Rigger
Moderator
I pulled this off the BBC news site,bit of a long read I am afraid.But are we in the lull before the storm as regards a downturn in our industry especily in the North, due to the governments planned spending cuts
9 September 2010 Last updated at 11:03
North East and Midlands 'least resilient' areas
Industrial areas in the North East and Midlands are least resilient to economic shocks, BBC-commissioned research suggests.
Middlesbrough is ranked as the most vulnerable, followed by Mansfield, in Nottinghamshire, and Stoke-on-Trent.
The Experian research suggests how England's regions may cope with further public sector cuts.
The study looks at the ability of each local authority area to withstand sudden changes in the economy.
A clear north-south divide is evident in the research.
Elmbridge in Surrey is the most resilient area in England, followed by St Albans in Hertfordshire and then Waverley in Surrey, the information suggests.
Today's research reveals a clear north-south divide. It is a divide which is a legacy of government policy over decades.
The Tees Valley in general and Middlesbrough in particular are places which became rich on heavy industry.
William Gladstone famously went to the original town hall in Middlesbrough and proclaimed it an "infant Hercules". Go to the same spot now, as I did, and you find a sad, boarded-up building surrounded by wasteland and a few abandoned, crumbling houses.
The area found it increasingly hard to compete in global markets and, over time, government felt obliged to pump in state support to prop up and regenerate the declining economy.
The result is that a town like Middlesbrough has become state-dependent.
The research, commissioned by BBC English Regions, looks at four key themes; business, community, people and place.
Within these categories, a number of factors have been analysed, including the amount of vulnerable and resilient industry within an area, the life expectancy of residents, earnings of workers, unemployment and crime rates.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the Experian research showed a north-south divide was already present in England.
He told BBC Radio 4: "Even in the years of plenty over the last decade or so with a lot of government money going into areas of the North East, North West, and where I am an MP South Yorkshire, we still have not been able to shift that divide."
He said that large spending cuts to be announced next month should be seen as part of a broader effort to put the economy on to a more sustainable footing.
The cuts would begin in April 2011, he said, and would be "spread evenly" over the next four years - equivalent to an annual 6% budget reduction over four years.
In his speech on the government spending review, Mr Clegg stressed the need to "balance the books".
"Denying the need to sort out the public finances will lead to big problems in the longer term," he said.
But Middlesbrough's Labour MP Sir Stuart Bell said Mr Clegg had "misconstrued" the economy.
"The reason there's a north-south divide is because we lost our major industries in the 80s, like steel and shipbuilding, and jobs from those sectors went into the public sector.
"We recalibrated the economy along those lines to the benefit of the North East."
Sir Stuart said the government was making a "fundamental" mistake in thinking that the private sector would step in to create jobs.
He added: "You don't go from the public sector to the private sector, you go from the public sector to the dole queue."
The BBC commissioned the research as part of The Spending Review: Making it Clear season, which looks at the government's plans to make deep public sector savings.
The results of the coalition government's spending review will be announced in October, when it will be revealed which departments will see their budgets cut and by how much.
The Experian research suggests Middlesbrough will be the least resilient to such public sector cuts.
Middlesbrough mayor Ray Mallon is confident about the town's economic future
It is ranked at number 324 out of 324 council areas. The Teesside town also appears as the least resilient in the business section.
Alistair Thomson, dean of Teesside University's business school, said Middlesbrough had a high number of workers employed in the public sector, particularly in the NHS and education.
The three largest employers in the town were public sector, he said.
Public sector employment, along with other industries like construction, engineering and metals, is classified as vulnerable in the Experian research.
Mr Thomson said there was very little of the traditional heavy industry associated with Teesside and the North East left, but new industries were emerging.
"We are seeing a lot of growth in the digital sector," he said. "It is an area we see as having a lot of potential for the future.
"Renewable energy is big business in this part of the world.
"We are a significant player in terms of bioethanol production."
Middlesbrough mayor, Ray Mallon, said the town's budget would be cut by more than £30m over the next three years.
But he said the council had planned for it and was confident it could cope.
Experian resilience research
Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool, South Tyneside and Sunderland are all in the bottom 20 of the overall resilience table.
One of the area's large industrial employers, Corus steel works in Redcar, announced the partial mothballing of the plant and loss of 1,600 jobs in February.
The Spending Review: Politicians come face to face with the public across England to talk about the cuts. BBC One at 2235 BST on Thursday, and on local BBC radio at 0900 BST on Friday.
How resilient is your area? What has suffered as a result of the downturn in your community? Are there signs of growth
9 September 2010 Last updated at 11:03
North East and Midlands 'least resilient' areas
Industrial areas in the North East and Midlands are least resilient to economic shocks, BBC-commissioned research suggests.
