Part of Birmingham

Why not put it to the people democratically - have a referendum? After all Scotland had no problem with getting a referendum for something similar and even though they didn`t get total separation - they are going to get the next best thing. I`ll bet they are not worrying about chumming up with Tyneside

Was talking to a chap who runs a shop in north Birmingham, the other day. I ring him every so often to buy stuff for my hobby and I mentioned the local controversy, in Coventry, about joining Birmingham. He reckons that they are enthusiastic about it as they are feeling the pinch as well and reckon we`d all be better off joining together.

So there is an outcry to leave the European Union yet enthusiasm for making metropolitan boroughs. It just makes it easier for central government - they need only to make one argument for saying 'No' rather than half a dozen.

While a lot of that may be true, I think your conclusions have gone a bit "FIFA-ish". The HS2 terminal as Coventry's access to the gravy boat? Or a way of ensuring the development of the 100k new town around it as has been suggested, adding further competition and closing the gap between us and Birmingham until we become a conjoined conurbation as Wolverhampton now is. If you wish to take advantage of this how would being in Coventry help? You'd want to be near the interchange. Also, with these benefits potentially available why instead shouldn't Coventry push for its own station off a spur? We asked about it, and was told it was unfeasible. Birmingham said it was a ridiculous suggestion. Yet Birmingham gets a central stop when that has all the same feasibility problems as Coventry. But have you seen the amount of redevelopment cash part of their centre is getting to build the station, then the economic gains it would get from it being there? You could build an HS2 spur and stop in Coventry for a fraction of the price of the Birmingham one - you could build the whole of Friargate and do the NUCKLE thing with that cash.

Having been on holiday for a couple of weeks I have only just read the gist of the thread and I have some mixed feelings, along the lines of some others it would seem. I now live in Sutton Coldfield, which comes under the administration of Birmingham since the reorganisation of 1974. There has been a long campaign for it to return to having its own council, which the town's population would certainly justify. Sutton certainly has not lost its sense of identity, but it does suffer from being lumped into a large borough in a way that Solihull doesn't. When the West Midlands county was formed in 1974 it comprised seven districts, Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Solihull and Sandwell, with only the last being a 'manufactured' district. The rest all retained similar boundaries to before. Coventry, as a unitary authority, had previously had no real administrative links with Warwickshire, and in reality becoming part of the West Midlands was not detrimental at all. I worked for Coventry City Council until 1974, for the West Midlands County Council from 1974-86, and for Birmingham Council from 1986 until 1998. I also had dealings with many other councils over those years. I can state with great confidence that the West Midlands Council was far and away the most efficient of any of them, and the only one that was not hidebound by bureaucracy. We actually got things done with little political interference. The politicians and officers worked together, there were not layers upon layers of management, and money was not wasted on vanity projects or politically correct nonsense. The Metropolitan councils were collateral damage in an act of political spite which saw the end of the GLC, (or the 'Abolition of Red Ken Act' as Private Eye called it.) In 1986 we returned to the pre-1974 set-ups which went back to petty in-fighting, waste, micro-management and empire building, with everything duplicated 7 times over. Coventry had regressed into the past and it felt more like 1954. The progress made was mostly wasted and co-operation fell apart. I rather doubt that the re-establishment of those organisations would get us back to the days of progress now. That desire for political posturing actually destroyed any chance of progress in local government, a legacy that lasts to this day.

So Mr D-Di, am I to understand your conclusion is that amalgamation should proceed. I quote Pixrobin's comment as follows: "So there is an outcry to leave the European Union yet enthusiasm for making metropolitan boroughs. It just makes it easier for central government - they need only to make one argument for saying 'No' rather than half a dozen" Is there a danger with the establishment of these "Power Blocks" that the UK will be irretrievably co-operating in EU machinations to complete the drive to "ever closer union", by stealth? I would add an edit. Have the citizens most affected by all the detailed changes in their governanance ever been allowed a voice in the outcome? (I previously posted a comment that I felt there was a feeling of their "doing at you")

