To think Andy Burnham is right. .

[TheFuckingDogs]

When rates rise in The North we go into higher tiers. When rates fall in the north but increase in the south we remain in a high tier.

I don’t actually disagree with everyone being in the high tiers and think the Christmas free for all is pretty daft but this governments blatant bias towards the south sucks!

Yabu - the government don’t favour the south

Yanbu - yes they do

[quote Youngatheart00]@ForestNymph the rest of the country couldn’t survive without the tax revenue from London and the SE[/quote]
That depends. At the moment, most head offices etc are based in and around London, so the top jobs etc are sucked into the SE. "Profits" and tax from regional/local branches/shops are etc shown as London derived. So your BT phone installation "profit" is shown as London rather than your own town. If they spread out the Head Offices across the country, then suddenly "poorer" areas would show more profit. It's not really right that profit made by selling things to Fred in Skipton gets marked down as London derived profit just because the HO is in London.

I think reviewing the tiers a week before Christmas was stupid anyway - we are about to have a free for all, it makes absolute sense not to loosen any other restrictions before that.

I see a lot of my family from the North complaining while sitting in their 4 bedroom detached with large gardens, all near each other. Restaurants etc have been a lifeline for us here in London as even your closest friends are an hour away, we can't get anywhere without going on public transport, and I live in a 4 room flat (not bedroom, just room, including the hall) with no garden or green space nearby.

I do absolutely think the government favours London, but you can't forget that 'London' is 8 million people, and we all get lumped together as one homogenous mass too.

@thereisonlyoneofme

London had the first lockdown though didnt it ?

Did it? I thought it was the whole country that went into Lockdown in March when infection rates were soaring in London, and some regional areas had barely any cases at all. Or was there an earlier lockdown in London at the start of March?

I don't think anyone is blaming the people of the south east, just blaming the govt. I'm in south west and I sometimes get fed up hearing how much help the north needs, not because I think they don't need help but because there is some terrible deprivation in the south west and no one seems to even notice. I assume the govt deliberately want to divide us, divide and conquer is a British tradition isn't it.

Its because people in London don't really believe the north exists, they think its a place like Narnia, so doesn't really matter.

You see it all the time on MN.

Discrimination against the north has been in place for years (centuries?). I am actually quite glad it is now so blatant and on display for all to see. Perhaps that means they won't keep getting away with it (although I won't hold my breath).

And when I say "they" I don't mean just this government in particular, it is something that is ingrained into our society/institutions/politics. Labour Prime Ministers from the north (few there have been) were unable to address this imbalance as well.

I’m in Manchester and bar a couple of weeks in the summer, we’ve not been able to even have people round in gardens since before March.

We’ve also only being allowed to use ‘the rule of 6’ outside, for a couple of weeks in the summer.

It’s been months and months since I could meet someone, rule of 6 would be absolute luxury compared to what we’ve had.

@ancientgran

I don't think anyone is blaming the people of the south east, just blaming the govt. I'm in south west and I sometimes get fed up hearing how much help the north needs, not because I think they don't need help but because there is some terrible deprivation in the south west and no one seems to even notice. I assume the govt deliberately want to divide us, divide and conquer is a British tradition isn't it.

I’ve read 3 threads today and all 3 either mentioned the south being “unfriendly” or being “selfish and stuck up” It’s bloody ridiculous to tar a whole part of the U.K. with one brush , I know arseholes from all over the U.K., doesn’t make a difference where they live or where they came from .

I think it’s more to do with the date, than the rates - I think they’re (rightly) worried to reduce restrictions a week before Christmas when many people will be travelling from all over the country (and continent) to see family. Rates are highly likely to rise, so it is more prudent to keep things stricter now, rather than reducing restrictions.

@Fairyliz

Its because people in London don't really believe the north exists, they think its a place like Narnia, so doesn't really matter.

You see it all the time on MN.

And this is the kind of twaddle I’m talking about ..

Who are these Londoners who think this ?

When this current shitstorm comes to an end I do wonder if we will start to see an erosion of the SE dominating the rest of the UK economically. All those expensive rents and weighted wages being paid to London and the SE when during this extended lockdown many, many of those jobs have been managing to keep being done from home. As long as you have broadband a loot of them can be done from anywhere.

Public services, private companies could potentailly save £££s those jobs could be moved to areas where they are desperately needed......

@Fairyliz

Its because people in London don't really believe the north exists, they think its a place like Narnia, so doesn't really matter.

You see it all the time on MN.

Yeah this I find a silly attitude. Most people I know in London either grew up there, mostly in much more deprived situations than anyone I know up north, or they are...from up north.

For those who think the North 'couldn't survive', look at the regional GDP figures:

so UK average per capita GDP c£31k and North West c£28k.

London is the outlier at £54k but averaged across the whole of the UK, this increases GDP in NW by c£3k.

How many years ago do you think that UK per capita figure that is currently £31k was £28k? Hence without London, when the NW per capita GDP now would match average UK per capita GDP? Then think if life wasn't worth living that many years ago?

Then wonder whether economic policy, fiscal, monetary and other political decisions and investment driven by industrial and regional interests in the Midlands/North/Scotland could lead to increased economic growth and well-being when not driven by the financial interests of London/financial services?

Still, I think all the other nations should learn from the UK. In COVID management. Trade treaty negotiation. centralising the locations for most administrative/political, cultural (TV and Film, major museums), finance and hedge funds and so on in one city.

Imagine how USA could improve by co-locating their federal government, Banking and hedgies, film and TV and major museums from NY, Washington, LA and elsewhere all in one city. Germany and China the same. What do they know?

@Tigger03 It's hard isnt it. I miss my friends, I miss doing what we used to do.

I’m sick and tired of this bitching about north south divide. No areas should have been lowered in tiers in the run up to Christmas as indeed scientists pointed out.
The south of the country encompasses a bigger area than just London and there are deprived areas in the south as well.
But London is the capital of the country and in other European countries as well they moan about their own perceptions of favouritism towards their own capitals.

If you hate it so much why not move south to enjoy everything that you believe the south benefits from more so than the north.

The financial district of London generates huge tax revenues for the whole country but there are also other financial hubs north as well as I’m sure you know.

@thereisonlyoneofme

London had the first lockdown though didnt it ?

Unless you happen to be Dominic Cummings

I think the people of Manchester would be better off with a mayor who focused more on ensuring their police force were doing their jobs than obsessing about the South.