THE Tory who organised the campaign against an elected parliament in Wales visited the North-East yesterday to call for it to vote against a regional assembly.

Wales voted by just 0.3 per cent to have its own assembly and, said Jonathan Evans, it now bitterly regretted it.

"I think even people who supported the assembly are frustrated and mildly embarrassed by it, but we will never be given the opportunity to get rid of it," he told party activists at Hardwick Hall, in Sedgefield, County Durham.

"The assembly building, for example, was supposed to cost £7m and the latest estimate is that it will be £50m - that could have been better spent on a new children's hospital.

"So, my message to the North-East is that, if there is a referendum on the regional assembly, participate in it - because once you've got one, you'll never get rid of it."

He dismissed the idea that, because of its strong regional identity, the North-East was suited to an assembly.

"Wales has a strong sense of identity, too, so people might believe that if you're against the assembly, you're against the region, but that's rubbish," said Mr Evans.

"You will get more regional identity from your football clubs - in our case rugby clubs - than you will from creating another layer of politicians."

Mr Evans is now leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament and yesterday announced the names of the party's four North-East candidates for the 2004 European Elections.

Top of the list is Martin Callanan, the region's Tory MEP. He is followed by Newcastle businessman Jeremy Middleton, accountant Amanda Vigar - who fought Stockton North at the last General Election - and Jonathan Hellewell, who is Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith's chief of staff.

Quest for 'home rule' Page 1