Eric Pickles wants England to reclaim historic county names In a symbolic gesture to celebrate St George's Day, Mr Pickles pledged to formally recognise county names such as Cumberland, Huntingdonshire and Westmorland - which were administratively abolished" by Edward Heath's government in 1972. "No Westminster officials or European bureaucrats can remove people's loyalty to the country they were born in," Mr Pickles said. From Cumberland to Huttingdonshire or Middlesex to Westmorland, our local history makes us who we are and do what we do. It's all part of being English. He added: "The tapestry of England's counties binds our nation together. Administrative restructuring by previous governments has sought to suppress and undermine such local identities. Today, on St George's Day, we commemorate our patron saint and formally acknowledge the continuing role of our traditional counties in England's public and cultural life. Rupert Barnes, the vice-chairman of the Association of British Counties added: "The counties are the basic tapestry on which countless generations have made their lives. They have shaped our identities and our view of ourselves and have remained a constant throughout centuries of change to become a vital part of British culture, geography and heritage.