Northern cities head list of UK's low-wage, high-welfare economies

Centre for Cities urges the government to address the geographical divide by continuing to increase investment in regional economies

Almost half of the UK's biggest cities have low-wage, high-welfare economies, according to a healthcheck on urban Britain that underscores the challenges for the government's benefit-cutting agenda.

George Osborne used his first budget of the Conservative government last summer to advocate a "higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare country". But a report published on Monday warns that his vision will take several parliaments to create, given current shortfalls in education, a housing crisis and inefficient jobs programmes.