The overwhelming vote against a Regional Assembly in the north east reflects a Britain that has no appetite for more government, more red tape and more politicians.

Were a Regional Assembly established here in the South West, powers would move away from Bournemouth to Bristol at a tune of £41m a year. This would not only increase council taxes, it would distance the people from those who are supposed to represent them.

The Lib Dems and Labour should review their policy of introducing such an expensive talking shop and focus their attention on returning the millions of pounds in government grants that have been redirected from councils in the south of England to those in the north.

Local Lib Dems are claiming that the North East's vote against a regional assembly could be 'good news for Bournemouth' in that instead of joining a South West Assembly we could form a regional government with other parts of the South of England.

This shows how out of touch they are with local residents who do not want to see their taxes rise to pay for any form of regional government no matter where it is. Lib Dems should remember that Bournemouth opted for unitary status in 1997 in order to retain decision making about Bournemouth in Bournemouth. A Regional Assembly will only lead to the opposite; distancing voters from the people they elect.

Conservatives are committed to maintaining a local government which is both accountable to and accessible by local residents in Bournemouth. Regional assemblies will be a costly experiment and end up pushing council taxes even higher.

Notes:
Results of the referendum on an Assembly for the North East were announced on Friday 5th November 2004. 696,519 (78%) voted against and 197,310 (22%) voted in favour. Turnout was 47.8% of the region's 1.9 million voters.

For more information please contact:

Tobias Ellwood
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate
Bournemouth East
Haviland Road West
Bournemouth
BH1 4JW

Email: Tobias@bournemoutheastconservatives.com