IT is almost a year since the North-East flatly rejected an elected regional assembly, but the questions about where the region goes from there remain largely unanswered.

Indeed, in many ways, the region appears more disunited than ever over how its affairs should be run. Arguments rage about whether health services and police forces should be amalgamated, the old rivalries between local authorities remain, and confusion reigns about the ironic existence of a regional assembly which spends large amounts of public money despite being unelected.

We therefore welcome the inaugural North-East Economic Forum which is to be held at Hardwick Hall in County Durham on November 18.

It will bring together leading figures from politics, business, the public sector and voluntary organisations to look at the region's future.

Whether that includes Alan Milburn's vision of an extended light railway system to provide a more flexible workforce remains to be seen. But we agree with the Darlington MP that the North-East needs to think big and be bold.

This is clearly going to be a significant event and one which has been a long time coming. It is the first meaningful attempt to pick up from the unfinished business of the assembly referendum.

But we should all remember that the people of the North-East said 'no' to regional government because they feared an assembly would be a worthless talking shop.

The first North-East Economic Forum has to be more than just fine words. It has to be a step towards building on the strengths of the North-East through positive actions.