The latest Economist Intelligence Unit’s liveability survey has ranked Manchester above London by an impressive five places. While Manchester came in at 46, the capital languished at a pitiful 51.
The survey rates living conditions in 140 cities around the world, using criteria such as healthcare, education and infrastructure as yardsticks.
This news is sure to ruffle a few feathers amongst those who tend to view the North with a decidedly snobby attitude, believing London and other areas of the South to be vastly superior.
Cambridge students who hail from Manchester have been voicing support for the findings of the survey.
Sophie Lloyd, a second year at New Hall, said “Having lived in both cities, I can honestly say I’m totally unsurprised. There is nothing sexier than a Manchester twang”.
Declan Clancy, a second year at Emma, echoed this, saying simply, “London can swing on my diyack.”
Manchester and London were the only two UK cities to make it into the survey.
Canada and Australia came out best overall, with three Canadian cities making it to the top ten, including Vancouver in the number one spot. Five Australian cities made it to the top twenty. Unsurprisingly, Harare in Zimbabwe was bottom of the list.
Sophie claims to have lived in both cities. Well, yes technically that’s true, but she lived in London for a year between the ages of 1 and 2, not sure how much she remembers about her quality of life at that time. I know this as her older brother. Still, Manchester has constantly been underestimated, all the benefits of a major city but not with London’s inflated prices for everything.
What kind of a warped world do we live in when Harare comes bottom of a liveability list?
Absolutely no way Manchester is better than London. After all, there are Mancunians in Manchester! Awful accent, and thieves!
personally i find the wakefield twang far far sexier
Tim Heath can swing on my diyack.
There's never any need for Southern Pride… it is assumed. Northern pride isn't however, and when you're living in dirt, surrounded by scum, I suppose pride is the only thing you have left!
Surveys be always rubbish!
That´s the only truth!
I´have read and compared thousands of surveys over the past years and can clear say all these are for the litter.
[...] its own? We have to point out at this stage that we are writing this article entirely without bias: one of us is a northern lass and the other a southern yokel; when our opinions are combined they form a ‘perfect’ balance (either that or we will [...]
Manchester has everything London has. The people in Manchester are a lot more friendly, Manchester has the nicer suburbs. By the way, their is more wealth up north than down south. FACT.