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It has long been recognised that there is a north-south divide in the UK.

What is the divide?

Although government spending on public services is roughly even across the country, many businesses are choosing to set up in the south. This creates a large wealth divide and those living in the north of the country can experience lower incomes, higher unemployment and a lower standard of living than those living in the south.

Strategies to resolve regional differences

Resolving regional differences is a difficult task. The government have agreed devolution measures, which gives additional power and money to councils in the north. An example is the NTCA (North of Tyne Combined Authority). The NTCA was established in the northeast of England in 2018. It allows the area to make some of their own decisions about how to spend money. The government have agreed a devolution deal, where an investment fund worth £600m has been promised to the NTCA over the next 30 years.

Some people believe that more professional jobs need to be created in the north. The popularity of universities such as Manchester and Leeds has encouraged professionals to settle in the north. The relocation of some businesses and organisations can also help. For example, the ����ý moved some of its departments to the newly-built MediaCityUK in Salford (Greater Manchester) in 2011. A recent report has suggested that MediaCityUK has helped Salford to become a “creative and digital cluster." It also found that employment in Salford grew by 142% between 2010 and 2019.