Prime Minister Rishi Sunak approaches the podium to address one of the proudest cities in England. George OrwellReal name Eric Arthur Blair, a world-renowned 20th-century novelist, most famous for his political novels Animal Farm and 1984. described it as the "belly and guts of the nation". Elizabeth GaskellAn English novelist of the Victorian era. called it "ugly, smoky Manchester; dear, busy, earnest, noble-working Manchester".

What does Rishi Sunak have to say to this great city, the hub of the Industrial RevolutionA period of sudden, rapid industrialisation that transforms a country from an agricultural to an industrial economy., England's historic powerhouse?

Sorry, he says, but no trains for you! The long-awaited HS2 high speed rail line to Manchester, which has already attracted billions in investmentWhen you put money into a project or idea in the hope it will be successful in the future. , will not be built. Instead, the line will end in Birmingham.

It has been branded a "betrayal of the North". It is not just about railway routes. The line was supposed to be an investment in the North, creating jobs, boosting infrastructureThe basic systems and services that a country needs to keep it going. and reducing rail congestionOvercrowding or blocked. . Those who object to Sunak's plans call it a typical act of prioritising the needs of the South East over the rest of the country.

SuccessiveOne after the other. governments have promised to find a solution to regional inequalities, but recent studies show that the divide has been growing, not shrinking.

Earlier this year, a think tank found that regional inequalityWhen money and opportunities are not shared equally between different groups in society. in the UK is "without parallel in the developed world", noting that a stunning half of net job growth in the UK since 2010 has gone to London and the South East alone. The south-east is home to just one third of the UK population, but accounts for 42% of its wealth.

Others argue that it is only natural for different regions to have different economies. From the US rust beltA region of the USA, known for manufacturing, steelmaking and coal, that saw economic decline from the 1950s. It includes a large part of the Midwest. to Italy's vast North-South divide, there will always be richer and poorer cities and areas.

Yes: The growth of regional inequality between the North and the South is a scandal, driven by a huge failure to invest in Northern jobs and infrastructure.

No: The divide is not widening: every region of the UK is suffering from lower investment due to economic insecurity and cuts. There are simply more important economic priorities than the North-South divide at the moment.

Or... A North-South divide does not have to be bad, so long as there is mobility between different areas. And it is natural that the capital should attract more investment than anywhere else.