AntiSocial - The north-south divide

Andy Burnham's pledge to rebalance power in Britain shines new light on a long-standing divide stretching across England. Some say the new Prime Minister's focus on the north is long overdue, while others argue it's divisive and that the south has its problems too. So how deep does the divide go, and where does it come from? We explore the geology, geography and the history. People from north and south often sound different - we discuss the links between accents and prejudice. And we revisit a TV series that has been instrumental in the way the Prime Minister, and many others, view the north of England.

Presenter: Adam Fleming
Production team: Simon Tulett, Mhairi MacKenzie and Lucy Sheppard
Studio manager: Hal Haines
Production coordinator: Janet Staples
Editor: Penny Murphy

Published on Friday, 24th July 2026.

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