahead of the North-East No Campaign, whose most prominent figure is former "Metric Martyr" Neil Herron.

The British National Party is also seeking designated status.

A spokesman for the North-East Says No Campaign, set up in July and featuring a number of prominent regional business people, said: "We are confident that, with knowledge of the assembly's tax-raising ability and its lack of powers, people will vote against."

The North-East No Campaign received some good news on the eve of the announcement after leading Newcastle city councillor Gerry Keating, of the Liberal Democrats, announced his decision to join the campaign, despite his party's support for the assembly.

Mr Herron said: "I am confident the Electoral Commission will be fair and impartial and will look at the fact that we have been established since 2002 and have attended more than 40 public meetings since then, arguing against the proposed regional assembly."

Designated organisations will receive £100,000 of state funds to argue their case. They can send free leaflets to all the region's 1.2m households, produce election broadcasts and use public venues free of charge.

Only one organisation - Yes 4 The North-East - has applied to be designated as the official Yes campaign.

Chairman Professor John Tomaney said: "The various No camps offer no positive solutions to the region's problems and suggest nothing new to provide a positive future for the region."

Meanwhile, voters in Yorkshire were left in the dark last night when the Government refused to set a fresh time-table for holding the shelved referendum on an elected assembly.

Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford told MPs the poll would be staged "before too long", but declined to say whether that would be before the end of next year.