THE Government knows it is not going to win regional government ballots in either Yorkshire and the Humber or the North West.

If those referendums went ahead, there would almost certainly be resounding 'no' votes, causing a great deal of unease for the Government with a general election only months away.

Senior figures within the Labour Party have been whispering for months about the need to find a way to avoid the impending disaster.

And the hint dropped by Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford in the Commons yesterday that the North-East may be left to go it alone is the first official step in a damage limitation exercise.

Abandoning two out of the three planned referendums would, of course, be certain to leave the Government open to taunts that it is running scared of humiliating defeat, with particular discomfort guaranteed for Deputy Prime Minister and Humberside MP John Prescott.

But the view from on high is simple: better to have to endure short-lived embarrassment than live with the longer-term consequences of defeat in the referendums.

We therefore expect that the North-East, where a 'yes' vote is far from guaranteed but much more likely, will be allowed to lead the way unhindered by the distractions of the negative vibes from the other northern regions.

We still believe it is right for the North-East to press ahead and take the long-awaited opportunity to put the idea of an elected regional assembly to a referendum.

But for all the diversionary talk about the difficulties posed by postal ballots, let us not be under any illusion - the Government is preparing to abandon regional government referendums in Yorkshire and the North West because it knows it is in for a good kicking.