Politics student Tom Waterhouse is rallying support for an English parliament - claiming Oxfordshire's future is under threat.

Tom Waterhouse says action is needed

Mr Waterhouse, 20, of Winterborne Road, Abingdon, has written to Oxfordshire's six MPs to call for their support.

The University of Leicester student wants England to be given its own parliament like the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Parliament.

He says this would remove the need for nine regional assemblies which the Government is now promoting through referendums.

If a regional assembly is given power in the South East, county councils including Oxfordshire would be abolished. Mr Waterhouse said: "I love Oxfordshire and I love England, which is why I'm opposed to the plans for regionalisation, which would see both cease to exist in any meaningful, political sense.

"The alternative to regional assemblies is a national parliament for England that would have devolved powers from Westminster."

Last month, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott insisted referendums for elected regional assemblies would go ahead, despite concerns about all-postal voting.

Ballots in Yorkshire and the Humber, and the North West, were put on hold over concerns about electoral fraud and may not take place until next year. A poll in the North East is set to go ahead in November.

The South East England Regional Assembly (Seera) already meets to discuss regional issues. County council leader Keith Mitchell, who is Seera's planning chairman, said: "Tom sounds like a good chap. We're definitely on the same side.

"I can see the sense in limiting votes on English issues to English MPs, but I wouldn't like to see another layer of government."

For more information about the Campaign for an English Parliament, log on to www.thecep.org.uk