Regions of England

London South East South West West Midlands North West North East Yorkshire and the Humber East Midlands East of England

The region (also known as Government Office region) is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity in England. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Travel guide to England from Wikitravel English language English law English (people) List of monarchs of England – Kings of England family tree List of English people Angeln (region in northern Germany, presumably the origin of the Angles for whom England is named) UK... Image File history File links numbered map of the regions of England File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... South East England is one of the official regions of England. ... South West England is one of the regions of England. ... The West Midlands is a geographical term describing the western half of central England, known as the Midlands. ... North West England is one of the regions of England. ... North East England is one of the regions of England. ... Yorkshire and The Humber is one of the regions of England. ... The East Midlands is one of the regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the tradional region of the Midlands. ... East of England is one of the official regions of England. ... Government Offices are the primary means by which a wide range of policies and programmes of the Government of the United Kingdom are delivered in the regions of England. ... The United Kingdom is divided into four parts, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Travel guide to England from Wikitravel English language English law English (people) List of monarchs of England – Kings of England family tree List of English people Angeln (region in northern Germany, presumably the origin of the Angles for whom England is named) UK...

England is divided into nine regions each containing one or more county level entities. The regions were created in 1994 by John Major's government and since 1999 have been used as England's European Parliament constituencies [1] and as statistical NUTS level 1 regions. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... The Right Honourable Sir John Major, KG, CH (born 29 March 1943) is a twat who served in the Cabinets of Margaret Thatcher as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer before succeeding Thatcher as Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom... The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ... The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) in the United Kingdom is a subdivision of the UK devised by Eurostat. ...

Merseyside originally constituted a region in itself. In 1998 it was merged into the North West England region. [2] Merseyside is a metropolitan county, located in the North West of England. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... North West England is one of the regions of England. ...

The Regions are to be used for fire brigade co-ordination in the future, with one headquarters for each region. [3] The current plans for consolidated the number of police forces propose merging forces within the confines of the current Government Office regions. Fire brigades in the United Kingdom are organised on a territorial basis. ... A Police Constable of West Yorkshire Police on patrol The United Kingdom has a number of similar but independent police services. ... Government Offices are the primary means by which a wide range of policies and programmes of the Government of the United Kingdom are delivered in the regions of England. ...

Current powers

Main article: Regional Assemblies in England

The powers of the regions are very limited and there are no elected regional governments except for London. Regional Assembly is a title which has universally been adopted by the English bodies established as regional chambers under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. ...

Each region has a Government Office and a few associated institutions, including a Regional Development Agency (RDA) and an assembly. As there are no regional elections, local representatives on regional bodies are nominated by county, unitary authority and borough councils. London is a special case because it has an elected mayor and an assembly with powers in a number of policy areas. Government Offices are the primary means by which a wide range of policies and programmes of the Government of the United Kingdom are delivered in the regions of England. ... Regional Development Agencies are Non-Departmental Public Bodies, sponsored by Central Government Departments, for the development of each of the UKs Government Office regions. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single-tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ... Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... The current Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. ... The London Assembly is an elected body that supervises the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London. ...

Regional devolution

The Labour Government announced that it wished to increase the power of government at the regional level, as part of the "devolution" that led to elected assemblies in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and part of the concept of regions in the EU. The present nominated regional assemblies would be replaced by elected bodies. The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... It has been suggested that Devolved government be merged into this article or section. ... Transport in Scotland List of not fully sovereign nations National parks (Scotland) Traditional music of Scotland Castles in Scotland Museums in Scotland Abbeys and priories in Scotland List of Universities in Scotland List of Scots List of Scottish writers List of Monarchs of Scotland References This article does not cite... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English, Welsh Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff First Minister Rhodri Morgan Area  - Total Ranked 3rd UK 20,779 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 3rd UK 2,903,085 140/km² NUTS 1... Royal motto: Quis separabit (Latin: Who will separate?) Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685,267 122/km² NUTS 1... In European politics, a region is the layer of government directly below the national level. ...

Criticism

There is some strong opposition to the introduction of such assemblies, especially from the Conservative Party, but also from back-bench Labour Party MPs. Opponents of regionalism argue that instead of decentralising power from London, the new tier of government will simply take power away from county councils, and that the assemblies will be far weaker than those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is also resentment that the regionalisation policy is based on continental patterns of local government supported by the European Union and ignores the traditional primacy of the county system in England. The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... The Scottish Parliament (Pàrlamaid na h-Alba in Gaelic, Scots Pairlament in Scots) is the national unicameral legislature of Scotland. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly is a six flowered linen or flax plant, chosen for the plants historical economic importance to the region. ...

