People across the country feel London does not benefit them

In just over two weeks’ time, millions of people will go to the polls to have their say in local and European elections. While voters weighed up the impact of their decisions for local councillors and MEPs, our new survey, supported by Centre for London and Lloyds Banking Group, sought to understand how people across the country think London affects their city and the national economy.

Worryingly, the survey results suggest that while London accounts for more than half of economic growth between 2010 and 2012, most people do not feel like they, and their place, have benefitted from it. For example, less than a quarter of people outside of London (24%) feel that London benefits their local economy. In some Northern cities, this falls to less than 1 in 10 people (for example Hull 8 per cent, Sheffield 8 per cent and Liverpool 9 per cent).

Underpinning these results is a sense that people feel that London is somehow preferenced by the way that the country is governed. 64 per cent of UK adults outside London said the location of Whitehall and Parliament means that political decisions are too focused on London in comparison to the rest of the UK, and only 17 per cent think that Whitehall and Parliament are responsive to the issues in the city/ town where they live. These perceptions are further reinforced by the level of news coverage that is focussed on the Capital – over three out of four UK adults outside London (76 per cent) think national coverage of news stories in the UK is very or fairly focused on London.

It is clear that these results, and the economic reality of the recovery, pose significant policy challenges for all political parties. Improving people’s confidence in Westminster’s ability to respond to their local needs is likely to be a long and difficult process, and despite renewed attempts by the Coalition Government since 2010, political reform of Westminster and decentralisation to cities has been tough to deliver.

So what can be done? First, within our cities, more can be done to communicate the role that London plays in the local economy, and to take advantage of the opportunities it provides. The Capital is the UK’s only global city, providing myriad routes to market for businesses looking to expand and reach new customers. Many UK cities, such as Liverpool and Derby, have established embassies in London to help drive this kind of activity, and access new inward investment opportunities.

But ultimately, moving powers from Whitehall to town halls will be key to overcoming the idea that it is a case of London vs the rest. Unlike the Capital, other UK cities currently lack the funding and freedom to take the big decisions that affect jobs and prosperity in their area. This has negative impacts on economic performance, but is also likely to engender a sense amongst residents that power is too far removed from their hands to really influence change within their place.

Supporting other cities to fulfil their potential does not mean limiting London’s growth. Rather it means equipping places outside of London to succeed in the years ahead. As we look ahead to the General Election in 2015, each of the major political parties has much more to do to set out how they can deliver this change.

City Survey: All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 1,688 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th – 19th March 2014.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in each city surveyed (aged 18+). These were Newcastle, Kingston-Upon-Hull, Nottingham, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Brighton and Hove, Leicester, Southampton, Southend, and Milton Keynes.

National Survey: All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2,478 adults, of which 2209 were from outside of London. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th – 12th March 2014.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).