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"The
Deputy Prime Minister is convinced that this was the only decision
he could possibly make in the circumstances," said the spokesman
from the Office of John Prescott.
He
was speaking to me just moments after the surprise announcement
that the much-hyped referendum for a Regional Assembly for Yorkshire
and the Humber had been "postponed".
For
once, even opponents of this highly controversial proposal were
in agreement with the Deputy Prime Minister on that point.
"Of
coursed it was the only choice he had," said John Watson, the
businessman and former Conservative MP who chairs the "Yorkshire
Say's NO" Campaign.
But
that's as far as that temporary meeting of the minds goes on the
issue. John Watson has this view on WHY John Prescott pulled the
plug on his baby.
"The
only result of the referendum here and in the neighbouring region
of the North West would have been a humiliating defeat for the Government,"
says John Watson.
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Is this decision a mistake? |
"The
North East is the only region where the public have shown so much
as a glimmer of interest in the idea of a regional assembly so the
Government is allowing that vote to go ahead."
Later
in the day, John Prescott himself appeared on the regional television
news programme Look North and totally denied that this was the case.
He
claimed that his hand had been forced because of doubt about the
planned method of voting.
All
the referendums were to be all-postal votes. However,
after the same system had been piloted in the recent local council
and European parliament elections there are a number of cases of
alleged fraud or mismanagement which are currently being investigated
by the Electoral Commission in Yorkshire and the North East.
There
were no problems with the postal ballot in the North East so the
referendum can go ahead as planned on November 4th.
Even
the most partisan supporter of Regional Assemblies must be raising
a cynical eyebrow at John Prescott's logic. He sweeps aside suggestions
that the obvious answer is to switch back to the tradition ballot
box.
He
fails to explain why he isn't bothering to wait until the electoral
commission publishes its findings on postal ballots before making
his decision. He totally denies the charge that the public have
been cheated out of a chance to say "no".
He
also says that there is absolutely no significance in the fact that
he can't give a new date for when the two 'postponed'regional referenda
in Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West will now be held.
Meanwhile
the County Council and the seven district authorities in North Yorkshire
are celebrating. Should the vote have gone ahead they faced radical
reorganisation and possible dismantling to make way for an assembly.
By
Len Tingle, Political Editor for BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
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