A fool and his money are soon parted, and there are plenty of fools in London.
I lived in London for six years, and have to go down there for meetings a few times each year, and also visit my brother there. I know what it is like.
There are far nicer cities to live in Europe (I particularly took to Berlin during last summers tour), and far more pleasant places to live in the UK.
But each to their own.
Londoners have, on average, the highest IQs in Britain (probably Europe), and also the best British schools (state and private). London also has more top 100 global universities than ANY CITY IN THE WORLD.
This is the measure of the difference. At present, we Londoners are moderately well disposed to you hicks, and we might throw you a bone or two, for you to scavenge, in terms of some small heliport in Bradford or whatever.
If you continue to irritate us, the south east of England will secede (along with our superior weather, women and Waitrose outlets) and we will simply join Paris, South Tyrol, the Riviera, Herefordshire, littoral Croatia, the Italian Lakes, and maybe Venice in a brand new country called ALL THE BEST BITS OF EUROPE POPULATED EXCLUSIVELY BY RICH CLEVER BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.
Sean you sound a little insecure on this subject.
But don't worry we hicks do appreciate all the extra work you do and extra taxes you pay so that we can own four bed detached houses while Londoners rent little flats.
And just think of all the pleasure it gives us knowing Londoners will be doing so for the rest of our lives ;-)
I remember a chap from Liverpool I once worked with said in the 50's and 60's there was still a Catholic/Protestant problem in the city, with "mixed" relationships still frowned upon in certain areas. To find out if the "Judy" you were chatting up was of the correct religion, instead of coming straight out with it, you would ask her which team she supported. If she was a blue she was a "Pape", if she was a red she was a "Proddy".
No doubt true. Liverpool is the only English City where the Orange Lodge still march. There was a Protestant party on the council till the 1970s, and of course, Liverpool was the only British city to elect an Irish Nationalist MP, who continued even after Irish independence!
Liverpool was a Tory citadel, and the last major city to be conquered by Labour (they didn't gain control of the council until 1955.)
In part, the Tory dominance was maintained by the fomenting of sectarianism... "It is astonishing how in Liverpool, whatever the issue appears to be at the start, you always manage to mobilise the full force of Orangeism. We will never do any good here until that power is broken..." Ramsay MacDonald to Liverpool Tory boss Archibald Salvidge, 1907.
Seant, I like the idea of Edinburgh being that second city, and it really does make the argument for HS2 as well. Especially if it gets rolled out to finally really connect and link up to a group of vital hub cities right across the UK faster, we really need to make sure that HS2 in the longer term doesn't become all about yet another focus on London.
So the summary of the Evan Davis programs seems to be that London is a centre of economic wonder and we all need to be more like it.
Now forgive me for being a little curious but how is it with this beacon to economic progress which London has apparantly become in the last decade the UK's productivity performance is so poor and in particular that services productivity (what with the London economy being overwhelmingly services based) is lower than it was seven years ago.
Another need for Emperor's New Clothes / Wizard of Oz similies perhaps ?
I thought Evan Davis's two part program was excellent. And his diagnosis spot on.
Britain needs a second city as a national hub, to give London a run for its money (even if it inevitably loses). None of our northern cities quite hack it individually - but a combined northern metropolis - Liverpool-Manchester-Leeds - would be a heck of a place (and no more spread out than LA).
The £50bn (or whatever) we are wasting on HS2 (and which will just funnel more money and people into London, even faster, from Brum and the North) could instead be spent turning the Lancs-Yorks conurbation into a true city - with fast, unified transport links, and proper infrastructure.
This city would be one of the great cities of Europe, albeit not quite a global hub like London. It would have several first class universities, a population of 4-5 million (or more), fantastic potential for agglomerative growth, plenty or ports, airports, motorways. It would indeed be LA to London's New York, Hong Kong to London's Beijing: a necessary counterweight.
