Letter: The real reason London can't compete in Europe

HAVING recently moved away from the South-east, I must take issue with your editorial. It is difficult to understand why the fact that a quarter of the population lives in the area should make it so important to the economic recovery of the rest of the nation. In the past the South-east has been able to enjoy its own prosperity with little regard for the confidence or spending power of the other 75 per cent.

Many financial and information services wizards are Northerners who will be happy to take their talent and money back home with them. With telephones, fax machines and so on there is no need to be in London.

Tom Knott

Rowlands Gill, Tyne & Wear