I favour the idea of regional government because I feel the North-East has to move forward and to say no would, in effect, be to go backwards.

I travel around the world and see comparisons between the North-East and other countries and we do need to improve.

Regional government works well in other countries, including across Europe and in the US. We are behind the times in not having it. The region has to look outward rather than inward and seek to present itself to world markets as a more powerful entity, in Europe, in China, and in other countries in the Far East.

The traditional industries of the North-East would lend themselves perfectly to developing trade with these countries and the voice of a regional government would help. The North-East has a strong identity but, until now, it has been disparate with lots of little councils jostling for their slice of the cake.

I believe a regional assembly will get people working together.

We need a body which sets out the strategy for important areas such as housing, transport, the economy and culture. Under a regional assembly, local councils would continue to deliver local services.

I see the sense of retaining district councils and abolishing county councils - there is no point in having a middle layer.

I know people talk about what powers an assembly would have and this is an important issue.

The idea is to get a regional assembly with a good foundation of powers and then develop its role as much as possible. It would be important to start lobbying for more powers within the first year or so.

The vote in November is also important because it would be the first in England and we would take the lead. In the Yes campaign we have spoken to the Scottish and Welsh assemblies to learn from their mistakes and experiences. You only have to look at the Welsh assembly to see what a good profile it has and I think the Government is looking to the North-East as a yardstick for regional government in England.

The Government is asking us if we can govern ourselves well. People say we must not have regional government run by the old political system but we need some skilled and experienced politicians involved.

What we would also need, though, is a broad range of candidates, from politicians to fresh faces, and also those who have experience of building up a business on a local, national and international level.

We certainly need people who are passionate about the region - and we certainly need a fair share of women.

If we can get a regional assembly we can, hopefully, persuade central government to bring civil service departments to the region, creating jobs.

The North-East has a unique identity and a regional assembly would have to represent the whole region. This is an important issue and is why I favour the idea of a headquarters in Durham because it is accessible to all areas.

Regional government is a major decision and I do not think people have realised that yet. This opportunity will not come round again - we must vote 'yes'. The more I learn about it the more I am excited by the opportunity - to vote against would be madness."

* Suzannah Clarke, an international opera singer from Middlesbrough and nominated as ambassador for the town, is a major figure in the Vote Yes campaign.