The private - public sector divide replaces the north south divide -

Interesting article about the north - south divide in today's Times. During the 80s and 90s, you heard constant reports in the press about how there was a growing wealth gap between the north and south of England. Now this has been replaced by the public - private sector divide.

So whilst the recession has forced the private sector to cut pay and make redundancies, the public sector carries on as though nothing has changed. How is this possible? Very simple. Labour have created over a million new public sector jobs (and a million loyal voters) in the past 12 years. With a general election just 14 months away, Gordon Brown will want to keep his voters happy and if he has to bankrupt the rest of us in the process, so be it.

Should the Tories win the next election, public sector reform will prove to be as divisive an issue as curbing the Unions was in the 80s. Make no mistake, David Cameron has an unenviable task ahead of him.