It is conventional wisdom to bemoan the existence of the north/south divide and what damage it causes to the economy.
But another way of looking at this subject at the moment is to examine the existence of optimism in the major northern cities that are less infl uenced by the wave of media gloom and political agitation found in London and the south.
Were this not true, how is it that Manchester could be heading for another record year for city centre take-up. The mood in Manchester and other areas of the North West is far from being gloomy and this helps their economic performance.
They do not want to wallow in recriminations about the state of the country as Brexit approaches, although they are aware of the dangers entailed in the process.
They want to get on and improve their cities.
It is a burning desire in the Potteries where the decline of their world-leading traditional industry has been so damaging. But ceramic fi rms have held on and meet foreign competition and the city authorities have plugged away at regeneration which has resulted in a vibrant and improving cultural quarter.
It all takes time, as Allied London showed with its Spinningfi elds scheme in Manchester which has been such a vital element in transforming the city.
Architectural quality has improved enormously and now we have the fi ne St Peter’s Square development pushing the city further up the ladder of global cities.