must

fight to

save

England

TATTON MP George Osborne is taking to the streets to stop England being carved up into regions.

Next week he will tell students at Liverpool's John Moores University why creating a North West Regional Assembly would be a shameful waste of money.

"There is an assumption that only shire councils are against regional government, but I will be with a Labour MP who represents a deprived part of Merseyside and he is against it," he said.

"A referendum would be a costly waste of money, but in a funny way I wouldn't mind the contest to prove our case."

Hunch

Cheshire County Council will be scrapped if Labour's plans to carve England into nine regions are approved.

Voters will be asked next year whether they want a North West Regional Assembly, which would cost £30million.

"There is no point in me keeping my views to myself or to my constituency," said Mr Osborne.

"Even if every single person in Cheshire, let alone Tatton, votes against it, they could still be outvoted by the people in Manchester and Merseyside."

The North West Regional Assembly, which already makes decisions affecting the area, says there is support throughout the region.

But Mr Osborne argued: "My hunch is there is hardly any support for regional government."