Some people in the Northern regions, (North East England, North West England, and Yorkshire and the Humber) have expressed interest in having elected assemblies, and the Labour Government plans to hold referenda there in the near future. Elected assemblies are to be introduced in each region if desired by the population of the region in question.
However, there is also opposition to the introduction of such assemblies. Opponents of regionalism argue that instead of decentralising power from London, the new tier of government will simply take power away from county councils, and that the assemblies will be far weaker than those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
There are nine regions, each with a government office and a few associated institutions, including a Regional Development Agency (RDA), known by different names in different regions, such as ONE North East, Yorkshire Forward, Advantage West Midlands, and EMDA (East Midlands Development Agency). Greater London is a special case because it has an elected mayor and is governed by the London Assembly.