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| Is London bad for Britain? | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Ever since the days of Dick Whittington, those living outside London have often seen the capital as a city with streets paved with gold. But, asks David Stenhouse, does the city dominate British life? | Ever since the days of Dick Whittington, those living outside London have often seen the capital as a city with streets paved with gold. But, asks David Stenhouse, does the city dominate British life? |
| It is the British city which joined the super-league, the world capital which ranks with Paris, New York and Tokyo. | It is the British city which joined the super-league, the world capital which ranks with Paris, New York and Tokyo. |
| It is the epicentre of Britain's political, economic and cultural life, the seat of our government, hub of our media and home to one of the world's biggest financial markets. | It is the epicentre of Britain's political, economic and cultural life, the seat of our government, hub of our media and home to one of the world's biggest financial markets. |
| But even fans of London admit it is too expensive, too dirty and too crowded. And its critics say that it sucks talent, money and opportunities out of the rest of the country. | But even fans of London admit it is too expensive, too dirty and too crowded. And its critics say that it sucks talent, money and opportunities out of the rest of the country. |
| So how should those of us who live outside London cope with the mega city in our own back yard? | So how should those of us who live outside London cope with the mega city in our own back yard? |
| "The one thing that you cannot deny, whether you are in or outside it, is that London is a vast, dominant thing inside the United Kingdom," says Tony Travers, director of the London School of Economics Greater London Group. | "The one thing that you cannot deny, whether you are in or outside it, is that London is a vast, dominant thing inside the United Kingdom," says Tony Travers, director of the London School of Economics Greater London Group. |
| Londoners exhibit excellent queue-forming skills at a Tube station | Londoners exhibit excellent queue-forming skills at a Tube station |
| Because of its enormous population - at 7.7 million, London has only slightly fewer inhabitants than Scotland and Wales combined - and its economic and political importance, the capital dominates the nightly news. | Because of its enormous population - at 7.7 million, London has only slightly fewer inhabitants than Scotland and Wales combined - and its economic and political importance, the capital dominates the nightly news. |
| It is home to national museums, galleries and theatres and the place where multinational companies have their headquarters. | It is home to national museums, galleries and theatres and the place where multinational companies have their headquarters. |
| It is also where the British media is based - from the BBC's Television Centre to Channel 4, Sky, ITN and the major national daily and Sunday papers. | It is also where the British media is based - from the BBC's Television Centre to Channel 4, Sky, ITN and the major national daily and Sunday papers. |
| No wonder that it is also the place where ambitious people from the provinces of Britain - and further afield - flock to make their names. | No wonder that it is also the place where ambitious people from the provinces of Britain - and further afield - flock to make their names. |
| 'Pandora's box of dreams' | 'Pandora's box of dreams' |
| And many are convinced that they couldn't have made it by staying at home. | And many are convinced that they couldn't have made it by staying at home. |
| The Scottish fashion designer Deryck Walker first went on a pilgrimage to London after seeing an edition of the South Bank Show devoted to Vivienne Westwood. | The Scottish fashion designer Deryck Walker first went on a pilgrimage to London after seeing an edition of the South Bank Show devoted to Vivienne Westwood. |
| "For me it was like a Pandora's box of dreams," he says. "Going to London was key to me becoming a designer." | "For me it was like a Pandora's box of dreams," he says. "Going to London was key to me becoming a designer." |
| But in a global context, London is the exception rather than the rule. | But in a global context, London is the exception rather than the rule. |
| The East Coast of the US has New York - the capital of media and commerce - and Washington DC - the capital of government. | The East Coast of the US has New York - the capital of media and commerce - and Washington DC - the capital of government. |
| Australia has Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra; Spain has Barcelona and Madrid. And Britain has... London, the sprawling, unrivalled capital whose gravitational force exerts a distorting effect on the rest of the country. | Australia has Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra; Spain has Barcelona and Madrid. And Britain has... London, the sprawling, unrivalled capital whose gravitational force exerts a distorting effect on the rest of the country. |
