SGK

As I said back in October, there are different possibilities here. The old counties have actually never been changed, but the administrative bounderies have departed from their traditional lines. One of the problems being that the administrative bodies invariably call themselves 'county' councils. The other problem being that they seem to have an unlimited budget for advertising themselves and putting up signs along their administrative borders.
It would be quite a simple thing to ban both these practises. This would have several benefits, as far as I can see:
1, there would be cost savings as signage would not be put up and then replaced at every boundary reallignment.
2, it would be irrelevant what the name of the administration area was called (i.e. Humberside)
3, people would be able to separate belonging and identity from administrative bureauocracy.
4, people would regain their original counties, which people seem to be in favour of.
5, maps would be consistent and stay valid for longer.

The second possibility is the reverting back to the county boundaries for administrative purposes. Although I actually favour something along these lines, I don't think it has a chance in a million. There are also many complications with trying to implement this.

English-Patriot

Middlesex should be restored to its exact historical state.
Its powers should be those currently in the hands of the London Regional Assembly.

SteveD

Alternative suggestion: retain Greater London as a regional unit, but amalgamate the constituent boroughs into four local authorities called 'South West Essex', 'North West Kent', 'North (or North East) Surrey', and, er, 'Middlesex'.

Strike

Middlesex is really London, anything within the M25 is London in my opinion. Don't get why people there like to say they are not from London.

Strike

Joking by the way.

Britannist

Because they're in Middlesex. Why should they say they are from London? It says so in their postal address, too: i.e. addresses in Harrow, Twickenham, Wembley, Enfield, Shepperton, Uxbridge etc. :shock:

Bryan Parry

I live in Middlesex, always have. I think re-instating middlesex country council would be a good thing (whilst Middlesex isn't "coherent like soem counties, from Chiswick to Staines, Enfield to Brentford, all the towns of Middlesex have thigns in common, I think, particularly from west-to-east/east-to-west).

I think "Greater London might do well to exist as well, however, but in parallel with Mioddlesex.

Question: what would Middlesex's boudnaries be? Most folks think of Middlesex as, as I said, Staines to Chiswick, and Enfield to Brentford, ruffly, however, historically, most of "central" london was part of "Middlesex", too, albeit only nominally.

[EDIT]Dunno what Paul's on about, cos most people around here write "middlesex" on their letters. In fact, almost all. People in this part of Middlesex certainly know they are in Middlesex. I wunder where Paul gets off thinking he knows something about this when clearly he clearly doesn't (he lived on IOW last tiem I checked).

Bryan Parry

well, because if you live in "Greater" London, then you know that Ashford, Staines, Hounslow, Brentford are distinctly NOT Hammersmith, Westminster, Southwark..... They're not the same thing at all.