Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was in the firing line today as the Government launched plans for a referendum in Bradford and across the region on a Yorkshire Parliament.

Business leaders and politicians accused him of wasting millions of pounds of public money on a referendum which few were bothered about.

A public consultation fetched just 8,000 responses over an issue affecting 42 million people.

But Mr Prescott said there was high interest in Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East and North West, the first areas where people will get a say.

And campaigners fighting for a

history-making Tyke assembly revealed their plans to target Bradford as a city with a population big enough to sway the balance of the vote.

The Campaign for Yorkshire is planning events across the district and urging people to use their votes to set up an assembly of 25 to 35 elected members.

But Mr Prescott's announcement of the first three referendums left North Yorkshire County Council fighting for survival.

Mr Prescott has ordered a review by the Boundaries Commission of areas which have two tiers of local Government, including North Yorkshire.

The authority, which covers areas including Skipton, will now push for a single council for North Yorkshire working with town and parish councils.

Bradford Council leader Councillor Margaret Eaton said: "This referendum is going to be an enormous waste of public money. It has been clearly demonstrated that people have no interest in it."

Eric Pickles, shadow local government minister and former Bradford Council leader said: "If the people of Bradford want to be ruled by Leeds, this is the recipe for them.

"The people of Skipton also have an uncertain future."

Tory MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber Timothy Kirkhope said: "It would simply be another costly talking shop with very few actual powers."

But Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe said: "It would give people within the region the opportunity to make their own decisions. But I understand the fears that people are raising."

Councillor David Ford (Green, Shipley West) welcomed the referendum and said the party would be voting in favour.

It was also welcomed by Councillor Ian Greenwood, Labour group leader as good news for the people of Bradford.

"This will give people the right to choose their own destinies," he said.

The referendum is expected to be held in Autumn next year and Mr Prescott expects the first regional assembly to be up and running early in the next Parliament.

Costs of running the administration would be about £25 million, including about £5 million on staff.

It would be able to levy taxes and gain control of economic development, skills and employment, housing and transport strategies, planning and waste management, culture and tourism.

Churches across the region today welcomed the referendum plan.

The Churches Regional Commission, which represents some 3,600 churches, said it would give people the right to decide, rather than have decisions taken from the centre.