I am happy for Bradford.

[Workingman]

I thought that Northampton was doing OK: maybe not.

The fact is that towns and cities are not preserved in aspic. They do regenerate in cycles as industries die and new ones emerge; it has always been so.

The problem in the modern era is that towns and cities do not have the wherewithal to create the investment needed. Control of finance is now from the centre, and that means London. If the London bigwigs do not think that the finance is needed it is not offered. So, Castleford loses its Burberry factory, yes, that Burberry, to Leeds and in the process creates 200 new jobs, it's a bonus.But is it? 400 are lost in Cas.

Try selling the positivest to the workers in Cas who will now lose their jobs. In a few years Cas will become a benefits town full of scroungers who cannot be ar5ed to work, or so the DM will say. The fact that all the jobs, mining, engineering etc. haver moved to a more prosperous Leeds, with better links, will be their fault.

The above is a microcosm for the country. London does to the country what Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham do to their hinterlands.

I have cousins in Bathgate and Linlithgow and the story up there is similar.

[Workingman]

I thought that Northampton was doing OK: maybe not.

The fact is that towns and cities are not preserved in aspic. They do regenerate in cycles as industries die and new ones emerge; it has always been so.

The problem in the modern era is that towns and cities do not have the wherewithal to create the investment needed. Control of finance is now from the centre, and that means London. If the London bigwigs do not think that the finance is needed it is not offered. So, Castleford loses its Burberry factory, yes, that Burberry, to Leeds, and in the process creates 200 new jobs, it's a bonus. But is it? 400 are lost in Cas.

Try selling the positivest to the workers in Cas who will now lose their jobs. In a few years Cas will become a benefits town full of scroungers who cannot be ar5ed to work, or so the DM will say. The fact that all the jobs, mining, engineering etc. haver moved to a more prosperous Leeds, with better links, will be their fault.

The above is a microcosm for the country. London does to the country what Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham do to their hinterlands.

I have cousins in Bathgate and Linlithgow and the story up there is similar.