Britain's heartlands lagging behind London in growth: social mobility report

LONDON, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- London is increasingly looking like a different country from the rest of Britain, a damning report on social mobility warned Tuesday.

The government-backed Social Mobility Commission uncovered a striking geographical divide in its state of the nation report. It said London and its surrounding areas are pulling away from the rest of the country, while many other parts of the country are being left behind economically and hollowed out socially.

Former government minister Alan Milburn, who chairs the commission, commented: "Too many rural and coastal areas and the towns of Britain's old industrial heartlands are being left behind economically and hollowed out socially."

The report warns that Britain is in the grip of a self-reinforcing spiral of ever-growing division and calls on the national government to increase spending in those parts of the country that most need it. The study estimates suggest that the North of England is 8 billion U.S. dollars a year underfunded compared to London.

The best performing local authority area is the city of Westminster in London, home to the British seat of government. The worst performing area is West Somerset.

The index also finds the worst performing areas for social mobility are no longer inner city areas, but remote rural and coastal areas, and former industrial areas, especially in the Midlands.

Milburn added: "The country seems to be in the grip of a self-reinforcing spiral of ever-growing division. There is a stark social mobility lottery in Britain today."

"A less divided Britain will require a more redistributive approach to spreading education, employment and housing prospects across our country," he said. Enditem