THE emphatic 'no' vote against the North East Assembly has killed off all plans to create elected assemblies across England.

Nevertheless, as a leading voice of small businesses in the UK, the Forum of Private Business (FPB) is determined to move the devolution debate on.

The Government was right to realise the need for more delegation of powers from Whitehall. But its solution fundamentally flawed and massively unpopular.

A clear weakness of the proposals for elected assemblies was the focus on regions devised by civil servants which had little sense of cohesion or identity. They are unwanted and unworkable.

However, the FPB believes there is a discussion to be had on refining the basic proposition. Can more power be given to local communities, rather than unwieldy regions?

Can this be done by giving more power to local councils for example? The business community, the general public, politicians and the media must work together to keep the devolution debate alive.

LEN COLLINSON, National Chairman, The Forum of Private Business, Knutsford, Cheshire.