Episode 1

From the new digital and creative industries in Manchester and Cheshire, to the revival of the old textile industry in Yorkshire, Martin Wainwright demonstrates why the myth of the 'grim' North is vastly outdated.

He proposes that the cause of Britain's uneven productivity and wealth may lie in London and the South-East, not the North. While London continues to be talked up and the North talked down, the divide is entrenched - and the problem with concentrating the country's economy in the capital is overlooked.

The programme includes politicians Gordon Marsden and Kris Hopkins), geographer Danny Dorling, digital innovator Drew Hemment, and Barnsley's queen of fashion, Rita Britton.

Producer: Isabel Sutton
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4.