AZAR Ali, the deposed Labour leader of Pendle Council, is set to lead the campaign for a 'yes' vote in next year's referendum on regional government.
Mr Ali, who lost his seat in the May elections, will head up the campaign which aims to persuade people that a yes vote will mean a brighter future for East Lancashire.
He was chairman of the North West Regional Assembly until May, which is currently an unelected body representing North West councils.
But if people vote yes in a referendum, it could become an electable body, and a shake-up of local government would follow on, with Lancashire County Council probably being scrapped and borough councils changing into unitaries likes Blackburn with Darwen did in 1998.
Mr Ali said: "East Lancashire is already emerging as a leading sub-region within the North West and I think that can only get better.
"With a regional assembly people will be able to go and knock on the door of the people who make the decisions about housing, regeneration, transport and so on rather than having to go to Westminster."
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