LORD Inglewood has spoken out against moves to group Cumbria with Manchester and Merseyside under "entirely artificial" plans for regional government.

The Euro MP, who lives with his family on the fringe of the Lake District at Hutton-in-the-Forest, fears the county would be "a small appendage to the more populous southern piece" of the North West under plans envisaged by the Government.

He told an audience in Barrow-in-Furness: "I neither want that nor think it is desirable."

North West MEP Lord Inglewood said that under the vision sketched out by the Government, Cumbria would be "put in" with Manchester, Merseyside and their wider hinterlands - despite the lack of cultural and historical links.

"| support the idea of regional government, so long as it actually means decisions taken closer to the people immediately affected, rather than extending the tentacles of Whitehall. But what is proposed looks to me as if it will be entirely artificial. Hence it may well not command popular support," he told the Chartered Management Institute Cumbria Branch celebrity lecture at Forum 28.

Lord Inglewood, who is to retire from European Parliament next year, said he would rather the country was divided into "physically smaller units" such as cities or counties.

Looking at Cumbria's economy and society, Lord Inglewood described BNFL at Sellafield and BAE Systems at Barrow as the two giants of industry in the county, but he warned: "If we allow these skills and the knowledge that comes with them to be dispersed or dissipated, it will be disposing of some of Cumbria's family silver."

Turning to agriculture, Lord Inglewood said it was essential the returns derived by farmers improved. There was increasing evidence that farming could not sustain the farmer and his family, and more members of farming households were taking outside jobs, he said.

"It must never be forgotten that quite regardless of any other consideration, farming is necessary for a successful tourist industry in this country, and if it is important in this regard it ought to receive some financial recognition of what it does," said Lord Inglewood.

The Euro MP spoke of difficulties with transport links and said that, although the internet had helped many Cumbrian businesses, it was unclear how much of the county was going to have broadband access.

He concluded it was "very important that all Cumbrians should face the future with optimism" as a positive approach was the first move towards success.