THERE was a very interesting paragraph in a column in yesterday's Business Echo written by James Ramsbotham, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Ramsbotham was reflecting on how Tony Blair - the Prime Minister and MP for Sedgefield - was the last member of a powerful North-East cabal that once ruled the country. Also in the Cabinet was Peter Mandelson (Hartlepool), Mo Mowlam (Redcar), Alan Milburn (Darlington) plus Stephen Byers and Nick Brown from Newcastle.

Mr Ramsbotham said: "One of the most difficult things about having 'one of your own boys' as Prime Minister is that any attempt to directly address the prosperity gap in your home region is greeted with catcalls of nepotism - particularly from the London-centric press."

This appears to be the consensus of opinion in the North-East. The region has benefited from ten years of Labour government - how much is open to debate, but it is undeniable that progress has been made - but no more so than elsewhere in the country.

Our local Cabinet members have been fair but they have done us no special favours.

For example, transport is a major issue in the North-East, and the region's fair share of the national road-building budget has gone on the much-needed improvements to the A66.

But the A1 remains - extraordinarily - single carriageway in Northumbria, the East Coast Main Line remains efficient but crowded and expensive, and the long-talked about east coast light railway/metro extension remains just a topic of conversation. No favours.

Perhaps it was naïve to expect anything more.

Mr Blair's departure marks the passing of the old guard. Will his heir apparent, Gordon Brown, who can avoid any charges of nepotism due to his Scottish seat, do any favours for the region?

Or will he be saving his favours to shore up Labour's support in his homeland where the Nationalists have just seized power?

The North-East waits with bated breath but no great expectations.