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This article was nominated for deletion on 2 August 2007. The result of the discussion was no consensus.
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There is considerable debate as to whether the second city is Birmingham or Manchester. This article should be used to provide a neutral summary of the debate, and should not seek to reach a conclusion either way.
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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]
