Manchester lacks the power to change its fortunes
It is doing many things right but remains trapped in Westminster’s orbit
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To experience the full Manchester effect, you need to arrive from somewhere other than London. Compared with the capital’s crammed skyline, central Manchester’s burgeoning collection of tall towers looks gappy—closer to Croydon, in south London, than the City. Although its tram network is much more modern than the London Underground, Manchester’s seems quaint, and not nearly sufficient for such a large conurbation. Only by comparison with other northern or Midlands cities does the metropolis seem like a vision of urban prosperity.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "The sputtering engine of the north"
Britain December 10th 2022
From the December 10th 2022 edition
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