THE North-East has been given the clearest hint yet that it will get the chance to vote on a regional assembly within the lifetime of the next Parliament.

Former Cabinet minister and key Labour insider Peter Mandelson today threw his support behind elected regional government as the only way to unlock the North-East's potential.

Mr Mandelson told an audience at Hartlepool College of Further Education today that he hoped a commitment to a referendum on regional government would be included in Labour's manifesto at the next election.

And he said he hoped the referendum would be held early in the next Parliament.

He said: "It is the people in this region who should choose. They will face many competing views and issues in doing so, but one thing I'm sure of is that the people of this region should no longer be denied the choice."

He said his vision for the new assembly was that it should be a combination of politicians elected through proportional representation and members appointed from business, trade unions, banking and education.

The Hartlepool MP said it could also nominate a small executive and First Minister, with the support of both elected and non-elected representatives. .

Read more on this story in The Northern Echo on Saturday.

Updated: 15.08 Friday, March 30.