Member News
Voting has ended in the referendum on a North East assembly, with around half of those who were eligible casting their ballots.
By early Thursday evening, turnout was put at around 45 per cent, with over 840,000 people taking part in the vote.
Earlier this week there had been fears that the all-postal ballot was failing to spark public interest, but the latest figures are set to ease those concerns.
As counting gets underway, John Prescott will be anxiously waiting for signs of whether his vision of regional government has been rejected by voters.
The deputy prime minister has been the driving force behind plans to establish regional centres of power.
It is hoped the North East referendum could pave the way for similar moves in the North West and in Yorkshire and Humberside.
Prescott has insisted that an assembly, if approved, would have a "mandate for change".
But the No campaign says a negative result would consign the deputy prime minister's regional devolution plan "to the dustbin".
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd