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# Regions can work for England
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/regions-can-work-for-england/
- Published: 2007-12-03T11:12:28.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:38:28.000Z
- Author: openDemocracy Supporters
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:31

**Moderator:* Sue Stirling's* [*previous article*](http://ourkingdom.opendemocracy.net/2007/11/27/the-north-needs-positive-discrimination/?ref=opendemocracy.net) *provoked some heated discussion and debate - this her a response.*

**Sue Stirling (Newcastle,** [**ippr north**](http://ippr.typepad.com/ipprnorth/?ref=opendemocracy.net)**):** It's always nice to see a blog piece inspire so much debate and while I can't possibly answer all questions I would like to focus on a few key points, especially the economic conditions within England. There is an unacceptably wide gap in wealth between the North and the rest of the country, broadly speaking.

I have no desire to define how authentic the English regions are or are not. Even if they are entirely fabricated, is it really a reason to ignore them as potential engines of development? Many of the socio-economic reasons behind North/South disparities cannot be tackled at local or national level, but can be done so at regional.

England is too big to be treated in a homogenous way, Italy and France have realised that regions work, and we must accept that no other country in Europe is so centralised.