IT would be too generous to accuse Kevin Meagher of confused thinking on regional assemblies, since scripted repetition requires no thought at all.

It is almost universally agreed, by both Labour and Conservative commentators, that the present Government is the most centralising peacetime government ever. Undermining the status of Parliament (which, apparently unbeknown to Mr Meagher, is comprised of local representatives), weakening local government and trying to stuff their placemen into the new toy parliaments are hardly good examples of a power-sharing ethos.

Let me be direct. John Prescott's White Paper differs little from a plan the European Commission was busily preparing on the quiet while we negotiated entry to the Common Market in 1971. This is but one component of a long-term plan to break up national identities, weaken national governments and promote a European identity and government.

Presenting the abolition of our 1000-year-old counties in favour of eight powerless regional bodies responsible for administering policies and grants from Brussels as a form of devolution is absurd.

I accept that Mr Meagher may feel that aspiring to create a fully working model of the USSR is a respectable position to take. However, I do object to the silent progress of this project, without any explanation of its far reaching aims, under the unlikely cover of "devolution".

Incidentally, Mr Meagher's latest script on the railways follows another familiar New Labour path. In fact, even supporters of privatisation, while appreciative of greatly increased investment and passenger numbers, tend to agree with him that it was a blunder to separate responsibilities for track and trains. This was to comply with EC directive 91/440 stipulating that track ownership must be separated from that of operational companies.

John Morris

Coniston Road

Blackrod, Bolton