Key figures from all parts of the political spectrum met at Stockbridge Town Hall to discuss plans for regional governments.

The meeting was arranged by Stockbridge resident, Tony Cathcart-Jones, and it attracted more than 50 people.

Mr Cathcart-Jones said: "I was very surprised at the turn-out. It is not a subject everyone wishes to hear about."

The former vice-chairman of Stockbridge Parish Council was moved to organise the meeting following the introduction of a code of conduct which parish councillors were forced to sign earlier this year.

Mr Cathcart-Jones and others resigned rather than sign it. "I suspected the code was more than just a government edict and I found that it centred on regional assemblies," he said.

Southampton Test MP, Alan Whitehead, spoke first and said that moving whole government departments to regions had been shown not to work. But, he said, it was right to encourage regions to develop their own resources. He pointed to three things in favour of regionalisation: economic benefits, improved democracy and accountability and that important decisions were taken at the right level.

He said many quangos currently operated at regional level but these were not accountable. A BBC poll had shown that on a national level people were in favour of regional governments. He added however: "If we are to have regional government it has to be because people want it...It has to be legitimised in the form of a referendum."

The MP also raised the question of the boundary of a south-east region. It was currently suggested that the region should stretch from Milton Keynes to the New Forest and to Dover. While stopping short of proposing a Wessex region, he suggested that a south-central region might be more appropriate.

Michael Woodhall, deputy leader of Hampshire County Council, argued passionately against the proposals. "The Government is making an offer people don't understand and don't want to understand. They are very happy with the way services are being delivered and don't want further change."

He queried why anyone would want another tier and asked if that would mean the loss of parish, district or county councils, pointing to Hampshire County Council's own poll that showed 75% did not like the idea of regional government and were happy with what they had.

Taking a more neutral line, Alan Jones, chief executive of Test Valley Borough Council, looked at a number of issues regarding regional government.

He pointed out that it was necessary to go back to Anglo Saxon times for any form of regional government in England. The crux of the issue, he suggested, lay in whether regional government sucked power up from local government or drew it down from central government.

He told the meeting that "the genie was out of the bottle" since there were many bodies already carrying out regional activities. But it was remained to be seen if regional government added value.

Any strength would lie in the diversity of a region, not in its unification. It would, as others had said, be expensive to introduce, but the White Paper had not made it clear how it would make things more democratic. Mr Jones was also puzzled by the criteria for a referendum which seemed to suggest it would only be held if they already knew the answer.

Michael Wigley, of the Democracy Movement, pointed out that regionalisation was encouraged by the European Union, which gave funding to regions. He said this was at odds with the British government's claim that it was its own idea. He was sceptical of regional government bringing greater democracy.

During a lively discussion, Test Valley councillor, David Drew, questioned how it could be more democratic and added: "If it isn't broken, don't fix it."

Alan Whitehead responded by saying that the regional elected representatives were in addition to MPs. He also emphasised there was no suggestion of getting rid of parish councils.