List of tablesList of figuresList of mapsContributors1. Introduction – Mark Sandford 2. Elected regional assemblies in England: an anatomy of policy failure – Charlie Jeffery3. The grassroots and the elites: campaigns promoting regionalism in England – Mark Sandford 4. The North-East Referendum – the result and public reaction – Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher 5. Campaigning and the media: the North-East referendum of November 2004 – Steven Musson, Peter John and Adam Tickell 6. The Local Government Review: Banham revisited? – Steve Leach 7. The sub-national governance of England: alternatives to regions? – Alan Harding 8. The Devolution Referenda in Wales 1979 and 1997 – Rebecca Davies 9. Regional evolution: the future role of the regions in the governance of England – Mark Sandford 10. Elected regional assemblies: lessons for better policy-making – Tim May and Simon Marvin 11. Conclusion – Mark Sandford Appendix A: Timeline of major events Appendix B: Referendum results Appendix C: Glossary of acronyms Appendix D: Referendum questions Bibliography Index

This book provides the only available historical account and comprehensive assessment of the factors surrounding the 2004 referendum on an elected assembly in the North-East region of England. The referendum delivered a ‘no’ vote of considerable magnitude and called a halt to the programme of gradual reform being pushed through by the Labour government. This book examines the campaigns around and the lead-up to the referendum, and offers in-depth analysis of the result, plus explorations of future options available to policy-makers around the sub-national governance of England (a key aspect of the ‘English Question’). Crucially, the book contains chapters from scholars who carried out cutting-edge research at the time of the referendum and are thus in a unique position to contribute authoritatively to the historical understanding of these events. This volume will be of great benefit to students and researchers in Regional Studies, Local Government Studies and Constitutional Studies.