A guest post for Saint George's Day!

HERITAGE is a big thing. Pam Moorhouse, founder of Pam’s County Petition, the official petition of the British Counties Campaign (BCC), feels its loss keenly, having lived through a key part of its destruction.

 

“Do people in general know that in 1974 Edward Heath's Government FORCIBLY removed and changed all our traditional counties, inherited from our ancestors, and until then known and used by everyone for everything, and replaced them with government-created names instead?” Pam asks.

 

Accountability is a big thing. Pam adds: “No one in the whole country wanted this change, so by countrywide 'agents' they forced us to have the new county names, by ignoring all objections, only using the new names, and from then on, never mentioning any previous names, so people wouldn't want them back.”

 

Persistence is also a big thing. As Pam carries on: “This still carries on today, aided by the media, so losing identity, culture, history, how early people shaped and named the land, the ancient names and their meaning lost forever. Why?”

 

Answers on an email. To please the EU that we are no longer part of? Admin only? Admin. Most people love history, so buildings are preserved by law, yet counties, just as interesting, with their long history, are not, Pam says.

 

Our rights were enshrined in the bill of rights, 1689, so they say, rights in relation to all of our civil liberties and freedoms. “So why are the changes fair, going against public will when we are a democracy, 'ruled by the people, for the people?'” Pam asks. “What happened was terrible.”

 

So, we at the BCC say please support our campaign before we lose our precious county identity and information forever. Sign our petition so parliament HAS to debate the subject - www.pampetition.com; see our 10-minute video at www.britishcounties.org/video, where various supporters explain why the traditional counties are important.

 

Email campaign@britishcounties.org with any comments or questions.

 

We have about 30 MP supporters and more than 2,500 petition signatories to date. Lords are another target.

 

We also seek support from and connections with organisations similar to the English Democrats – which does a great job preserving and protecting our heritage, important for all – in Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, county identity has not been mucked around with, so to speak, unlike elsewhere in the UK.

 

We at the BCC wish readers all the very best for St George’s day, and the year beyond.