I remember a chap from Liverpool I once worked with said in the 50's and 60's there was still a Catholic/Protestant problem in the city, with "mixed" relationships still frowned upon in certain areas. To find out if the "Judy" you were chatting up was of the correct religion, instead of coming straight out with it, you would ask her which team she supported. If she was a blue she was a "Pape", if she was a red she was a "Proddy".
No doubt true. Liverpool is the only English City where the Orange Lodge still march. There was a Protestant party on the council till the 1970s, and of course, Liverpool was the only British city to elect an Irish Nationalist MP, who continued even after Irish independence!
Liverpool was a Tory citadel, and the last major city to be conquered by Labour (they didn't gain control of the council until 1955.)
In part, the Tory dominance was maintained by the fomenting of sectarianism... "It is astonishing how in Liverpool, whatever the issue appears to be at the start, you always manage to mobilise the full force of Orangeism. We will never do any good here until that power is broken..." Ramsay MacDonald to Liverpool Tory boss Archibald Salvidge, 1907.
You could point at all kinds to back up the religious split, there were only two teams in Scotland and England that flew the tricolour over their ground in the 70's and early 80's, Parkhead and Goodison, the 60's myth that the Kop stood for King over Pope etc, however, historical links they may be, mean feck all now. You are more as likely now to see a tricolour in the Kop as you are at the Gwladys St. In fact you are more likely to see a tricolour in the Kop than you are a scouser ;-)
Much as I like to tease our provincial and Nat friends, I am drinking Glenlivet 18 year old single malt. It makes me proud that my country, Britain, produces such a sublime liquor.
Much as I like to tease our provincial and Nat friends, I am drinking Glenlivet 18 year old single malt. It makes me proud that my country, Britain, produces such a sublime liquor.
Don't you just love the corruption of Washington DC politics? After today's news that the feds have a deal with a behind the scenes political funder, the Mayor's days must surely be numbered and indictments can't be far off. 3 councilmen indicted, another 3 censured for ethics violations and now a mayor who may be going to jail. Wonderful. For recap: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/dcs-delinquents-top-corrupt-politicians-washington/story?id=16520422#
So the summary of the Evan Davis programs seems to be that London is a centre of economic wonder and we all need to be more like it.
Now forgive me for being a little curious but how is it with this beacon to economic progress which London has apparantly become in the last decade the UK's productivity performance is so poor and in particular that services productivity (what with the London economy being overwhelmingly services based) is lower than it was seven years ago.
Another need for Emperor's New Clothes / Wizard of Oz similies perhaps ?
I thought Evan Davis's two part program was excellent. And his diagnosis spot on.
Britain needs a second city as a national hub, to give London a run for its money (even if it inevitably loses). None of our northern cities quite hack it individually - but a combined northern metropolis - Liverpool-Manchester-Leeds - would be a heck of a place (and no more spread out than LA).
The £50bn (or whatever) we are wasting on HS2 (and which will just funnel more money and people into London, even faster, from Brum and the North) could instead be spent turning the Lancs-Yorks conurbation into a true city - with fast, unified transport links, and proper infrastructure.
This city would be one of the great cities of Europe, albeit not quite a global hub like London. It would have several first class universities, a population of 4-5 million (or more), fantastic potential for agglomerative growth, plenty or ports, airports, motorways. It would indeed be LA to London's New York, Hong Kong to London's Beijing: a necessary counterweight.
Let's do it! (of course we won't)
It ought to be Birmingham but won't be because everyone's so prejudiced against the place.
London based journalist for London based media organisation, thinks that London is the bees knees and the rest of us poor provincial peasants should ape their ways.
So the summary of the Evan Davis programs seems to be that London is a centre of economic wonder and we all need to be more like it.
Now forgive me for being a little curious but how is it with this beacon to economic progress which London has apparantly become in the last decade the UK's productivity performance is so poor and in particular that services productivity (what with the London economy being overwhelmingly services based) is lower than it was seven years ago.
Another need for Emperor's New Clothes / Wizard of Oz similies perhaps ?
I thought Evan Davis's two part program was excellent. And his diagnosis spot on.
