City Status for Middlesbrough is probably immaterial, it almost certainly is for JRS as a firm. There were however plenty of other local businesses behind the Diamond Jubilee inspired “City at Heart” bid. Ultimately I have no idea what benefits it might have brought and now never will.
A couple of weeks ago these maps and tables were published. They provided a league table, ranking Local Authorities against a series of poverty indices. Surprise surprise, good old Boro, once again, came out top. Just the kind of “success” we don’t want or need.
Dudley, who were also in the running, beat us by 66 places.
Anyone like to hazard a guess as to where the, now, City of Chelmsford is ranked out of the 322 Local Authorities included? It is 241.
Now I am not suggesting that this competition should have been a “patronise the poor o’thon” or become a sop to an area facing the most severe impact of current funding cuts. If however anyone is wondering why “entrenched and embittered northern attitudes” persist (or sad resignation as it might more fairly be characterised) here is yet another reason.
