Critics point to continuing racial divides in voting habits, widespread de facto segregation which is often worse in the great cities of the North and allegedly race-motivated voter-ID laws to claim that not much has changed. Race still obviously matters, a lot. And as the Southern GOP primary landslide for Donald Trump shows, the white Southern voter is at best too tolerant of racism and race-baiting.
Moreover, the populist heart still beats in the Southern working class. The region has never been as economically conservative as the Tea Party and other elements of the Southern GOP liked to think. There is no groundswell for entitlement reform. The so-called disability belt—the counties where residents disproportionately draw disability benefits—runs straight through the heart of the South.
The South may be less racist, they argue, but race is still the dominant political and cultural factor of Southern political life. And it understates the role of what for many is the single most important aspect of their identity: their faith in God. How is it possibly going to connect with a Democratic Party dominated by a secular, progressive elite?
The result is a massive cultural gap between most of the South and one of our two great political parties, and it translates into electoral routs. Trump won 10 of the 11 states in , as did Mitt Romney in Cagle was wrong. And not surprisingly, he lost to Kemp in a July 24 runoff. How do you prove your bona fides? You hold your gun. You drive your truck. You show that you do all the things that your constituents might like but rarely do.
They may not hunt, but you will. They may not haul hay, but you will. If you have a question for our resident Brit drop us an email at askabrit greatbritishmag.
The lowdown on Brits and their teeth. Great British Mag. Why do Brits wear a paper poppy in November? Who was Guy Fawkes? Specific efforts between and to reduce differences in life expectancy did begin to close the gap between the wealthiest and most deprived regions. However, this trend has now reversed. The current government has pledged its own efforts. The government has announced a review of the rules for deciding which public investments go ahead, with the intention of increasing the share going to areas outside of London and the southeast of England.
Many Northerners, however, remain unconvinced by these efforts. People in the North just laugh about it. For some, until we tackle the wide-ranging impacts of austerity — the era that saw local funding slashed dramatically, with the cuts arguably disproportionately hitting the North — it will remain impossible to lift up the poorest areas.
But it comes down to more than just funding. It argued that Britain has an unstated policy in which spending on science, culture and administration is concentrated in the South.
The report also called for substantial devolution of power to the North and this more than anything, is the cause that unites Northerners. Andy Burnham has served as Mayor of Greater Manchester since Our monthly print magazine is packed full of cutting-edge stories and stunning photography, perfect for anyone fascinated by the world, its landscapes, people and cultures.
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Even the local authorities in England and Wales are beholden to Westminster, so they can only spend what Westminster gives them and their tax-raising powers through local taxes are actually quite strained. To a certain extent, a new era of devolution is already underway. Some — Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham springs to mind — are making quite a name for themselves. There is, of course, another side to Northern life and the desire to point out unfair regional differences can sometimes mask it.
Perhaps what best defines the North is a sense of pride and a determination to endure. Adversity, after all, can build community. Place is really important to people. This sense of pride in place not only fosters a sense of community but contributes to a thriving cultural scene. Contrary to the common attitude that people wanting to work in the creative industries necessarily flock to London, for some this is far from the truth.
Fiction author Ben Myers, who was born in Durham in , has experienced both sides of the country, having spent nine years living in London.
There are networks and grants, and there is funding. I can exist on half the outgoings that I had when I lived in London. So if your rent or your mortgage is half, that means, theoretically, you only have to do half as much work, which means it frees up a lot of time to create.
When it comes to income but not wealth , this is partly backed up by the statistics. Are these Manchester schoolchildren disadvantaged simply because of where they grew up? Today, the North is bracing itself for the effects of Covid Already it is clear that the region is suffering from higher case numbers. Hospitalisation rates of people with coronavirus for the week ending 4 October were 7.
Longer term, the pandemic will likely hit Northern economies harder as well, partly because it has a higher proportion of jobs in hospitality and leisure. At the time of writing, Andy Burnham was battling the government over its proposed local lockdown and Covid support package. Local mayors can undoubtedly be a headache for central government, but Northerners believe that the right to be headache is a right they should have. I think this is the time to do it. Like longer reads? Try our in-depth dossiers that provide a comprehensive view of each topic.
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