For all Americans who may be viewing this blog and who think England is England, then WOW! you're in for a shock! And it may shock quite a few in England as well! Here are the facts: England has no status, has no legislative body, has no agency overlooking its financial wellbeing.
All "quangos" and funding agencies have to bend the knee to "regionalisation" in England. It is something the external governors of the European Union foisted on us. So arbitary regions were set up to be ruled over by eager local politicians, business people, and those of known committee loyalities! Non elected or even known!
Cycling comes into this world of strange places. If one wants funding, then it can only be through the regions. Hence no Team England in the Tour of Britain. There is a Team Scotland, Team Wales and Team Ireland (not Northern Ireland curiously?) but England is not allowed to be England! There is a Team Great Britain in the Tour of Britain, which is odd. Does this team represent England only, or has Scotland and Wales been given the chance to support more than one team? Notice how the Tour of Britain site promotes the "regions" with gusto!
It's all very sad and not a little annoying.
http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/index.htm
http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/images2005/_uploaded_pdfs/RiderList2005PDF.pdf
http://www.sportengland.org/index/get_funding/how_funding_works.htm
The nationalised railway loses too much money with poor service
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The present debate about whether to nationalise the railway overlooks one
crucial fact. In 2002 Labour did nationalise all the track, signals and
stations ...
10 hours ago
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2 comments:
Northern Ireland is included in Team Ireland.
Wonko! Doesn't make Northern Ireland a proper "region" then. I don't think they've thought it out at all!
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