Article: Perspective: Should Birmingham go it alone?; With the concept of the West Midlands clearly baffling European Capital of Culture judges, Chief Reporter Paul Dale wonders whether Birmingham would sometimes be better off going it alone.(Comment)

Byline: Paul Dale

We are in the middle of the GCSE exam season, so here's a brain-teaser for the week ahead: 'Define the West Midlands.'

You might care to try something easier to start with. Translating Proust from the original, perhaps. Or, actually completing a George Eliot novel.

Ever since its creation by Ted Heath and Peter Walker a little over 30 years ago, what used to be called the West Midlands County Council has never escaped from the harsh truth: it is an ugly invention designed purely for administrative purposes and political expediency.

Even on a ...

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