Quite rightly Julian points out that
outside the retail Mecca of the city centre, much of Manchester has never felt the benefits of that credit-driven and publicly funded resurgence. One Mancunian friend lamented to me the other week that people's aspirations were so low that during the summer riots they looted the pound shops.
Whether Julian's solutions to our local economy are correct,I am not so sure.
Don't get me wrong,the strategic aims are good but investing in technologies, design and ways of behaviour that both reduce the environmentally damaging effects of the city are not going to create wealth in the amounts that we need to bring these communities back on board.
The reason that these initiatives fizzle out is that no local political leader is going to stand up,put his or her hand in the air and say vote for me because I am going to make your economic circumstances worse than last year.
I don't profess to know the answer.I understand that it growth needs to be our secondary motive but how you get form where we are today to this ideal without causing major social upheaval is beyond me
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