We cannot be satisfied if the average standard of living is rising as a result of a few people doing a lot better. Whilst the description north-south divide is an over simplification it is clear that there are disparities between regions. In the last ten years the regional percentage of national GDP has declined in the North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humberside, West Midlands, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and increased in the South West, London, South East and Eastern regions. The issue is complex. Within each region there are areas of prosperity and pockets of poverty.
Different communities face different local problems.
The challenges facing inner cities, rural communities and areas of industrial decline are shared between regions. The United Kingdom's economic success depends on all parts of the country achieving their full potential. Too many areas are still underperforming. The existing disparities have serious economic cost implications which also lead to disturbing social costs - poverty, crime, poor education, ill health and social exclusion. We need strategies which address the underlying causes of this economic failure.