Fron the BBC:

Mr Mandelson said the time had come for the north east to "take its destiny in its own hands".

He argued for Labour's general election manifesto to include plans to allow referenda on setting up regional authorities with small executives and first ministers.

Tony Blair sparked heated debate in December 1999 when he used research to argue the concept of a north-south divide was oversimplified.

Performance gap

Mr Mandelson said at Hartlepool College on Friday: "Some argue that there is no longer a regional problem in the UK - only a problem with areas of greater economic and social difficulties within regions.

"Certainly there are sharp differences in performance between communities within the north east region.

"But the statistics show that a large peformance gap between regions remains.

"London and the south east is the richest region in the European Union - admittedly with its own pockets of poverty and social exclusion - but in every other part of the United Kingdom standards of living are below the European average."

Mandelson: Still wealth gaps

"We cannot achieve economic revitalisation in the north east without modernising the means of delivering our economic policies, and this means renewing the region's political institutions," he argued.

Mr Mandelson suggested top-down departmental initiatives, which were often disparate, and regional development agencies, could only be part of the solution.

He described a referendum on creating a regional authority for the north east, elected by proportional representation as a "unique window of opportunity".

Widespread roles

"A regional authority, as I envisage such a body is a strategist, galvaniser, advocate and manager rolled into one," he said.

The authorities should include appointed business leaders, trade unionists and educationalists and could nominate a small executive and first minister.

A directly elected regional assembly, we believe, would bring regional cohesion

Michael Davy, chairman of the current North East Regional Assembly, said he was delighted a national figure had "joined the club".

"A directly elected regional assembly, we believe, would bring regional cohesion," he told BBC News.

Mr Davy argued such authorities could only be created in those areas of England that had a clear regional identity and culture.

Comments?

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2001

Answers

Mandelson starting his rehabilitation or genuine support for an independent NE?

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2001

I intended to start a thread on this but you've saved me the bother Min. I'm very pleased to see Mandelson raise this issue. It may well be that his Westminster career is now limited so he is turninig his attention elsewhere. That is of no consequence as long as he is speaking up for the North. He seems to be a very effective politician, and I hope he can get the long overdue debate on this issue started. We need WEALTH CREATION in the North East, not just bliddy call centres. I'm not arguing against call centres, just saying that we need much more to stop our best people constantly leaving.

I have always voted against the Conservatives in my life, sometimes Labour, sometimes Liberal depending on the constituency. However, if I lived in the NE I'm sure that it would make more sense to vote Tory. The objective should be to make the NE a MARGINAL area such that whoever is in government is forced to be concerned about the place. As long as it remains a Labour heartland, neither party can be arsed.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2001

We definitely do not want yet another layer of bureaucracy - there has to be another way.

I certainly agree with your concerns Jonno, and your thoughts on the reasons for the complacency of both major Parties is interesting. However, I'm far from convinced another level of bureaucracy will solve problems that are in any event largely created by the ineffectiveness of the existing political institutions.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2001

Interesting points. not sure my conscience would EVER allow me to vote Tory, but point taken...

At the moment, i'm more in favour of a direct action. From protesting about that GODAWFUL kit and in which sweatshops in China it's been made in to specifying exactly where the boundaries of 'geordieland' are.

What happened to the manufacturing base of this country? No one in their right mind wants to see a return to the condition that miner's worked in but we used to BUILD things that LASTED here.

Agree with the brain drain Jonno - Just ONE of the reasons i'll be home sooner rather than later but interestingly it's not just something contained to the NE but a very real threat here in NZ right now.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2001

The Labour Party has never felt comfortable with the free enterprise system. Deep down they believe that greater efficiency and and a more equitable society can be achieved by good planning. Well we saw what happened to some of our nationalized industries and our health system which were smothered by the administrators. In the Eastern bloc where planning was supreme, there was a catastrophic fall in the standard of living. Companies locate their operations where the business climate is favorable -- availability of the good workers, tax incentives, good communications, a minimum bureaucratic interference all of which serve to enable them to operate profitably in a high competitive market place. On my annual visits back to my roots, I fume about the lack of investment in good road facilities in the North East. Mr M might start by raising hell about some of the things that deter companies from locating in the NE rather than proposing more unnecessary bureaucracy

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2001

Min-are you sure the new kit is made in China, the kit has ben made in the UK for the past 30 years, It's a myth that was put around by the likes of Kevin Miles that the kit is made in the far-east. It's one of the things the board agreed with Adidas that a lot of the merchandise & kit is made in the NE & branded Adidas (to their high & exacting specifications)

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2001

I wouldn't support another layer of beuracracy, as Clarky said it'll stifle progress. What the NE could do with is a retraction of the welfare state. There are too many Tasha Slappas who's first move to create income is to get pregnant.

The area needs to make itself attractive to invest, the city coucil should help & speed up planning procedures rather than interfere & put up barriers. How long did it take NUFC to redevelop SJP - 70 years why the hell would a business choose Newcastle if planning & development takes so long.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2001

Dave,

not sure about the new kit. I'm presuming it's made in the far-east. The chances of it being made in the NE or anywhere else in the Uk are slim but I'd like to do a bit of investigation into though. Will get back to you.

As for investing in the region, well, the only way i can see of securing extra funding is from Europe - and the only way they would agree is to position ourselves in the same way that somewhere like Catalunya has - as a culturally distinct [and diverse] region of Europe with a specific identity. The central UK govt has done little to help us over the last 20 odd years so why should it start now? If anything we now have the 'ear' of Parliament with Blair, Mandleson and Milburn leading lights of the govt. Have we noticed a difference since 1997?

We have to take the initiative into our own hands and start managing the regional democracy, commerce and industry with fairness, collective ambition and drive. Don't expect anyone else to do it for us.

We start with a vision. We progress through managing our own destiny...

As for the 'tarts' thing, well, i still fail to see WHY anyone would put themselves through childbirth just to get some scabby, run-down council flat. Unless they haven't got a roof over their heads in the first place...a sad reflection on what we've done, in that case.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2001

Hi Min.....how`s you head? (;o)

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2001

bit sore but getting better, thanks.

off to see 'traffic' in a minute. Nice, light hearted subject matter for a sunday night at the cinema, eh?!

how's things?

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2001

Things are OK....feels like a transitional year in lots of respects now, but I am a very positive person, and I will put these feelings to good use.

You sound a bit chirpier. (:o)

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2001