DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott has rejected calls to scrap the unelected South East England Regional Assembly and challenged Kent Tories to give up their places on it if they do not agree.

Mr Prescott came under fire after voters overwhelmingly rejected plans for an elected assembly in the North East. That has prompted a political row over the future of the unelected assemblies that were set up in 1998.

But Mr Prescott insisted in a parliamentary debate on Monday that SEERA – a 111-strong organisation made up of mainly local councillors from the region - would stay, even though he admitted it was “not as good as assemblies with directly elected members”.

And he accused one Kent Conservative MP of “whining” over plans that could see SEERA increase house-building in the county.

Mr Prescott told MPs: “We will keep regional Government offices and regional development agencies, and as for the regional assemblies, we will keep them also.

“They are not as good as assemblies with directly elected members, but people are directly appointed to them. Elected councillors serve on them, so they can make decisions about regional priorities instead of the unelected members of quangos. I think that is right.”

If the Tories did not agree, then they should resign from the assembly, he added.

“They joined them voluntarily. If the Tories do not want them, they can get off them. If they want to be honest, that is what they should do.”

Ashford MP Damian Green said SEERA should be scrapped and described its plans for extra homes in the county as “manical”.

He said: “It is not just a waste of money but is actively doing more harm than good to the quality of life of my constituents and many other people in the South East.”

Mr Prescott retaliated by accusing Mr Green of “whining”.

“It was his area that wanted growth and houses and it was his area that wanted the Channel Tunnel Rail Link to stop there. It was bound to be one of the growth areas…[he] should stop whining and enjoy the advantages.”