A TOP North Yorkshire councillor today said he hoped proposals for a regional assembly were "dead and buried", following the resounding defeat for the idea in the north-east.

After the massive snub to Deputy PM John Prescott's scheme, politicians across York and North Yorkshire now believe it is unlikely plans for Yorkshire Home Rule will be revived in the foreseeable future.

Hambleton District Council's leader, Coun Arthur Barker, who has been speaking for all the North Yorkshire district councils on the issue, said: "Everyone believed the postponement of our referendum was based more on the Government wanting to see how it went in the north-east than on a problem with postal ballots.

"After such a resounding result I hope it is now dead and buried."

Plans for a regional assembly in Yorkshire and Humberside would have meant a massive overhaul of local government in North Yorkshire, with one of the existing council tiers being abolished.

But while district council leaders and their North Yorkshire County Council counterparts put forward rival plans for the future of local authorities in the county, they were united in welcoming the north-east referendum result.

County council leader John Weighell, said he was "very pleased" with outcome, adding that plans for a Yorkshire assembly were now probably off the political radar for the "foreseeable future".

City of York Council's deputy leader, Andrew Waller, was not surprised Labour's "half-baked" plans were rejected.

"Anything too closely associated with John Prescott was doomed, even if there was no desire to maintain unaccountable Whitehall decision making," said Coun Waller, who is also Liberal Democrat prospective Parliamentary candidate for York.

Paul Kind, chairman of York's constituency Labour Party, agreed it was always going to be hard to promote what many considered to be "just another talking shop".

But he said the "no" vote gave Labour the chance to look afresh at the balance of power between local and central government.

Anti-assembly critic Ryedale MP John Greenway has said the idea was now "dead in the water".

Supporter Hugh Bayley, Labour MP for City of York, admitted doubts had been cast on regional government in Yorkshire.

John Grogan, Labour MP for Selby, said he thought there would not now be a White Rose referendum.

Updated: 10:44 Monday, November 08, 2004