The North-South Gap

“You can ask a Northerner for directions, but unless you already know the positions of key piles of rubble, canals, coal mines, railway crossings, and where factories used to stand, you're better off trying to find it yourself.”

~ Noel Coward on the Grim North

Here is an astonishing statistic;

In the 33 years between 1971 and 2004, The North (Northeast and NorthWest England and Yorkshire) has created just 10,100 new jobs (net).

The number of new jobs created in the South during this same period was 2.73 million.

And here's another;

Public spending in Northern Ireland now accounts for 76% of the economy.

Source; The Times