The former leader of the Conservative party William Hague has criticised plans for a regional assembly for Yorkshire and Humber.

Mr Hague, who was visiting Bradford for the launch of the region's Conservative candidates for the forthcoming European elections, added his support to the independent Yorkshire Says No campaign.

The public will be asked to vote on the issue in a referendum in October.

Mr Hague said: "I think people should vote no in the referendum.

"I think it would be a terrible waste of money.

"People are already paying very high council tax."What is it going to mean if we have another set of politicians? Higher council tax.

"The Government has made clear that the regional assemblies won't get greater resources, which means money out of people's pockets."

He said he felt having another layer of politicians would make government seem more remote.

"Local councils will lose some of their powers to the regional assemblies," he said. "Local decisions will be taken further away from people."

"Even as it is, people often resent the decisions made by councillors who represent wards that are different from the places they make decisions about."

As a Yorkshireman, Mr Hague said he understood the diversity of the region.

"We are all proud of being from Yorkshire, certainly I am, and very conscious of it.

"I think we share some common characteristics throughout the county, but it is very diverse.

"I grew up in Rotherham in South Yorkshire and that is very different from Richmond, where I now live.

"We all belong to Yorkshire but councils in South Yorkshire have to decide about different things than councils in North York-shire, which is why we should have local government rather than a regional assembly."

Mr Hague was the opening speaker at a Conservative Conference held at the Hanover International Hotel, Bradford on Saturday.

He was joined by Timothy Kirkhope MEP, the leader of the conservative candidate team in Yorkshire and the Humber, John Watson, the chairman of the Yorkshire Says No campaign group and Skipton MP David Curry, the shadow secretary of state for Local and Devolved Government Affairs.