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		East Midlands decisively rejects regional assemblies Thursday, 20 February 2003 An official government study of opinion about elected regional assemblies shows overwhelming opposition to the idea in the East Midlands. Opposers outnumbered supporters by nearly four to one, with 78.8% of all Yes/No respondents opposing the government's plans. Even including a large number of indeterminate responses, a majority of all submissions opposed elected assemblies. The office of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott invited submissions from interested organisations and concerned citizens on the government's proposals for regional assemblies. Prescott's office took a rather aggressive attitude in rejecting multiple submissions from organised campaigns - including over two thousand from a campaign conducted by Conservative MEPs in the South East. However even when results were limited to individual letters and e-mails, opinion was still very hostile. The East Midlands result was closely mirrored by the national figures, where 78% of those who expressed a view were against an elected Regional Assembly. Only one English region, the North East, showed a majority for an elected assembly. The current (non-elected) East Midlands Regional Assembly (EMRA) has voted not to pursue an elected assembly at this time. Speaking in Brussels this week, East Midlands Conservative Euro-MP Roger Helmer, a member of EMRA, said: "These results show the overwhelming opposition amongst ordinary people to Prescott's regionalisation plans. These plans are part of the EU's objective of "a Europe of regions governed from Brussels". East Midlands voters identify with their county and their country, rather than with artificial regions drawn up by officials in Whitehall or Brussels." Chris Heaton-Harris MEP, who led the Conservative Campaign in the East Midlands, said: "This is victory for Conservatives and voters across the East Midlands. Regional assemblies would not devolve power from Westminster to local people. On the contrary, regional assemblies would take powers away from local county councils and none from National Government". More data on Prescott's survey is available on: www.regions.odpm.gov.uk/governance/progress/response