'No' to new regions
Sir: I was disappointed to read Mr George Gale's article (3 December), arguing for the abolition of county councils and the institutioo of new large regional councils. It seems to me that we have had enough local government reorganisation in the recent past to last us for a very long time. We are over-governed; and the solution to this is neither to create yet another layer of government, nor to abolish the historic county system, but to abolish the superfluous district councils introduced in 1972. People still feel a sense of belonging to a county, and no sense of belonging to any of the artificial new districts.
The county of Surrey has some meaning for me: the district of Waverley does not. The county system suffered some quite unjustifiable alterations in 1972; to abolish it altogether would be an act of deplorable vandalism.
Secondly, it also seems to me that there is no real parallel between an English region and Scotland or Wales. The whole area from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire in the north to Herefordshire in the west and to Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire in the south would, I suppose, constitute a Midlands region — or possibly two regions, a North Midlands and a South Midlands region, Does Mr Gale imagine that such a region would arouse any sort of popular loyalty? Again, what useful purpose would be served by merging counties such as Cornwall and Yorkshire, which undoubtedly do command popular loyalty, into a South-west and a North-east region respectively? People regard themselves as Cornishmen or Yorkshiremen,not as Southwesterners, North Midlanders or Northeasteners. And no new region would resemble Scotland in size anyway, while most Scots would surely resent their country being relegated to standing on the same level as London or the South-east.
It seems to me that local government has suffered enough of a mauling already, and that there is no useful purpose to be served by indulging in further wholesale innovations.
Alan Dolton The Post Office, Elstead, nr. Godalming, Surrey
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