Britain needs a second city as a national hub, to give London a run for its money (even if it inevitably loses). None of our northern cities quite hack it individually - but a combined northern metropolis - Liverpool-Manchester-Leeds - would be a heck of a place (and no more spread out than LA).
The £50bn (or whatever) we are wasting on HS2 (and which will just funnel more money and people into London, even faster, from Brum and the North) could instead be spent turning the Lancs-Yorks conurbation into a true city - with fast, unified transport links, and proper infrastructure.
This city would be one of the great cities of Europe, albeit not quite a global hub like London. It would have several first class universities, a population of 4-5 million (or more), fantastic potential for agglomerative growth, plenty or ports, airports, motorways. It would indeed be LA to London's New York, Hong Kong to London's Beijing: a necessary counterweight.
In the early 1960s Birmingham was more prosperous than London. Politicians actually held discussions on how to keep a lid on economic growth in the West Midlands which was pulling away from the rest of the country at an alarming rate.
Fascinating, if true (and I await any contradiction). But doesn't that add weight to the argument that we should Let London Rip? London - like it or not, for good or ill - is where the global buzz is focussed - we should harness that and reap the benefits, not seek to stifle it (as we did with Brum) and divert it elsewhere. In other words, build a bloody 3rd runway at Heathrow!
That said, the economic argument for HS2 grows ever weaker - it will just suck more energy into London. If we are gonna spunk tens of billions, I see a very good argument for fashioning the northern cities into one powerful supercity, linked Trans-Pennines by high speed trains etc
This claim that HS2 will suck energy and people into London is an interesting one, and it would be good to see evidence. There are plenty of high-speed lines that have been going for a couple of decades that should help prove this thesis.
Most of the studies appear to have been done on the French lines, a couple of which have been around for three decades. This shows an increase in traffic on the lines, and economic activity centralising into the hubs at both ends from the hinterlands. For instance the following is worth a read by both supporters and opponents of a new line:
From reading the studies, preparedness of the relevant destination cities appears key. You need not just to build a high-speed line; the places served needs to be ready to take advantage.
There is another way of looking at this: with the rail network into London from the north soon at capacity for passengers and freight, will the *lack* of HS2 lead to a strangulation of London?
Oh, and as you're pro-London, the massive redevelopment of Old Oak Common in the west of the city should be of interest. This is being enabled by both Crossrail and HS2.
Comments
But don't worry we hicks do appreciate all the extra work you do and extra taxes you pay so that we can own four bed detached houses while Londoners rent little flats.
And just think of all the pleasure it gives us knowing Londoners will be doing so for the rest of our lives ;-)
Liverpool was a Tory citadel, and the last major city to be conquered by Labour (they didn't gain control of the council until 1955.)
In part, the Tory dominance was maintained by the fomenting of sectarianism...
"It is astonishing how in Liverpool, whatever the issue appears to be at the start, you always manage to mobilise the full force of Orangeism. We will never do any good here until that power is broken..." Ramsay MacDonald to Liverpool Tory boss Archibald Salvidge, 1907.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1qboK4GbPk
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/dcs-delinquents-top-corrupt-politicians-washington/story?id=16520422#
Most of the studies appear to have been done on the French lines, a couple of which have been around for three decades. This shows an increase in traffic on the lines, and economic activity centralising into the hubs at both ends from the hinterlands. For instance the following is worth a read by both supporters and opponents of a new line:
http://www.eco.uc3m.es/temp/agenda/mad2006/papers/12. Vickerman, Roger.pdf
http://www.theitc.org.uk/docs/55.pdf
From reading the studies, preparedness of the relevant destination cities appears key. You need not just to build a high-speed line; the places served needs to be ready to take advantage.
There is another way of looking at this: with the rail network into London from the north soon at capacity for passengers and freight, will the *lack* of HS2 lead to a strangulation of London?
Oh, and as you're pro-London, the massive redevelopment of Old Oak Common in the west of the city should be of interest. This is being enabled by both Crossrail and HS2.
http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Old_Oak_Part_1_0.pdf