CONTROVERSIAL proposals to hold polls on "home rule" in Yorkshire have finally been killed off by a disconsolate John Prescott.

In a statement to MPs, the Deputy Prime Minister abandoned the postponed polls in Yorkshire and the North West after last week's overwhelming 'No' vote in the North East.

Mr Prescott said the poll - in which 78 per cent of voters rejected devolution - led to the scrapping of the draft Regional Assemblies Bill.

He effectively ruled out a referendum for a Yorkshire assembly, which would have had up to 35 members, a budget of £500m and powers over housing, culture, economic development and planning.

Mr Prescott blamed the decision on an inability to implement a new voting method which would be needed for a poll before September 2005 - not the decisive anti-devolution result in the North East.

He said: "This would result in a long period of uncertainty for local government in Yorkshire and the Humber, which we do not think is acceptable.

"I will not therefore be bringing forward orders for a referendum.

"If and when, in the future, a region does not want to move ahead with a referendum, the House of Commons will have plenty of notice of that event."

Tory shadow regions minister Caroline Spelman said the North East vote was a "humiliating defeat" for the Government.

She said the plans were rejected because: "The people understood loud and clear that the assembly would not put one more doctor, teacher or policeman into service."

John Grogan, Labour MP for Selby, said: "I think the problem was that the public did not believe the powers a regional assembly would have had were sufficient to reduce the economic and social disparities between the north and south."

John Greenway, Tory MP for Ryedale, said: "Most people in North Yorkshire -

a county 100 miles wide - think they already have regional government through the county council. The Deputy Prime Minister should get on with devolving powers back to it."

Updated: 10:30 Tuesday, November 09, 2004