The regions themselves have also been criticised as being largely based on those devised by the UK government in the Second World War for coordinating civil defence in England, and as too reliant on compass points for names. The borders of the regions have also been criticised for being too arbitrary. For example many regions include both large urban areas and rural areas which have little in common, economically or culturally. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

Specific objections include:

• the North West region is too elongated, and Cumbria should instead be associated with the geographically closer North East; [4] [5]
• the South West region is either too large (Gloucestershire being considered a West Midlands county by some), or too small (and that Hampshire and Berkshire should be associated with it). Many Cornish people feel that Cornwall should be removed from this region and should form its own region, on historical and cultural grounds. [6]. Opponents of this proposal point out that Cornwall has only a fifth of the population of the smallest existing region.

Other suggestions have included a new Marches region, consisting of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire [7] or that Devon and Cornwall should form a region of their own. [8] North West England is one of the regions of England. ... Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England. ... North East England is one of the regions of England. ... South West England is one of the regions of England. ... Gloucestershire (pronounced ; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a county in southwest England. ... The West Midlands is a geographical term describing the western half of central England, known as the Midlands. ... Hampshire (abbr. ... Berkshire (IPA: or  ; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in England and forms part of the South East England region. ... Motto: Onan hag oll (Cornish: One and all) Cornwall, England Geography Status Ceremonial and (smaller) Non-metropolitan county Region South West England Population - Total (2004 est. ... In European history, marches are border regions between centres of power. ... Gloucestershire (pronounced ; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a county in southwest England. ... Herefordshire is a traditional and ceremonial county and unitary district in the West Midlands region of England in the United Kingdom. ... Shropshire (abbreviated Salop or Shrops) is a traditional, ceremonial and administrative county in the West Midlands region of England. ... Worcestershire (pronounced ; abbreviated Worcs) is a county located in the West Midlands region of central England. ... The inner harbour, Brixham, south Devon, at low tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Motto: Onan hag oll (Cornish: One and all) Cornwall, England Geography Status Ceremonial and (smaller) Non-metropolitan county Region South West England Population - Total (2004 est. ...

The government is committed now to the borders of the three northern regions, but could order a review of the boundaries in the rest of the country. Recently the government has also been looking into creating regions based upon large urban areas, or so called "city regions", a concept similar to the earlier metropolitan counties created in the 1970s. The term city region has been in use since about 1950 by urbanists, economists and urban planners to mean not just the administrative area of a recognisable city or conurbation but also its hinterland that will often be far bigger. ... The metropolitan counties of England are counties that cover large urban areas, each with several metropolitan districts. ... The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ...

Northern England referendums, 2004

Main article: Northern England referendums, 2004

A referendum was held in the North East region of England on November 4, 2004; in it the voters rejected the proposal that this region should have an elected regional assembly. The three northern regions. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... North East England is one of the regions of England. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Travel guide to England from Wikitravel English language English law English (people) List of monarchs of England – Kings of England family tree List of English people Angeln (region in northern Germany, presumably the origin of the Angles for whom England is named) UK... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Regional Assembly is a title which has universally been adopted by the English bodies established as regional chambers under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. ...

Similar referendums had been planned in North West England and Yorkshire and the Humber. Following the rejection of the proposal in the North East Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott ruled out holding further referenda in other regions for the forseeable future. North West England is one of the regions of England. ... Yorkshire and The Humber is one of the regions of England. ... The office of Deputy Prime Minister is one that has only existed occasionally in the history of the United Kingdom. ... John Prescott The Right Honourable John Leslie Prescott (born May 31, 1938) is a British Labour Party politician who is presently Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and First Secretary of State. ...

Other systems of regions

Standard Statistical Regions

Prior to the establishment of the 'Government Office Regions', there were eight 'Standard Statistical Regions':

Redcliffe-Maud provinces

The Redcliffe-Maud Report produced by the Royal Commission on local government reform in 1969 recommended the creation of eight provinces. In approximate terms, these were to be : Local government in England as proposed by the report. ... In countries that are Commonwealth Realms a Royal Commission is a major government inquiry into an issue. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ...

1. North East - as per North East England
2. Yorkshire - as per Yorkshire and the Humber
3. North West - as per North West England, excluding southern Cheshire
4. West Midlands - as per West Midlands, including southern Cheshire
5. East Midlands - as per East Midlands, less Northamptonshire
6. South West - as per South West England
7. East Anglia - Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, northern Essex
8. South East - South East England and Greater London with Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, southern Essex

Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... North East England is one of the regions of England. ... Yorkshire and The Humber is one of the regions of England. ... North West England is one of the regions of England. ... This article is about the English county. ... The West Midlands is a geographical term describing the western half of central England, known as the Midlands. ... The East Midlands is one of the regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the tradional region of the Midlands. ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ... South West England is one of the regions of England. ... Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ... Norfolk (pronounced NOR-fk) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... Suffolk (pronounced suffuk) is a large traditional and administrative county in the East Anglia region of eastern England. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... South East England is one of the official regions of England. ... Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ... Hertfordshire (pronounced Hartfordshire and abbreviated as Herts) is an inland county in the United Kingdom, officially part of the East of England Government region. ... Bedfordshire is a county in England and forms part of the East of England region. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ...

