Most capital cities are well off, but London is like another country | Larry Elliott

Incomes in inner London are five times as high as in the Welsh valleys or Cornwall

All countries have their regional differences. States in the American Deep South are poorer than those in New England. In Germany, Bavaria is richer than Brandenburg. The struggling parts of Italy are south of Rome.

But Britain is in a class of its own. The gap between the richest and poorest parts is wider than in any EU country. Incomes per head in inner London are five times as high as in the Welsh valleys or Cornwall.

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