Problematic with the region that springs to mind for me, and for you as well, I'd imagine.

To an outsider, looking at the map, there is a brown splodge offcentre in the Heart of England.

But you and I both know, that Brum is a city, the Black Country really is country. In mentality. It's like the valleys of Wales, each of these little towns might run into eachother, but they're not Metroplitain in outlook. They are backwaters.

When the accent moves from Jasper Carrot to Noddy Holder, it moves to a different world.

So in a sense, I can see the logic in creating a Greater Birmingham, but not matching the old West Midlands county.
Birmingham should probably annex the Eastern part of sandwell and all of Walsall, plus much of what is now the Borough of Solihull. But not Dudley or Wolverhapmton, which really are NOT Birmingham. However, places like Beomsgrove, probably SHOULD be annexed into a Greater Birmingham.

You must have a knack, coming up with a solution like that, because I can't imagine it would appeal to anyone.

surely there are parts of Oxfordshire that need invading as well?

What are your views on this Bob? (Not the 'invading Oxfordshire' bit - but the governance.

I've got a lightly-held preference for regional bodies being run by a constituent assembly of elected councillors. It'd make council elections more meaningful, wouldn't it?

I know what you are saying, Paulie. Why add an extra tier of elections? But for me the argument is about democratic accountability.

If I elect my local councillor it is to represent my Ward on a local authority. If the local councillor does something I fundamentally disagree with I can hold them to account when they next submit themselves for re-election.

If a councillor for another Ward is then allocated a place on an external organisation which makes major decisions on investment, regeneration, transport links (building a new by-pass which devastates my local community, for instance) How do I lobby them? How do I hold them to account? How do I, armed to the teeth on polling day with my stubby pencil.... kick them out!

I'm not talking about delegate democracy, which is anathema to you, I know, but accountability via the ballot box.

Bob, it appears we agree on something!

The regions, including the city regions, are not properly accountable to anyone. They spend vast sums of public money and on the whole what they do is done in a manner that is hidden from public view.

In addition, they do tend to cover areas that do not obviously go together.

But are they not at least partly right to say some decisions are best taken at a regional level?

And, Bob, if you can't hold a councillor from another ward accountable for decisions s/he takes on an external organisation, isn't also true that you cannot hold them account for decisions they take on Sandwell council?

Quangos seem to emerge because democratic bodies find themselves unable to act effectively. So we should reform our democratic structures... regional assemblies sound like a good idea.

Don't get me wrong, Stephen. I think there are a number of strategic issues around transport, investment, regeneration and sustainability that are best dealt with at a regional level. But it is the accountability issue that concerns me. Whilst as a citizen of Sandwell I may disagree with the decision of the whole Council, I know my Ward member is accountable to the electorate in my Ward, and the rest of the Council are similarly accountable.

A councillor appointed by my Council is theoretically accountable to the rest of the councillors in Sandwell, but not to anyone else (other than in the Ward they are elected from). The accountability is too remote.

Isn't this bit of Brum imperialism aimed at the other direction from you - Solihull and perhaps the nice bits around Barnt Green?

I'm not sure, Richard. Chelmsley Wood? I've always though Coventry had a closer affinity to the conurbation than Telford and Wrekin (who I tend to think of as Welsh really).