Britain in Bloom regions

Britain in Bloom divide England into 12 regions. They are broadly the same as the government office regions, except that Cumbria is a region in itself, and South East England into three - Thames and Chilterns, Southern England and a rump South East England. Britain in Bloom is a horticultural competition in the United Kingdom; organised by the Royal Horticultural Society, and currently sponsored by B&Q. It is entered by settlements; the winner is the settlement judged to have beautified itself best with the use of flowers and plants. ... Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England. ... South East England is one of the official regions of England. ... The Thames Valley is generally the region that drains into the River Thames, England, but is used in a more specific term by the government. ...

National Trust

The National Trust has 10 regional offices in England. These are The standard of the National Trust The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as The National Trust, NT or The Trust, is an organisation which works to preserve and protect coastline, countryside and buildings in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. ...

• Devon and Cornwall - part of the official South West region
• East of England - as region
• East Midlands - as region
• North East England - North East England and Yorkshire and the Humber
• North West England - as region
• Thames and Solent - Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, London, Oxfordshire, Hampshire
• South East England - East Sussex, Kent, Surrey, West Sussex
• West Midlands - as region
• Wessex - South West England without Devon and Cornwall

The inner harbour, Brixham, south Devon, at low tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Motto: Onan hag oll (Cornish: One and all) Cornwall, England Geography Status Ceremonial and (smaller) Non-metropolitan county Region South West England Population - Total (2004 est. ... East of England is one of the official regions of England. ... The East Midlands is one of the regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the tradional region of the Midlands. ... North East England is one of the regions of England. ... Yorkshire and The Humber is one of the regions of England. ... North West England is one of the regions of England. ... Berkshire (IPA: or  ; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in England and forms part of the South East England region. ... Map of Bucks (1904) Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a county in South East England. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from Latin Oxonia) is a county in south-east England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ... Hampshire (abbr. ... East Sussex is a county in South East England. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... Surrey is a county in southern England, part of the South East England region and one of the Home Counties. ... West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex (with Brighton and Hove), Hampshire and Surrey. ... The West Midlands is a geographical term describing the western half of central England, known as the Midlands. ... Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the Kingdom of England. ... South West England is one of the regions of England. ... The inner harbour, Brixham, south Devon, at low tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Motto: Onan hag oll (Cornish: One and all) Cornwall, England Geography Status Ceremonial and (smaller) Non-metropolitan county Region South West England Population - Total (2004 est. ...

See also

• Devolution
• Regionalization
• Decentralisation
• Political geography
• List of articles about local government in the United Kingdom

It has been suggested that Devolved government be merged into this article or section. ... In politics, regionalisation is a process of dividing a political entity — typically a country — into smaller regions, and transferring power from the central government to the regions. ... Italic textLink titleLink titleLink titleDecentralisation (American: decentralization) is any of various means of more widely distributing decision-making to bring it closer to the point of service or action. ... Political Geography is the scientific study of power relations in space and space implications on them. ... This is a list of articles relating to local government in the United Kingdom and does not include specific entities or authorities: 1990s UK local government reform Administrative county Administrative counties of England Administrative counties of Scotland Ceremonial counties of England Civil parish Community County County borough County corporate County...

External links

• Boundary committee for England
• Boundary committee's map
• Regional Gateway
• Government Offices for the English Regions
• English Regions Network (English regional assemblies)

The United Kingdom (UK)
England | Scotland |  Northern Ireland |  Wales
Regions of England: East of England | East Midlands | London | North East | North West | South East | South West | West Midlands | Yorkshire and the Humber

Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Travel guide to England from Wikitravel English language English law English (people) List of monarchs of England – Kings of England family tree List of English people Angeln (region in northern Germany, presumably the origin of the Angles for whom England is named) UK... Image File history File links Flag_of_Scotland. ... Transport in Scotland List of not fully sovereign nations National parks (Scotland) Traditional music of Scotland Castles in Scotland Museums in Scotland Abbeys and priories in Scotland List of Universities in Scotland List of Scots List of Scottish writers List of Monarchs of Scotland References This article does not cite... Image File history File links Flag_of_Northern_Ireland. ... Royal motto: Quis separabit (Latin: Who will separate?) Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685,267 122/km² NUTS 1... Image File history File links Flag_of_Wales_2. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English, Welsh Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff First Minister Rhodri Morgan Area  - Total Ranked 3rd UK 20,779 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 3rd UK 2,903,085 140/km² NUTS 1... East of England is one of the official regions of England. ... The East Midlands is one of the regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the tradional region of the Midlands. ... Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... North East England is one of the regions of England. ... North West England is one of the regions of England. ... South East England is one of the official regions of England. ... South West England is one of the regions of England. ... The West Midlands is a geographical term describing the western half of central England, known as the Midlands. ... Yorkshire and The Humber is one of the regions of England. ...