SO, Mr John Morris thinks I'm a "cynical political activist" for extolling the virtues of regional government.

Sticks and stones, John! (Bolton Evening News, May 24).

From Mr Morris's opposition to regional devolution, I can only deduce that he thinks decisions that affect Bolton are better left to the "man in Whitehall" or by some unelected placeman or woman on a Quango.

Creating an English Parliament, as Mr Morris suggests, is a brainless idea. England has a population of 50 million. Scotland has its own parliament because it has a population of five million, roughly equivalent to the 10 English regions. An English Parliament would be an unwieldy institution and decisions affecting Bolton would still be made in a far off place with little reference to local people.

It is far better to establish regional bodies that can realistically manage the affairs of a percentage of the population. Plus, the North-west is a coherent region with readily definable boundaries and a distinct ethos. There is more that unites the seven million people of the North-west than divides them. Having a properly maintained M6 motorway is as much an issue for someone living in Kendal as it is for someone living in Crewe.

Finally, for Mr Morris to criticise the Government for having "centralising tendencies" is a breathtaking accusation. Has Mr Morris been asleep since 1997? Has he never heard of the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, Mayor and Assembly for London and reformed House of Lords? More power has shifted from the centre in the last five years than in the preceding 50.

It is this desire to devolve power closer to the people decisions affect that informs the drive for regional government. I say again, the referendum on regional government cannot come soon enough!

Kevin Meagher

Hereford Crescent

Little Lever, Bolton