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UK geography Mid‑importance This article falls within the scope of WikiProject UK geography, a user-group dedicated to building a comprehensive and quality guide to places in the United Kingdom on Wikipedia. If you wish to participate, share ideas or merely get tips you can join us at the project page where there are resources, to do lists and guidelines on how to write about settlements.UK geographyWikipedia:WikiProject UK geographyTemplate:WikiProject UK geographyUK geography Mid This article has been rated as Mid-importance on the project's importance scale. Birmingham High‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Birmingham, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Birmingham on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.BirminghamWikipedia:WikiProject BirminghamTemplate:WikiProject BirminghamBirmingham High This article has been rated as High-importance on the project's importance scale. Greater Manchester High‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Greater Manchester, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Greater Manchester on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Greater ManchesterWikipedia:WikiProject Greater ManchesterTemplate:WikiProject Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester High This article has been rated as High-importance on the project's importance scale. Northern Ireland This article is within the scope of WikiProject Northern Ireland, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Northern Ireland on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Northern IrelandWikipedia:WikiProject Northern IrelandTemplate:WikiProject Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland-related ??? This article has not yet received a rating on the project's importance scale. Ireland Low‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Ireland, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Ireland on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.IrelandWikipedia:WikiProject IrelandTemplate:WikiProject IrelandIreland Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale.

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The holder of the "Second city of the United Kingdom" can never be declared, since it is not an official designation and, as this talk page demonstrates, is hotly debated.

However, the article was quite clearly demonstrating an opinion that swayed towards Birmingham and, to a lesser degree, Manchester. There are sources to be found that argue for different cities, so it is not neutral to cite one of these and declare it as the one that has "generally been regarded". Regarded by who, other than the single cite provided? Equally we have the weaselly "considered by many". Who are these "many"? Other cities can equally make the same claims.

In the absence of an official title, all this article can do is list, in a balanced way, the cities that have been put forward for it. Summing up of these to declare any one "the winner" is dangerously close to original synthesis and expressing an opinion. Let the reader read the article and reach their own opinion. --Escape Orbit ^(Talk) 16:15, 21 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

This article is a tissue of OR, particularly with extensive recently added essay-like sections (and not a little article WP:OWNership). Suggest it might benefit from swingeing cutbacks to something encyclopedic - David Gerard (talk) 10:21, 4 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Agree. Really it's an article that needs sweeping back to basics. Koncorde (talk) 12:38, 4 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

And I just removed an attempt to do an end-run around WP:NPOV and WP:DUE, which are hard Wikipedia policy. Don't do this - David Gerard (talk) 11:46, 1 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]