Pulling in the Same Direction? Economic and Social Outcomes in London and the North of England Since the Recession

Polina Obolenskaya, Ruth Lupton and Bert Provan

Published 13 July 2016

The Social Policy in a Cold Climate research programme had two major components: first an analysis of the social policies and spending of Labour and Coalition governments from 1997 to 2015, and theirimpacts on poverty, inequality, and distribution; and second an analysis of the changing distribution of economic outcomes (such as qualifications, earnings, income and wealth) since the recession, including regional breakdowns. Here we bring together some of these data to give a broad picture of regional disparities in economic and social outcomes and in spending and resource allocation, and trends over time. Are the regions pulling together, or apart, and in what ways?