The North–South divide is the idea that economic growth and living standards are higher in the south of the UK than they are in the north. Historically the south has received more investment than the north, as privatisation of state-owned businesses in the south helped the economy grow more quickly. The closure of traditional industries has hit the north harder over recent decades, most recently in the steel industries of Scotland, Redcar and Scunthorpe. Evidence of a North–South divide is shown on the back page.
The government admits that a problem exists. It has outlined proposals to create a ‘Northern Powerhouse’ to narrow the gap. As part of the Conservative Party’s manifesto for the 2015 general election, plans were announced for huge investments in rail infrastructure, improvements in broadband, the creation of Enterprise Zones, establishing a Regional Growth Fund, but much of this was dependent on having directly elected mayors for England’s major cities.
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