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| Cambridge tops the league … as Britain’s most unequal city | Cambridge tops the league … as Britain’s most unequal city |
| (1 day later) | |
| Donna Ferguson | |
| Sun 4 Feb 2018 00.04 GMT | |
| Last modified on Wed 7 Feb 2018 16.31 GMT | |
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| It is warm inside the Wintercomfort for the Homeless day centre in Cambridge, where 40 people and their dogs have taken shelter from the icy wind whipping across nearby Midsummer Common. “There’s a lot of poverty in Cambridge but, because of the image of the town, much of it goes unseen,” said James Martin, the centre manager. “It’s a wealthy city that has benefited from a lot of growth in recent years but there’s still a ‘town and gown’ divide. Just outside the city centre people are living in very deprived areas barely surviving day to day.” | It is warm inside the Wintercomfort for the Homeless day centre in Cambridge, where 40 people and their dogs have taken shelter from the icy wind whipping across nearby Midsummer Common. “There’s a lot of poverty in Cambridge but, because of the image of the town, much of it goes unseen,” said James Martin, the centre manager. “It’s a wealthy city that has benefited from a lot of growth in recent years but there’s still a ‘town and gown’ divide. Just outside the city centre people are living in very deprived areas barely surviving day to day.” |
| A report by the Centre for Cities think tank last week identified Cambridge as the least equal city in the UK for the second year in a row. Income was more unevenly distributed among residents than in any of the other 57 UK cities measured in the annual report, including Oxford and London. | A report by the Centre for Cities think tank last week identified Cambridge as the least equal city in the UK for the second year in a row. Income was more unevenly distributed among residents than in any of the other 57 UK cities measured in the annual report, including Oxford and London. |
| The top 6% of earners who live in Cambridge take home 19% of the total income generated by residents, while the bottom 20% of people account for just 2% of the total. | The top 6% of earners who live in Cambridge take home 19% of the total income generated by residents, while the bottom 20% of people account for just 2% of the total. |
| “Obviously, inequality is bad but there’s more to this statistic than meets the eye,” said Paul Swinney, head of research and policy at Centre for Cities. “Some of the most equal cities – such as Burnley, Mansfield and Barnsley – have some of the weakest economies and have a lack of job opportunities. One reason Cambridge is so unequal, compared with other cities, is because it has a much greater share of highly-paid, high-skilled jobs. The question for policymakers is: does everyone in Cambridge have the skills and opportunities to access those jobs?” | “Obviously, inequality is bad but there’s more to this statistic than meets the eye,” said Paul Swinney, head of research and policy at Centre for Cities. “Some of the most equal cities – such as Burnley, Mansfield and Barnsley – have some of the weakest economies and have a lack of job opportunities. One reason Cambridge is so unequal, compared with other cities, is because it has a much greater share of highly-paid, high-skilled jobs. The question for policymakers is: does everyone in Cambridge have the skills and opportunities to access those jobs?” |
| Around 61,000 people work in the so-called “silicon fen”, the cluster of 4,700 tech and life science firms in Cambridge that turned over £12bn last year. Amazon, ARM and Apple have all recently expanded their headquarters to the city and a new railway station, Cambridge North, opened last year near the science park owned by Trinity College. | Around 61,000 people work in the so-called “silicon fen”, the cluster of 4,700 tech and life science firms in Cambridge that turned over £12bn last year. Amazon, ARM and Apple have all recently expanded their headquarters to the city and a new railway station, Cambridge North, opened last year near the science park owned by Trinity College. |
| “Cambridge has had a long evolution as a tech cluster, thanks in part to the way the university encouraged academics to pursue commercial roles using transfer arrangements,” said Richard Traherne, chief commercial officer for the global design consultancy Cambridge Consultants. “They brought their commercial expertise back into the university, so there are major connections between it and the tech industry, and lots of high-quality graduates to recruit. | “Cambridge has had a long evolution as a tech cluster, thanks in part to the way the university encouraged academics to pursue commercial roles using transfer arrangements,” said Richard Traherne, chief commercial officer for the global design consultancy Cambridge Consultants. “They brought their commercial expertise back into the university, so there are major connections between it and the tech industry, and lots of high-quality graduates to recruit. |