| Londoners have to pay the price for the capital's status. Residents have sky-high house prices in many areas of the capital - the average house price is now over £1.25m in Kensington and Chelsea - and have high-cost travel, congestion, crime and grime. | Londoners have to pay the price for the capital's status. Residents have sky-high house prices in many areas of the capital - the average house price is now over £1.25m in Kensington and Chelsea - and have high-cost travel, congestion, crime and grime. |
| But what cost does the rest of the country pay for London? | But what cost does the rest of the country pay for London? |
| Talk to business people and civic leaders around the UK and it is not hard to draw up a charge sheet against the capital. | Talk to business people and civic leaders around the UK and it is not hard to draw up a charge sheet against the capital. |
| Londoners are said to be rude and insular, and they look down their nose at anyone from the provinces. | Londoners are said to be rude and insular, and they look down their nose at anyone from the provinces. |
| "It's an unresolved issue," says Jude Kelly, director of London's Southbank Centre. "Is London a rival to other cities in its own nation, or a repository of their knowledge?" | "It's an unresolved issue," says Jude Kelly, director of London's Southbank Centre. "Is London a rival to other cities in its own nation, or a repository of their knowledge?" |
| Those trying to run businesses in the north of England or Scotland have to incur serious expense to even make it to a meeting in the capital, leaving home at four in the morning to make it to London for 9am. | Those trying to run businesses in the north of England or Scotland have to incur serious expense to even make it to a meeting in the capital, leaving home at four in the morning to make it to London for 9am. |
| Streets 'paved with gold' | Streets 'paved with gold' |
| But the biggest charge against London is that it sucks talent and resources out of the rest of the country | But the biggest charge against London is that it sucks talent and resources out of the rest of the country |
| Ever since Dick Whittington left the Forest of Dean in the 14th Century in search of his fortune in London, ambitious provincials have headed to the city in search of streets paved with gold. | Ever since Dick Whittington left the Forest of Dean in the 14th Century in search of his fortune in London, ambitious provincials have headed to the city in search of streets paved with gold. |
| Did Dick Whittington need London's size and variety to find his niche? Or did his departure to the capital deprive the Forest of Dean of an outstanding Lord Mayor, maybe even one who could have arranged some golden paving for his home town? | Did Dick Whittington need London's size and variety to find his niche? Or did his departure to the capital deprive the Forest of Dean of an outstanding Lord Mayor, maybe even one who could have arranged some golden paving for his home town? |
| Living the London dream: Dick Whittington is his post-knapsack days | Living the London dream: Dick Whittington is his post-knapsack days |
| Given the concentration of power in London it's no surprise that since the 1960s successive British governments have tried to move key government departments out of London. | Given the concentration of power in London it's no surprise that since the 1960s successive British governments have tried to move key government departments out of London. |
| The BBC is the latest public body to follow suit, with the relocation of key staff and programmes to Salford Quays in Manchester. | The BBC is the latest public body to follow suit, with the relocation of key staff and programmes to Salford Quays in Manchester. |
| But even devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has done little to reduce London's power. | But even devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has done little to reduce London's power. |
| The gravitational pull of the capital is hard to resist: not least because many people who have made their career in London find it hard to imagine life outside the M25. | The gravitational pull of the capital is hard to resist: not least because many people who have made their career in London find it hard to imagine life outside the M25. |
| For many people in Britain's public life, London is the only place to be. | For many people in Britain's public life, London is the only place to be. |
| But not so long ago the political and cultural landscape of Britain was a good deal less uneven than today. | But not so long ago the political and cultural landscape of Britain was a good deal less uneven than today. |
| In the Victorian era, Britain's economic landscape was made up of powerful city states, with their own local governments, distinct political cultures and vibrant economies. | In the Victorian era, Britain's economic landscape was made up of powerful city states, with their own local governments, distinct political cultures and vibrant economies. |
| In the north of England, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool were the workshops of the world. | In the north of England, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool were the workshops of the world. |