No. If you read it again you will see that I conclude that amalgamation would not work now. That ship sailed long ago. The WMCC worked incredibly well in those 12 years because of the way it was set up. Very local issues were dealt with by Coventry but the bigger, strategic issues were dealt with on a regional level. It was constructed quite logically so there was co-operation but no overlap. None of the districts ever lost their identity in those years because the district councils still functioned. However, come 1986 metropolitan councils were just smashed up and thrown back to the districts which became unitary, and all the expertise and specialist staff were spread between the 7 districts so it was like trying to complete a puzzle with only a few of the parts. It was political vandalism on a huge scale and resulted in a shambles that suited nobody. If it were to be attempted again the reason would not be to provide services in a better or more efficient way. It would be an attempt to save money, which means provide a poorer service. So there is no point, reorganising for the sake of it never works. Power blocks were never an issue because the councils did different things. People are becoming paranoid about the influence of the EU but it is classic misdirection. Far better to consider how many everyday services are now run by unaccountable quangos or private companies rather than councils. Nobody was ever consulted when that commenced, it was all done by stealth.

Coventry moving forward to join greater Birmingham Coventry Telegraph

Hi all Hi Morgana, I have mixed feelings regards centralising admin. As has been said before, so much of Coventry's admin is B'ham based already. Centro who organise our public transport are B'ham based & have been in charge for nearly forty years. It is frustrating when you ring 999 for an ambulance & they do not know the locality, but wait until you have to ring a B'ham based Dr's appointment system so as to see a GP. I am sure that is on the cards. Providing all the staff are properly trained, centralising admin does have its cost saving benefits. The problems associated with not having local knowledge is not just an issue of a B'ham central admin though. Look at the number of occasions when our own Coventry Telegraph print incorrect geographical details, because the staff do not know the locality. We will see, hey.

Hi Philip, thanks for your reply. This has just proved we don't live in a democracy as not many weeks ago there was a vote on this for the Coventy people and 89 per cent voted no to joining Birmingham. Also my daughter's friend was told on election day she was to use only a pencil to vote to mark her X as she had her pen out ready. She said she will be using her pen and did continue to use her pen. Can any one tell me why only a pencil can be used to vote, which can be erased, unlike a pen.

A good question Morgana

Apparently, Warwickshire wants to join with Coventry and not Birmingham/Black Country. And rightly so. This city needs to regain what it lost, and also be the transport hub for the C&W region. Most of our industry and jobs are used by Warwickshire folk and straddle borders, and the city's knowledge based industry has far more in common with Warwickshire than people think. We'd be stupid to lump ourselves with a huge conurbation that has massive problems. Coventry has different infrastructure needs to Birmingham and Black Country. http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-warwickshire-not-small-attract-9297405 The council have been lying when they say 'C&W is too small'. C&W is perfectly viable: When is this city going to wake up to the 70 years of sustained destruction Labour have wreaked on this city.

Your so right Flapdoodle it is time that the people of Coventry woke up to what the Labour Council has done to this City and now they want to finish us off by joining with Birmingham. The reason they want to join with Birmingham is nothing to do with Warwickshire being to small its the fact that if we join with Warwickshire they'll be shown up for what thieves and vagabonds they are because they'll be working alongside councils that have managed their budgets for the good of the residents and not just to line their own pockets and pay for their drinking trips. Ann Lucas needs to answer two questions 1 why did she put this on hold for the election? and 2 Why is it necessary to try and rush this through now. Obviously both questions can be answered in one word VOTES. If anyone has seen the telegraph poll over the past couple of days its overwhelming what the electorate want. we need these labour parasites of our council before our city becomes a forgotten place.

Coventry faces tough decision.

Warwickshire is a small state, run by WDC and sometimes run very badly. I think that it is the best all-rounder of any county in the UK, and despite extensive travelling to all parts UK, I was always glad to be back.

That said, no city in the great new plan of things is TAKING OVER. All that is happening is a change of grouping that will allow for better funding and overall integrated planning with the other main groups. There will be no 'School for Brummies' setting up in Coventry, and there will be no airborne leaflet drop over Birmingham explaining the virtues of a Coventry 'PORK BATCH'. Each city and town will retain its own identity just as all of the towns in that nasty state WARWICKSHIRE have managed to do over hundreds of years.