British Northerners 'should go south'

Well I didn't say it was the only international city, just the only major one.If you're looking at any ranking of the top 20 cities in the world (population, GDP output, multinational headquarters, importance to global economy, political importance, etc) London is the only British city there. Indeed this could be said about every European country (with the possible exception of Germany as it has Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich). That's the special situation of European nations as opposed to China or the US, both of which have several major international cities.

RIVER DEE CHESTER AUGUST 2008

oneterry has contributed a photo to this story.

TALL SHIPS 2008

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TAKEN AT TALL SHIPS EVENT 2008

I've recently moved from London to Liverpool! Despite all it's excitement and facilities, London to me was overwhelmingly grubby and rude. Liverpool is a great antidote. Everybody talks to each other, and although you know there are plenty of issues of violence and other problems in any city, it doesn't feel so impersonal as London.

There's also the built environment: Liverpool is easily as rich in public facilities like parks as London, by relative area, and many of the houses and old industrial sites are absolute time capsules to an era before developers moved in and "modernised" everything.

The Dee at sunset/dusk - Chester
November 2007

Marina Herbst has contributed a photo to this story.

I lived and worked in the capital for several years at the BBC. I made a lot of friends, but never considered it home. In fact the vast majority of the friends I made whilst there were northerners who had relocated. We all agreed that the opportunities available in London far exceeded that which were available 'up notrh' - and basically that is why we were there.

As a photographer I have ventured into all aspects of image capture. My passion is for editorial fashion shoots. Unfortunately to really progress in this field I would most certainly need to be based in London.

Liverpool is growing slowly into its Capital of Culture status, but I have found no great benefit to my ambitions. Some nice shops and a whole load of Superlambananas!

I sell a lot of my work in the USA and receive amazing kind words and comments from my customers. I have never received any help or encouragement from Liverpool's Culture Company. After several meetings and a huge amount of wasted time I gave up and set up my own business.

As always the powers that control Liverpool dont seem to be in touch with the people, people who genuinely make the city what it is - a great place to be.

Frank Minghella has contributed a photo to this story.

These photos were taken on an iPhone (hence one is a little warped, blame the recent software update) of phase one of the Duke of Westminsters, Grosvenor Estates development "Liverpool One". One of the richest men in the country has ploughed hundreds of millions into the city and he is unlikely to do that without a secure financial future planning. His advisors will have a far better insight into what the citys growth is likely to be and if its sustainable.
I hesitate to raise this but prejudice is a hard thing to shake and this think tank seems to be stuck in the mindset of the 1980s and dare I say it but the image that Southerners have of the North.
One last thing defeats me is there acceptance that it is better to sweep away something if it isnt working. This is the faulty thinking that permeates so much of the Right Wing. They misunderstand Darwins "survival of the fittest" in that they believe that is is natural that if something is failing then it should be left to die, when the real truth of that statement is the "survival of the most apt", the most adaptable. The Tories may try to distance themselves from this but it gives a clear indication how the lower echelons of the right really think.
What would happen to the South East after this mass migration? Over crowding? Mass Unemployment? When you look at the figures workers in Oxford, Cambridge etc are in a no better situation than their counterparts in the North!
We can shape that future and dont have to accept any fait accompli. Its our decisions that mould our society.

Little Name has contributed a photo to this story.

You will hopefully find some of my photos illustraing this story which, coincidentally, I took on the day it broke as I happened to be working in Liverpool on that day. I feel quite a close affinity to this story in that I work in the property development and investment field and have written on of the UK's main texts on development. I have also not been a great fan of Liverpool in the past, I am an adoptive Mancunian and believe that Manchester is an object lesson in producing a modern post industrial European city (and I have visited the majority of European cities and lived in places like Sydney and Edinburgh), and felt that Liverpool just did not compete. I have now changed my view. From hating to go to it, in the last 3-4 years I have come to increasingly admire the city. I think the changes are astonishing. Liverpool One is stunning. Its a commercial venture entirely funded by the private sector but some of the detailling and quality would not look out of place in a modern art gallery. The city now feels prosperous, confident and businesslike. I am so impressed. I was sceptical but I am now converted. Well done Liverpool. I would live here over Crawley, Brighton and London any day (and I have loved and worked in all 3 places). The report is quite frankly wrong in every respect. The thinking is outdated. Twenty years ago I would have agreed with it. Times have moved on. So has Liverpool and the North

FIRE crews were battling a blaze at the empty Woodside Hotel in Birkenhead this afternoon. The alarm was raised at 1.40pm.

Seeing the fire from my office I grabed my camera an too several (proberbly too many) photos of the indicent.

Its a pity the pub used to serve the best Guinness on Merseyside, now empty it looks as though the demolition crews will be called in.

Dune_UK has contributed a photo to this story.

I dont know whats happened here I was asked to contribute a photo and tell my story... Seems to have got into the wrong pile.

As a 'British Southerner' who has lived in Liverpool for the last 16 years I was slightly bemused by the thought of half the population of the North needing to move to Cambridge to get a decent standard of living, as I've always thought I did already. There probably is lots of debate to be had on the value that the huge regeneration spend in lots of the UK has really generated, but Liverpool has a real spirit of optimism about it now, which I don't think was as evident 10 years ago. Whilst there are still areas of deprivation and social problems I'm fairly sure that's true of London too; in spite of it's international capital city status. I have spent a fair bit of time in London over the years and really don't feel I'd have a better standard of living there - I may be paid more, but it would also cost me a lot more - and I would rather live somewhere people are friendly and you can make eye contact on public transport.

DrCSC has contributed a photo to this story.

this is perch rock lighthouse at the mouth of the river mersey at new brighton .

So i have to leave merseyside to earn a good living ,well having lived here all my life and earning a good living merseyside for me is a fastastic place ,london the times i have been is the crap hole of the world

chasmcn has contributed a photo to this story.

Too much importance attached to this nonsense. Quality of life in the north is SIGNIFICANTLY better. But let's keep that quiet - we don't want THAT making the news.

alancookson has contributed a photo to this story.

Photo Credit Linda Wales/ Empire Creative

As an Australian tourist to the UK i can say that i found Northern UK much more interesting than the South. Here is one of the urban landscapes i took in Liverpool.

Empire Creative has contributed a photo to this story.

New Brighton lighthouse at sunset. www.flickr.co/dogsey

dogsey has contributed a photo to this story.

New Brighton lighthouse at sunset. www.flickr.com/dogsey

dogsey has contributed a photo to this story.

I went to Liverpool on 8.8.08 to take some photos on the day and it was brillant day. I have seen on the news that a man in london said that people should move down south. But way when liverpool is now becoming a great place to live he is mad to say that.

mark_walch1968 has contributed a photo to this story.

I went to liverpool on the 8.8.08 to take some photos on the day it was a brillant. I have seen on the news that a man has said that people should move down south. I do not unstand when liverpool is become a great place to live. the man is mad.

Apparently one of the bright ideas of the "think tank" is to spend all the government money that it usually invests in the north on southerner's hospitals and affordable housing in the home counties.  

Hmmm..... let me think about it for a bit..... no ta!

No they have got this all wrong. Londoners should go North. Better value for money in every sense