A NEW campaign for an elected "government of the North" was launched at Westminster today - demanding the same powers as London, or even Scotland.

And it immediately announced it had signed up Labour's new policy chief as a patron, in a bid to get the policy in the party's manifesto for the next general election.

Campaigners said devolution was desperately needed to tackle "the growing economic and social disparities between North and South" and to bring back pride in 'The North'.

But some MPs warned the move - which comes eight years after North-East voters threw out a proposal for an elected assembly - faced huge challenges to achieve a better result.

David Anderson, the Blaydon MP, backed the campaign, but warned it had to offer something better than the "white elephant" rejected back in 2004.

He said: "If we are going to do this, we need to be clear about what we are demanding - which should be powers the same as London.

"If we can't make people in the North-East believe this will make a difference on the street, then we shouldn't even be starting this discussion."

Austin Mitchell, a Labour MP in Grimsby, urged supporters to look to Scotland, saying: "We want the same powers for the North. That's the main objective."

The campaign has been launched by the Hannah Mitchell Foundation, named after a 19th century Northern working class socialist, feminist, councillor and magistrate.

Few details have yet been worked out, although yesterday's meeting heard that the Foundation was leaning towards a single, "pan-Northern" assembly, or parliament.

Professor Paul Salveson, the campaign's general secretary, said devolution to the North was needed more than ever, because of: * The widening economic gap between North and South.

* Inadequate transport infrastructure - with most rail spending in London.

* The loss of regional development agencies (RDAs) - replaced by the "joke" of weak, cash-starved local enterprise partnerships (LEPs).

* The need for more investment in universities' research and development - achieved by the powerful German Länder.

* Likely further devolution to Scotland - if voters are offered the "devo max" option.

Professor Salveson argued the result could be different to 2004, saying: "Eight years is a long time ago and much has happened in politics since then, with further devolution to Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and London."

But Labour leader Ed Miliband must weigh up the risk of another humiliation at the ballot box, before backing a fresh bid for devolution to the North.

Back in 2004, 78 per cent of North-East voters rejected an elected assembly, on a turnout of under 48 per cent of the region's 1.9m voters.