- BALANCED DEVOLUTION
- It would bring decision making closer to the people and address the differing interests of the English regions.
- It would create a more balanced devolution settlement within the UK because England is too large to have its own parliament.
- It would enhance democracy as regional assemblies would take over the functions of unelected quangos.
- Areas such as Cornwall, Yorkshire and the northeast have a strong sense of regional identity, Regional assemblies could act as a catalyst for economic and cultural regeneration.
- TENSION
- Few areas of England have a strong sense of regional identity.
- It would break up England and fail to provide expression for English interests and identity.
- There would be tensions between regional and local government.
- Regional assemblies would be dominated by urban rather than rural interests.
- SUPPORT
- There is little public support for creating a regional layer of government in England.
The Blair governments planned to create directly elected regional assemblies with limited executive functions in the eight English regions outside London. But these plans were dropped when 78% of voters voted ‘no’ in a 2004 referendum on whether there should be an assembly in northeast England.