| Further north, Glasgow described itself as the "Second City of the Empire" and the mighty Clyde shipyards produced vessels which sailed the seven seas. | Further north, Glasgow described itself as the "Second City of the Empire" and the mighty Clyde shipyards produced vessels which sailed the seven seas. |
| But as the manufacturing bases of these other cities declined and London's population and economy soared, London started to seem less and less like a big British city and more and more like a global city which just happened to be based in the south-east of England. | But as the manufacturing bases of these other cities declined and London's population and economy soared, London started to seem less and less like a big British city and more and more like a global city which just happened to be based in the south-east of England. |
| It has amplified the faults - as well as the virtues - of the capital. | It has amplified the faults - as well as the virtues - of the capital. |
| Now, as historian and politician Lord Hattersley puts it, London is "hugely crowded, hugely busy and full of people who are not really interested in each other". | Now, as historian and politician Lord Hattersley puts it, London is "hugely crowded, hugely busy and full of people who are not really interested in each other". |
| The size of London's economy has led some to suggest that the capital should go it alone, and declare independence from the rest of the country. | The size of London's economy has led some to suggest that the capital should go it alone, and declare independence from the rest of the country. |
| There are plenty in the rest of the country who might be glad to see it go. | There are plenty in the rest of the country who might be glad to see it go. |
| Add your comments to this story using the form below | Add your comments to this story using the form below |
| I have read so many versions of this article over the years, it really is tiresome. London is the capital city therefore it has many important institutions in it with the attending structures, jobs and people - get over it. | |
| Edward Davie, London | |
| Everyone who doesn't live in London knows how lucky they are. It is only Londoners who think they are special. | |
| Carrot Cruncher, Frome | |
| London also consumes those who flock there, and ironicly the worst are those who move there from the north, becoming the worst capital-centric snobs of all. | |
| Emma, Staffs | |
| London exerts this weight and attraction precisely because the provinces are impoverished of cultural and intellectual resources and smart people want to experience these things. Sadly, like all things demand outstrips supply and as such there is a premium to pay for living in the worlds best city. If you dont like it, move back to Nottingham or Wolverhampton and enjoy the slow lane of provincial life. | |
| Steven Jones, London | |
| I moved to London two years ago after I was made redundant. At first I found the variety of people, places and pasttimes I could interact with immense and a real eye-opener, but it quickly became apparent that Londoners, even when you become a Londoner yourself are not likely to give you the time of day. It has taken two years for people at my work to smile at me in the corridors, we haven't even spoken to each other or said good morning. I am thinking about moving back to where i came from, just to be surrounded by people who don't look at you like you're a freak if you greet them in a friendly fashion. | |
| Beth, London | |
| I have to say that I get tired of others commenting about how rude Londoners are. "No-one ever speaks to each other," apparently. Well, I'm sorry, but if I took the time to say hello to everyone I passed on the way to work, I'd never get there. This is a quaint ideal spread by those who live in small communities and know all the other locals - London is too big and crowded to work like that. | |
| Simon Long, London | |
| If I was a young person or couple living outside the home counties, I would emigrate to another country like France, Canada, New Zealand or even the USA where a more balanced approach to centralization is applied. The UK is on its knees today because of greedy London fat-cats, be they politicians, financiers, bureaucrats, etc, who provide virtually no support to the rest of the country and expect us to carry the can everytime they screw up. | |
| Robert Semple, Leek, Staffs | |
| I don't believe that London is unique in the west - Paris has a very similar role in France, and even Canada has those who live in Ontario and those who don't, though admittedly it's a little more dispersed. But it is true that talent is sucked towards London, just as it is towards Paris and Toronto.. | |
| Kolya, Sussex | |
| I wanted to work in media/television. This is nearly impossible to do in the North so I had to move down. Would be nice if the industry filtered throughout the country, and not just a teeny section of the BBC to Manchester. | |
| Anon Y Mouse, London | |
| Guess this was written by a Londoner. Birmingham in the North of England? | |
| Anon, |