Middlesbrough is ranked as the most vulnerable, followed by Mansfield, in Nottinghamshire, and Stoke-on-Trent.
The Experian research suggests how England's regions may cope with further public sector cuts.
The study looks at the ability of each local authority area to withstand sudden changes in the economy.
A clear north-south divide is evident in the research.
Elmbridge in Surrey is the most resilient area in England, followed by St Albans in Hertfordshire and then Waverley in Surrey, the information suggests.
The Tees Valley in general and Middlesbrough in particular are places which became rich on heavy industry.
William Gladstone famously went to the original town hall in Middlesbrough and proclaimed it an "infant Hercules". Go to the same spot now, as I did, and you find a sad, boarded-up building surrounded by wasteland and a few abandoned, crumbling houses.
The area found it increasingly hard to compete in global markets and, over time, government felt obliged to pump in state support to prop up and regenerate the declining economy.
The result is that a town like Middlesbrough has become state-dependent.
The research, commissioned by BBC English Regions, looks at four key themes; business, community, people and place.
Within these categories, a number of factors have been analysed, including the amount of vulnerable and resilient industry within an area, the life expectancy of residents, earnings of workers, unemployment and crime rates.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the Experian research showed a north-south divide was already present in England.
He told BBC Radio 4: "Even in the years of plenty over the last decade or so with a lot of government money going into areas of the North East, North West, and where I am an MP South Yorkshire, we still have not been able to shift that divide."
He said that large spending cuts to be announced next month should be seen as part of a broader effort to put the economy on to a more sustainable footing.
The cuts would begin in April 2011, he said, and would be "spread evenly" over the next four years - equivalent to an annual 6% budget reduction over four years.
In his speech on the government spending review, Mr Clegg stressed the need to "balance the books".
"Denying the need to sort out the public finances will lead to big problems in the longer term," he said.
But Middlesbrough's Labour MP Sir Stuart Bell said Mr Clegg had "misconstrued" the economy.
"The reason there's a north-south divide is because we lost our major industries in the 80s, like steel and shipbuilding, and jobs from those sectors went into the public sector.
"We recalibrated the economy along those lines to the benefit of the North East."
Sir Stuart said the government was making a "fundamental" mistake in thinking that the private sector would step in to create jobs.
He added: "You don't go from the public sector to the private sector, you go from the public sector to the dole queue."
The BBC commissioned the research as part of The Spending Review: Making it Clear season, which looks at the government's plans to make deep public sector savings.
The results of the coalition government's spending review will be announced in October, when it will be revealed which departments will see their budgets cut and by how much.
The Experian research suggests Middlesbrough will be the least resilient to such public sector cuts.
Middlesbrough mayor Ray Mallon is confident about the town's economic future
It is ranked at number 324 out of 324 council areas. The Teesside town also appears as the least resilient in the business section.
Alistair Thomson, dean of Teesside University's business school, said Middlesbrough had a high number of workers employed in the public sector, particularly in the NHS and education.
The three largest employers in the town were public sector, he said.
Public sector employment, along with other industries like construction, engineering and metals, is classified as vulnerable in the Experian research.
Mr Thomson said there was very little of the traditional heavy industry associated with Teesside and the North East left, but new industries were emerging.
"We are seeing a lot of growth in the digital sector," he said. "It is an area we see as having a lot of potential for the future.
"Renewable energy is big business in this part of the world.
"We are a significant player in terms of bioethanol production."
Middlesbrough mayor, Ray Mallon, said the town's budget would be cut by more than £30m over the next three years.
But he said the council had planned for it and was confident it could cope.
Experian resilience research
- Liverpool has the highest concentration of deprived areas and its businesses take the longest to pay bills
- Kensington and Chelsea has the highest life expectancy for men and women.
- Blackpool has the lowest life expectancy for men; Hartlepool has the lowest for women
- Hull has the highest rate of people claiming benefits
- Boston in Lincolnshire has the lowest earnings per annum in England
- West Somerset has the highest percentage of working-age population that is self employed; Bolsover in Derbyshire has lowest
Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool, South Tyneside and Sunderland are all in the bottom 20 of the overall resilience table.
One of the area's large industrial employers, Corus steel works in Redcar, announced the partial mothballing of the plant and loss of 1,600 jobs in February.
The Spending Review: Politicians come face to face with the public across England to talk about the cuts. BBC One at 2235 BST on Thursday, and on local BBC radio at 0900 BST on Friday.
How resilient is your area? What has suffered as a result of the downturn in your community? Are there signs of growth