Below is the start of the lead piece from the edition of the On London Extra newsletter sent out on Tuesday. It links to the rest at the end. Sales of On London Extra finance the whole of this website. A free trial is available.
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You’ve heard the one about how flash Londoners live the high life at the expense of honest northern folk, feasting on their taxes and getting the Elizabeth line while the rest of the country has to make do with handfuls of warm gravel and trains that are almost as old as the ones on the Bakerloo?
You might have also heard the one about how London gets far less public money spent on it than it generates in taxes, and that were this not the case Andy Burnham’s telly would be a a monochrome eye in Bakelite and Blackpool wouldn’t have an NHS.
As regular readers know, the second story is the true one – poetic licence aside – and has been for years. What is more, it seems to be getting even truer.
Continues on Substack here.