Wow, not seen this before. The UK (excluding London) is shockingly poor. Big problems with a mono-polar economy, even across a multinational union. h/t @john_tomaney on LinkedIn
@mimosacymru @john_tomaney This chart is not one of @jburnmurdoch's best works. Omits Paris which would look very similar to UK. Also fails to mention that both US and Germany constitutionally designed to have a weak centre 🙄. Most European countries have over-mighty capitals.
@philjvtaylor @mimosacymru @john_tomaney @jburnmurdoch That is true. However, 'it's also really bad in France' isn't the brilliant arguement you think it is Phil. It doesn't address the fact that when you look at HIC, we're one of the most unequal.
@standupdaf @mimosacymru @john_tomaney @jburnmurdoch High income countries? Are we? Wealth? Income?
@philjvtaylor @mimosacymru @john_tomaney @jburnmurdoch Yes, doesn't feel like it sometimes, but we are.
@standupdaf @mimosacymru @john_tomaney @jburnmurdoch Income GINI. Spain and Italy slightly less equal than UK. France and Germany slightly more equal. France tracking UK recently. Germany getting more unequal. UK is a boringly ordinary large European country.
@philjvtaylor @mimosacymru @john_tomaney @jburnmurdoch Fair enough on income. Appears we have improved a bit. At one point we were steaming ahead in the wrong direction while others were improving. However that nationwide number doesn't include the regional inequalities.
@standupdaf @mimosacymru @john_tomaney @jburnmurdoch That is a bent piece of work. Ignores Italy and Spain which are the other 2 large Europeans. London isn't London. As I recall it is Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster. Rankings are often misleading. Where is the data table? It was a polemical piece from the TUC essentially.
@philjvtaylor @mimosacymru @john_tomaney @jburnmurdoch But saying there are other places that are worse doesn't negate the fact we have huge regional inequalities between the South East and the rest of the UK.
@standupdaf @mimosacymru @john_tomaney @jburnmurdoch We do. But if you want to compare with states that are set up differently you should point that out. Building a Northern Megacity should be a priority. Then maybe an Oxford, MK, Cambridge arc. Then maybe a lowland Scotland one. Some areas will always be peripheral.
@philjvtaylor @mimosacymru @john_tomaney @jburnmurdoch Does it matter how they are set up? The end result is still inequality or good distribution of wealth.