Member Article

South Yorkshire ‘fifth poorest region’ in Northern Europe

South Yorkshire is the fifth poorest region in Northern Europe according to research by the Inequality Briefing organisation.

The data was produced by Eurostat, the data agency of the European Union. They measured the gross domestic product (GDP) per head in regions across the EU, taking into account the different prices in different regions.

The data showed the UK has the single richest region, Inner London, as well as nine of the ten poorest regions in Northern Europe, including South Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

The FSB has initiated a campaign to allow the six city regions across the ‘Northern Gateway’, from Hull in the East to Liverpool in the West, to create a ‘super-region’ and take responsibility for its own economic development, infrastructure and transport policies.

Gordon Millward, regional chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said: “Despite Inner London being the most prosperous area in Europe, the north of England contains some of the poorest European regions, led by South Yorkshire.

“Successive UK governments have caused the UK to become the most unequal of European countries, where there is nowhere as rich as London, but nowhere as poor as the North.

“This underlines the need for the FSB to continue its fight against unfair treatment from the government.

“This research demonstrates the stark reality that the wealthiest people in the wealthiest parts of our country have been getting richer in the past few years, while the least well-off people in the North have suffered the most from austerity.”

“It is vital that we fight South Yorkshire’s corner against unfair treatment from Whitehall and keep on doing everything we can to bring well-paid, skilled jobs and investment to our area.

“We need the politicians to step aside and devolve authority to a consortium of business-led local partnerships working together to restore the North’s fortunes.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .