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A letter to the Telegraph; Sir Jeremy Beecham, Leader, Labour Group, Local Government Association, London, SW1″
Telegraph | Opinion | Daily Telegraph letters:

“Sir - Your leading article on the regional assembly referendum (Opinion, Nov 6) reflects upon the irony of the outcome. However, the assertion that the ‘yes’ campaign was supported by local councillors because they would obtain assembly seats and high salaries is somewhat undermined by the fact that only between 25 and 35 assembly places would have been available, and local government re-organisation would have significantly reduced the number of local councillors.

The suggestion that the proposed assembly was a ‘bureaucratic solution’ is also wide of the mark. We have, and now will continue for some time to have, regional government conducted in piecemeal fashion by civil servants, quangos and next-steps agencies appointed by and responsible to ministers, with minimal accountability to the regions they serve. In voting against what they (and you) perceive as bureaucracy, the people of the North East have in fact entrenched it.

Not the case at all Sir Jeremy, the people of the North East have not voted for the present system of EU designated Regional Assemblies, they have massively voted against them, therefore they must be disbanded and the powers they have must be given back to the local councillors who are elected by the people. These Assemblies do not have a democratic right to even exist as another tier of government, or to interfere with elected local councils.