Struggling northern cities will never be able to regenerate and should be given up, a Tory think-tank with close links to David Cameron concludes today.

 

Residents of cities such as Liverpool, Bradford and Sunderland should be encouraged to move to the more prosperous South-east, it says. A future government should build three million homes in and around London, Cambridge and Oxford to prompt Britain's biggest mass internal migration since the 19th century.

 

The call from Policy Exchange will be a huge embarrassment to the Tory leader as he heads to north-west England today to campaign in marginal seats. Policy Exchange was founded by Michael Gove, the Tory education spokesman. Its policy director is Anthony Browne who is about to begin working for Boris Johnson and is tipped for a role at No 10 if the Tories win the next election.

 

In a statement last night, the Conservatives said the report did not reflect party policy, adding that they wholeheartedly supported the regeneration of northern cities.

 

In its report, the think-tank said: "We need to accept above all that we cannot guarantee to regenerate every town and every city in Britain that has fallen behind. Just as we can't buck the market, so we can't buck economic geography either."

 

Policy Exchange said many large coastal cities had lost their raison d'etre with the decline of shipping and raised the alarm over the future of Liverpool, Sunderland, Hull, Scunthorpe and Blackpool. It said it was unrealistic to expect the prosperous cities of Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle to regenerate less well-off neighbours such as Liverpool, Rochdale, Bradford and Sunderland. It said such places were not "doomed" and could not be abandoned, but people had to face up to the fact that they had "little prospect of offering their residents the standard of living to which they aspire". The think-tank said all three million new homes earmarked for England by 2020 should be built in the South-east, making it easier for people in less well-off areas to move. It also called for massive building in Oxford and Cambridge, taking advantage of their high skills base and favourable location.

 

Tim Leunig, a co-author of the report, said: "No doubt some people will claim these proposals are unworkable, unreasonable and perhaps plain barmy. But the issue is clear: current regeneration policies are failing the very people they are supposed to be helping and there is no evidence that the trend will be reversed without radical changes. Internal migration has always been an important part of a dynamic economy."

 

A spokesman for the Department of Communities and Local Government said it totally disagreed with its conclusions.

 

Warren Bradley, leader of Liverpool City Council, said: "The past decade has seen unprecedented growth in Liverpool's economy, which has surpassed many southern towns and cities."

 

Source: Independent on Sunday

 

Are our northern cities beyond help? Should we all move south? Can the Tories be trusted to run this country?

We're not living in the 1920s ffs. It's the ignorance from politicans like this that makes me dislike them. Have they ever been to the whole of the North of England? No of course they won't. I do agree there are some really bad parts of the North that still suffer from economic problems, but to say we should all move south is just a joke. Yeahh, chances are it's probably easier to make more money south (which I expect it is) and on the whole people have better lifestyles and more disposeable income, but that's only happened because of past events.

 

Has this guy not even thought of the consequences if millions of people all moved to the South-East from the North? God this guy is a joke.

typical southern snob. Go and join Phil and Kirsty <_<

This is just more proof that the Tories haven't changed much since the days of Thatcher, she destroyed Northern cities and just left them to rot...

 

Nope, they certainly cant be trusted to run this country, because it's obvious they'll just do what they've always done... -_-

The man is talking absolute bollocks :mellow: For all that I dislike living up here (and that's mainly because I live in the most boring place in England :lol:), there is no way that the North is that bad that everyone should move to the South. I'm sorry, but this needs more publicity; it's the biggest proof so far that the Tories aren't ready for government at all if they're just planning to have Thatcher v2...

So basically we should basically forget about the North and all head South? I can really see that happening.

 

Also: "It said it was unrealistic to expect the prosperous cities of Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle to regenerate less well-off neighbours such as Liverpool, Rochdale, Bradford and Sunderland." Of course it is - Mancunians and Liverpudlians hate each other, as do Geordies and Mackems.

I'm not moving down south -_- But there is a wealth gap between the north and south and at this rate it'll grow more. Fortunately house prices etc are lower in the north. I don't really think that over the last 50 years the north has declined and thats in including the collapse of some industries so without anymore collapse that left some places with high unemployment like in the 1980's when the Tories shut down coal mines in North-East Derbyshire i know first handedly that some places round there are a bit derelict. This is where immigration comes in because unemployment could be solved but apparantly companies have been hiring Poles over umemployed Britons, however the Poles weren't yet living in the UK and could still go back to work in Poland. So yes typing that i go back and say that in some places (though not like "The whole of the north") are in bad shape and regeneration is a bit slow and is there is no manual labour. Also i'm not really in the north anyway. However to suggest abandoning the north is just stupid. I mean it won't be good for the south, or the north! :lol:

Edited August 19, 200816 yr by Harve

What arrogance!

 

With full political will power from all levels of political representation working in harmony, the hearts of the local communities and decent 'seed' money and tax breaks from the government, IMHO any town can be rejuvenated.

 

Where would Glasgow be now if the City Fathers had sat back and twiddled their thumbs because they were daunted by the scale of the task before them? No stone was unturned, no arm untwisted, to obtain the vital funding from every source possible. The Tory government, the Labour local council and Europe all co-operated in the endeavour.

 

Glasgow's early stage renewal was marketed to the world in the form of its hugely successful Garden Festival, one of Michael Heseltine's better ideas.

Northerners >>>>>>>> southerners

 

You don't even have a European Champion :P

This is interesting for me at the moment. I'm currently considering moving down south within the next few months and I'm from Sunderland.

 

Up North is so much better imo. But I'll probably be biased tbh as i've always lived in the North. Sunderland and Liverpool (The other city i've visited which is mentioned in this article) arent $h!t-holes like this d!*kh**d is trying to make out. I do however think the south especially London has alot more to offer. Well it obv would as its the capital.

 

A stupid snob is all this man seems to be.

Edited September 14, 200816 yr by Ryan

I can imagine all the snobs in Chelsea being abit pissed off with all those Scousers moving next door lol.

I can imagine all the snobs in Chelsea being abit pissed off with all those Scousers moving next door lol.

 

They definitely will be when they find their tractors (read: 4x4s) on bricks after the wheels have been nicked.

 

(Sorry, Jenny.)