Few countries put all their political, cultural, and economic eggs in one city, but the UK appears to see this as the best way forward. Over the past few centuries, we’ve managed to dig ourselves into a deep hole – our economic, political and cultural worlds continue to revolve around London. Sure, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle are considered ‘up and coming’ cities, but is the level of investment from the government, both financially and culturally, really matched?
Despite the devastation caused by COVID-19, lockdown has presented a rare opportunity for the UK. It’s brought economic and social changes that we can use to our advantage to build a more resilient country. If we look around the world, we see examples of countries that have thrived by diversifying their city-eggs. Look at Germany – Berlin is it’s political and start-up heart, Frankfurt is the financial capital, and the South combines manufacturing, family run businesses and international companies for another dimension.
Isn’t it time then that we start adopting the ‘if they can do it, so can I’ mindset?
The False Pull of London
Each area of the UK does have its own strengths, its emerging industries and a distinct cultural voice. The challenge is that everything still plays second fiddle to London. The UK has so many fantastic culturally varied towns and cities, our economic recovery needs to reflect this.
I know so many businesses in the North who feel they need a London postal address. Graduates leave our top university cities convinced that the only way to build a successful career is to live the first decade of their working life in London. Why do we act this way? Because we’re led to believe by the actions of the government that London is the place to be. Anyone setting their sights high would naturally flock to the city where all the major banks, head offices and so on are based if they were led to believe that this is what determines their success.
We need to change this mindset, or the imbalances highlighted by 2020 will only get worse. The way I see it, we can rely on central government to change these beliefs, or we can do it ourselves.
Remaking the North as a diverse, economically sustainable region
I’m sure coffee chains and employers with expensive empty offices will disagree, but whether they like it or not the workforce wants flexibility. 2020 showed us that we weren’t as on-board with the old way of working as we all thought.
It’s not only London’s streets that are paved with gold – you can do business, hire talent and enjoy life’s opportunities in Leeds, Edinburgh, Birmingham or The Highlands of Scotland. Anywhere you wish! We have to start making the most of the plentiful resources we have. If you grow a business in Manchester, your next ambition should be to open up in Liverpool or Newcastle.
Now is the time to invest to carve out niches for our own areas, build specialisms in next-generation industries, and retain the best talent to make it happen. If we find ways to connect and come together, we can aspire for a better future through our actions.
So, let’s take back our control and be ambassadors for the areas of the UK which are in the best position to challenge London’s dominance.
By Michael Edwards
Michael Edwards is Founder and Director of The Northern Affinity – a Northern England-based business community which brings together business owners to provide a platform to power growth and development through ongoing support and collaboration. It is a ‘selfless’ business setup with the objective of helping local business owners connect and collaborate, with the overarching aim of championing the North. As a partner of the Northern Powerhouse, the firm is passionate about bridging the gap between the North and South and is committed to levelling up the North.
