DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott yesterday shrugged off criticism of the £2.5m cost of his campaign to give power to the regions.

Mr Prescott took his elected regional assembly campaign bus to North Yorkshire, visiting Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, and Harrogate Spring Flower Show, before heading to Middlesbrough's Macmillan College last night.

He was touring the North in a bid to boost the turnout at October's referendums on the issue.

At Fountains Abbey, he addressed cultural leaders from across Yorkshire on how an elected regional assembly would affect the region's culture.

He also dismissed Conservative worries about the cost of the campaign, which has run to £2.5m in leaflets and advertising.

Mr Prescott said: "Scottish devolution, the Welsh assembly and London. All of them had Your Say campaigns, mainly telling people what it is about. This campaign is much cheaper than theirs."

At the flower show, he unveiled a floral Your Say logo before making a hasty exit and avoiding more than 30 members of the Countryside Alliance.

As banner-waving started in support of foxhunting, Mr Prescott emerged from the big tent walking briskly in the opposite direction away from the showground and protestors, followed by his ministerial entourage.

James Bates, spokesman for Countryside Alliance in Yorkshire who attended the bid to confront Mr Prescott, said: "We would have asked him to explain his reasons for backing a ban on hunting."

David Ronn, regional director of the National Trust, said Mr Prescott's visit had been useful. "People want to know about what is being proposed and what the benefits will be, because I think people are quite undecided," he said.