Forget Bolton vs Manchester, this is why Sunderland should rejoin County Durham

It’s pretty racy stuff and we’ve been reading some pretty unputdownable material on the subject.

We’ve also been looking at what goes on in other, established combined authorities such as Greater Manchester.

One mayoral candidate on the ticket over there has promised, if elected, to offer a referendum to Bolton on returning to its proper county of Lancashire.

The idea has received short shrift from mayor Andy Burnham, who says Bolton would miss out on the metropolitan council’s infrastructure, with particular regard to transport.

He may be correct, although I can’t summon enough enthusiasm to find out for sure.

What we do know is that there would be no such qualms about Sunderland leaving its current county, for the simple reason that it doesn’t actually have a current county.

Tyne and Wear, in common with El Dorado, Gallifrey and Narnia, does not exist.

It did exist, sort of, between 1974 and 1986 when Tyne and Wear County Council was weaving its magic.

But no more. You may be old enough to recall the outrage felt by precisely no one when it was abolished.

It would be an easy vote winner in the 2024 mayor elections for a candidate to take Sunderland, Gateshead and South Tyneside back into County Durham, which nobody ever wanted to leave, save for a few extremely out of touch politicians in the early 1970s.

Darlington has shown, by being part of County Durham while retaining its unithority status (ie. it isn’t ruled from Durham City), that the best of both worlds can be achieved.

Bolton may or may not become disadvantaged by breaking away from Greater Manchester.

Sunderland, however, has nothing to break away from. So how about it candidates?

The most “opposition” to the city rejoining a real county we ever hear is that of complete indifference.

Some think that history doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t argue with those people, but only because it would waste my time.