Blimey! Tory think tank The Policy Exchange has put the cat amongst the pigeons in Exchange Flags by suggesting that northern cities like Liverpool are beyond retrieval and should be left to crumble into a post apocolyptic nightmare of disease and decay.

Well, maybe not quite that bad, but it supports the policy of managed decline and suggests we’d all be better off moving to that there London, Cambridge and Oxford.

Now, delighted as I’m sure the good people of Cambridge are at the thought of thousands of scousers moving in, it’s a safe bet that the good people of Liverpool (and Sunderland, Blackpool and Bradford etc) are not that keen on going for a punt on the river either.

And why should they? The Port of Liverpool is busier than it’s ever been. The Capital of Culture will have a lasting legacy in both events like the Biennial and a change in attitude towards the city. Urban regeneration and investment in projects like Liverpool One have brought jobs and money into the economy. The proposed new Mersey crossing will improve our travel and supply infrastructure. The Big Dig can’t go on forever.

These are just some of the reasons why a move down south is not needed. I’m sure you can think of more.

We’d love to hear what you have to think about this report. Let us know by leaving a nice ranting comment!

Stoke your moral outrage by reading more about this on the Daily Post website.

Or, read an account of why someone from Cambridge might want to move to Liverpool over on Adrian McEwan’s blog.