Letter: County councils too remote from the people

Sir: Although some may take comfort in the knowledge that our historic counties are going to retain their sheriffs and lords lieutenant, for most people and for all practical purposes the counties themselves are going to disappear along with the county councils (report, 22 November). They will soon, under government plans, be abandoned as administrative units used by the police and fire services. The new constituencies for next year's Euro-elections also take no notice of county boundaries. Our counties seem destined to become nothing more than forgotten boundary lines on obsolete maps.

Changing the names of all the boroughs and virtually abolishing counties seems a classical Orwellian ploy to soften up the population by destroying its sense of identity and community. Perhaps our ministers and senior civil servants are better intentioned, but they are a footloose bunch whose way of life probably makes them incapable of appreciating the attachment that people have to the name of the place where they live or were brought up in.

Yours sincerely

JOHN MOON

Andover,

Hampshire