John B wrote in
:

Hmm. Central government has the power to restructure local government.
Had the 1980s Tory government been primarily concerned with
administrative efficiency, it would have removed some powers from the
boroughs and some from itself and given them to the GLC (and also
GMCC). Instead, it wiped out that level of government completely.

...and it's planning to do the same again with the English regions.
And probably the feckin' GLA too. Grr.

Apart from the obvious point that the 1980s Tory government has don alll
it's ever going to do, "the Engligh regions" scarcely exist. The regional
assemblies are expensive undemocratic talking shops, and the voters in the
North-East euro region (thought the one most likely to approve the concept)
resoundingly defeated the concept of an elected regional assembly by more
than 3:1.

Oh, and in any case the regional assemblies as they stand are already in
the process of being abolished.