John Prescott has pulled the plug on devolution referendums in the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber.
Having "reflected" on last week's result in the North East, in which voters recorded an overwhelming "no" to the idea of an elected regional assembly, the deputy prime minister announced that to continue with plans would be "unfair" for local government.
The Electoral Commission had put the polls on hold until September of next year at the earliest, pending a reassessment of the all-postal voting system.
And with Prescott's powers to call the elections running out next July, he claimed that the need for new legislation, combined with the rejection of his scheme in the North East, would leave councils facing too much "uncertainty" over their future role.
"The decision rests with the people. It is their choice... we abide by their decision," he said.
But he defended the use of all-postal voting which he said "can be successful when the ground is well laid".
"The Electoral Commission should reflect on this," he added pointedly.
Plans rejected
The deputy prime minister's plans were dealt a devastating blow last week when the region voted by 696,519 to 197,310 against the plans.
Prescott had already said the government will not introduce the Regional Assemblies Bill, and will not implement the local government changes in the North East an assembly would have required.
But he reaffirmed his belief that decisions should be taken at a regional level.
Shadow spokesman Caroline Spelman told MPs that the vote was "a humiliating defeat" for ministers.
"The people understood loud and clear that the assembly would not put one more doctor, teacher or policeman into service," she said.
The Conservative said the government should be held to account for "wasting" millions of pounds holding the poll.
"I am not going to ask the honourable gentleman to resign, because he won't," she told Prescott.
However Prescott claimed that shadow regions secretary Bernard Jenkin should "eat his hat" after telling ePolitix.com that he would do so if turnout approached 50 per cent.
Liberal Democrats spokesman Ed Davey called for planning powers to be handed over to councils, despite the referendum result.
