IN 1994, hundreds of people and groups responded to an invitation to support the independent Campaign for a North-East Assembly.

They represented a diverse coalition of regional opinion, and they made clear that the Westminster system of government had neglected and ignored the interests and priorities of this region for decades.

Fast forward a decade, to 2004.

After years of lobbying, cajoling and pressurising a very reluctant over-centralised government in London, the devolution movement seemingly achieved its goal. A referendum was called to give people in the North-East the opportunity to vote Yes or No to gaining a greater say in their priorities by starting up a democratically-elected regional assembly.

A “yes” campaign began to promote the concept of a powerful local voice. The campaign included many elements of our regional society way beyond the narrow confines of the dominant Labour Party. This newspaper was prominent in the promotion of this vital debate, as was the then Bishop of Durham, Michael Turnbull.

But as the campaign unfolded, it became clear that the offer on the North-East table was a paltry, meaningless one. The voters were not fooled. They rejected what looked like an expensive talking shop.

But fast forward a decade again, to 2014.

Now the North-East watches as, a few miles north, the Scottish vote on their independence reaches its climax.

Whatever the outcome on Thursday, the winds of change will blow across the border and be felt in on our own region. They will be so strong that they will reach gale force levels, to say the least.

If Scotland votes “yes” to its independence, it will leave the North-East trapped in an extremely over-centralised state overseen by London-centric Westminster and Whitehall.

And if Scotland votes “no”, its long-established devolved parliament will be given an even greater set of powers than it already has.

The three mainstream political parties, based in London, have agreed to this strategy.

And again the North-East will remain trapped in the over-centralised, Londoncentric state.

WHAT with the Scots gaining great devolved powers whichever way they vote, and Wales and Northern Ireland and even London having their own devolved authorities, there is one potential guest which has never been invited to the Devolution Dinner Party for a decent meal.

That is the North-East Region. Ten years ago, it was reluctantly offered a carrier bag of leftovers, but since then, while others have changed and devolved, there has been nothing.

Some might disagree. Some might say that once it had a regional development agency that pushed the regional agenda. Some might say that it was given the chance to have all-powerful directly-elected mayors which would give the city-states a voice at a regional level. Some might say that even now our region has been given a Combined Authority of Councils.

But this is really only a couple of half-combined authorities, with the Tees Valley pulling in one direction and the rest of the region going off on its own separate journey.

And so the real issue remains: the North- East does not have any significant voice in the imbalanced UK system of government.

And it will have no real voice regardless of who sits inside Number Ten listening to the offices of Permanent Under-Secretaries down the road in Whitehall. Whether Scotland votes “yes” or “no”, there are no signs that our region will be invited to the Devolution Dinner Party to discuss our agenda.

And so the North-East will continue to have no significant voice in deciding the region’s priorities, whether in economic development, health, education, welfare, tourism, or culture policies.

To adapt Alex Salmond’s terminology, there is no Team North-East to challenge the all-powerful Team Westminster.

That is precisely why the newly-formed North-East Party – NEP – will campaign for a powerful, democratic and local say in our region’s priorities and concerns. It is responding to the devolution gale sweeping south across the border from Scotland by calling for a referendum here for a truly meaningful elected assembly.

Twenty years on, and still counting. How much longer will we have to fast forward?

But surely those in Westminster can feel those winds of change. We await their response, whether they include Scottish MPs or not.

  • Brian Hall was a co-ordinator of the independent Campaign for a North-East Assembly from 1992 to 2004, and is currently an executive member of the North-East Party.