+ Bring government closer, say northern bishops

BY LUKE COPPEN
FOUR CATHOLIC bishops have appealed to the Government to allow a referendum on an elected regional assembly for the North West of England.
In a letter to the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, the bishops predicted that an assembly for the North West would revive local democracy and regenerate the local economy.
The bishops — Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool, Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue of Lancaster, Bishop Brian Noble of Shrewsbury and Auxiliary Bishop Vincent Malone of Liverpool — said they
believed there was a prima facie case for having a regional assembly.
"If a referendum is called, we shall encourage maximum participation by church people," they said.
The letter, which was also signed by eight Church of England bishops, five Methodist district chairmen and leaders from the Salva
tion Army, the Baptist Union and the United Reformed Church, was written in response to the Government White Paper Your Region Your Choice.
The Church leaders said they supported "the devolution of powers nearer to those affected by the exercise of those powers". "This practice of subsidiarity, a term derived from church life, will help prevent the further decline of our electoral system of representative democracy."
The leaders said they believed there was "sufficient public interest" to warrant a referendum and encouraged Mr Prescott to hold a vote "as soon as possible".