THE Government, it seems, is to wheel out its biggest guns to push the case for the North-East Assembly.

The arrival of the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor next month will mark the start of the campaign for the November referendum.

While devolution is official Government policy, Mr Blair has always been thought to be a lukewarm supporter of the concept.

But, as an MP for a North-East constituency, sooner or later he had to voice his opinion of the prospect of a regional assembly and possible local government reorganisation.

Pro-assembly campaigners may be right in thinking that his public endorsement will raise the profile of the debate.

However, it may also demonstrate the Government's and Mr Blair's fear of defeat in the referendum.

With a General Election probably only months away, the last thing Labour wants to see is the party's heartland rejecting one of its flagship policies.

Nevertheless, it will take more than personalities to gather sufficient momentum for a Yes vote in the referendum.

The powers vested in the assembly have been formally disclosed, but Mr Blair and his colleagues must now put the flesh on the bones of the proposals to spell out exactly what benefits an assembly will actually bring to ordinary people.

He can begin next month by adding his voice to calls for Durham City to be the home of the assembly.

Such a statement will ease concerns that the assembly will be dominated by the metropolitan areas of Tyneside and Wearside, at the expense of rural areas and those conurbations at the fringes of our region.