The Mt Office are not the government; they're a government agency which is independly run. So no, I do not consider their definitions worthwhile. The fact is, there is the East Midlands consisting of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Rutland, Leicestershire, and Lincolnshire and the West Midlands consisting of Staffordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire.
In the North it is the same: North West is the old counties of Cheshire, Lancashire, Westmorland and Cumberland, which corresponds to today's north-west of Cumbria, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, the rump lancashire, various unitary authorities in Cheshire, and the East/West Cheshire split. Meanwhile the north east is the old Northumberland and County Durham. Yorkshire is not North East as such but nor is it Midlands or North West. It is 100% north though.
My mistake!!!
Whreabouts are you?