I AM absolutely in favour of regional government. The Liberals first had the idea about devolution in the 1880s and we have been arguing for it ever since.

I feel that without regional government, the UK will crack apart. We are already a disunited kingdom.

Gladstone proposed the idea of devolution in the 1880s to answer the Irish question. The Irish wanted freedoms, including the right of self-government, and the Scots and Welsh have long felt the same. Now they have their own assemblies, I feel the same needs to happen in England.

In England, there is probably not a truer case for regional government than the North-East and Cornwall. Both are far from London. They are run by people in London who do not understand what it is like to live in these places and I hope a regional government can help to redress some of the imbalance.

I think a lot of people in the North-East are in favour of being governed by politicians in the North-East rather than by faceless bureaucrats in London.

A regional assembly will need to be able to make a difference, and to do that it needs the power to make laws, to raise and spend money and to change policy, preferably a combination of all three. We need something along the lines of the Scottish Parliament.

I see a regional government as a start. The proposals might be imperfect at the moment, but they are a step in the right direction and it will be up to everyone to work together to improve it.

I do feel that the Government's decision to ask for a vote on the reorganisation of local government at the same time is a cynical move on behalf of the Prime Minister to scupper the regional assembly.

These proposals are quite likely to make some people think twice about voting for a regional government because they do not want to see their local council disappear. I see it as a deliberate ploy by Tony Blair, who I do not think is as committed to the idea of regional government as John Prescott, who is genuine in his support.

*Councillor Peter Arnold, who this summer led the Liberal-Democrats to victory over Labour in elections in Newcastle and is now the city council's leader.