| “Plus, it’s a nice place to live, so successful entrepreneurs often stay and act as ‘angel’ investors and mentors. We call that the Cambridge spirit – and it means there is a very large number of millionaires living here compared with similar towns.” He points out that hi-tech companies have created ancillary, lower-skilled jobs in services, transport and manufacturing and many support local charities. Cambridge Consultants raised over £43,000 for Wintercomfort last year, its biggest ever corporate donation. | “Plus, it’s a nice place to live, so successful entrepreneurs often stay and act as ‘angel’ investors and mentors. We call that the Cambridge spirit – and it means there is a very large number of millionaires living here compared with similar towns.” He points out that hi-tech companies have created ancillary, lower-skilled jobs in services, transport and manufacturing and many support local charities. Cambridge Consultants raised over £43,000 for Wintercomfort last year, its biggest ever corporate donation. |
| John Bird, founder of The Big Issue, is sceptical. He has lived in Cambridge for the past 10 years and has observed the city becoming more divided as it has become wealthier. “I’ve witnessed a vast increase in the number of chain shops and poncified cafes and gift shops, which have changed the character of the city,” he said. | John Bird, founder of The Big Issue, is sceptical. He has lived in Cambridge for the past 10 years and has observed the city becoming more divided as it has become wealthier. “I’ve witnessed a vast increase in the number of chain shops and poncified cafes and gift shops, which have changed the character of the city,” he said. |
| “I see the university as a force for social separation, bringing in scientists and digital workers from all over the world, so developers build houses for students, while local people are priced out.” | “I see the university as a force for social separation, bringing in scientists and digital workers from all over the world, so developers build houses for students, while local people are priced out.” |
| Dr Ewan Jones, a Cambridge University lecturer, lives just off Mill Road in a formerly working-class area of Cambridge. He recently used a university-funded shared equity scheme to cut 50% off the purchase price of his house which, following the tech boom, had rocketed to almost 10 times his starting salary as a young lecturer. “The area is so gentrified now there is no way I could have afforded to buy here otherwise – and I know there is a lot of resentment about that among my neighbours who have lived here a long time. There are local delis and cafes I go to they can’t afford to buy food in.” | Dr Ewan Jones, a Cambridge University lecturer, lives just off Mill Road in a formerly working-class area of Cambridge. He recently used a university-funded shared equity scheme to cut 50% off the purchase price of his house which, following the tech boom, had rocketed to almost 10 times his starting salary as a young lecturer. “The area is so gentrified now there is no way I could have afforded to buy here otherwise – and I know there is a lot of resentment about that among my neighbours who have lived here a long time. There are local delis and cafes I go to they can’t afford to buy food in.” |
| Many dons prefer to live in college accommodation and pay nothing at all in rent – free meals, free computers and free parking are other typical perks. “Academics in Cambridge are protected by the wealth of the university,” Jones said. “In some way, it acts as a surrogate state. But it only helps a tiny number of people – and those are not the people most in need.” | Many dons prefer to live in college accommodation and pay nothing at all in rent – free meals, free computers and free parking are other typical perks. “Academics in Cambridge are protected by the wealth of the university,” Jones said. “In some way, it acts as a surrogate state. But it only helps a tiny number of people – and those are not the people most in need.” |
| 6% | 6% |
| of people living in Cambridge take home 19% of the total income generated by residents | of people living in Cambridge take home 19% of the total income generated by residents |
| 61,000 | 61,000 |
| people work in the so-called ‘silicon fen’ | people work in the so-called ‘silicon fen’ |
| 4,700 | 4,700 |
| Cambridge tech and life science firms, turning over £12bn last year | Cambridge tech and life science firms, turning over £12bn last year |
| • This article was amended on 7 February 2018 to clarify the description of Cambridge Consultants | • This article was amended on 7 February 2018 to clarify the description of Cambridge Consultants |
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