Those of you who know me and have followed me know I have a great fondness for the local history and geography of our islands. I try to stand up for our local places, counties and communities. There is currently a big local government reorganisation going on and in a couple of years all County Councils will be abolished and the only County we have left will be the one that matters our traditional counties that have been around for centuries. My home county of Middlesex has gone through multiple changes. In 2027 Surrey County Council will be abolished and its been divided into two parts - east and west. The West Surrey part also has an important area of Middlesex in it with around 110,000 people so many of us have proposed the name should be West Surrey and South Middlesex. It won't cost any more than the rebranding of the new council part it will be geographically correct. The Lib Dems have proposed the motion, Reform UK are backing it and I believe an Independent but much to our surprise the Conservatives have decided to oppose it. We've always kept our proposal apolitical and cross-party but imagine our surprise when the local Conservatives posted this facebook.com/groups/Countyof… We've have the backing of Conservative MPs, Lords, residents and some local Conservative councillors so I've written this appeal ... as the vote is tonight! HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS Home is a place nearly all of us long for — whether it’s Dorothy returning to Kansas in The Wizard of Oz, or Dr Frank-N-Furter’s emotional I’m Going Home in The Rocky Horror Show. For me, wherever I am in the world, home is where my heart is: Middlesex. My family tree has roots not only in Middlesex but across these islands. Perhaps that is why my love of place, community and belonging feels as though it is in my DNA. In 1965, local government reorganisation abolished Middlesex County Council. As a youngster, I thought that meant Middlesex itself had been abolished. I mourned the county whose three seaxes and golden Saxon crown I had proudly worn on my Scout badge. But I was wrong. In 1987, at a luncheon with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Lord Basil Feldman, Mrs Thatcher asked me where I came from. “Middlesex,” I replied, “but it was abolished.” Her response was forceful: “Just because we’ve abolished a 76-year-old council doesn’t mean we’ve abolished a county that is ten or twelve centuries old. What Parliament didn’t create, it cannot abolish.” I asked if I could have that in writing — and, not long afterwards, I did. Those words changed everything for me. Middlesex had not disappeared. What had disappeared was its county council — and nobody had properly explained the difference. That inspired the creation of the Friends of the County of Middlesex, now Middlesex Heritage. In 1988, Mrs Thatcher herself became a Friend of the County, representing the Middlesex communities of Finchley and Friern Barnet. MPs from across the political spectrum joined us. Our wish for renewed Middlesex recognition has always been cross-party and apolitical. It is about identity, history and belonging. In 2020, under Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the initiative of Lord Randall of Uxbridge, the Middlesex flag flew above 10 Downing Street on Middlesex Day, 16 May. Westminster is in within the bounds of the historic County. And now we come to 30 July 2026 and a vote that can ensure the name of Middlesex continues in local government. In 2027, Surrey County Council will itself disappear. But Surrey will not disappear any more than Middlesex disappeared in 1965. County Councils are administrative bodies. Our traditional Counties are unchanging names and places. Middlesex and Surrey are historic counties, each with their own identity, heritage and sense of belonging. During the recent local government review, people were specifically asked whether history and culture had been taken into account. Many of us north of the Thames answered clearly: we are Middlesex, with a history stretching back more than 1,300 years. The proposed West Surrey authority will stretch 50 miles from north to south. It is therefore understandable that many people elsewhere may not realise that Stanwell, Ashford, Staines, Laleham, Shepperton and Sunbury have a different county heritage and identity — one stretching back to the earliest references to Middlesex by King Offa of Mercia in AD 704. Equally, Guildford, with its royal charter from King Henry III as Surrey’s county town, Farnham, Woking, Godalming, Chertsey and the communities of Surrey possess their own magnificent history. Surrey's heritage is every bit as precious as ours. Different does not mean divided. Recognising South Middlesex does not diminish West Surrey. It respects both identities. Tonight there is an opportunity to put right one of the greatest misunderstandings created in 1965: the belief that changing local government somehow erased the identity of our real counties. So, our request is heartfelt. Please do not allow party politics to obscure something that is fundamentally about place, heritage and belonging. Please honour the generations of people and parliamentarians of all parties who have defended the right of our historic counties to retain their identities. And please give this new authority the name that tells people truthfully where it is: WEST SURREY & SOUTH MIDDLESEX Geographically accurate. Historically correct. Culturally respectful. And, above all, a name in which both communities can feel at home. Thank you.