Blackpool named among 'left behind' towns in report

A swathe of towns across the North and the Midlands will bear the brunt of the knock-on impact of widespread atomised working, according to a study by the Centre for Social Justice.

The report identifies 10 towns which will find it hard to adapt to artificial intelligence technology making many jobs redundant. They are; Doncaster, Wigan, Blackpool, Mansfield, Barnsley, Bradford, Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent, Wakefield and Dudley.

The CSJ is calling for Government action by setting-up tax enterprise zones underpinned by a £1.4bn regeneration fund.

Scrapping employers’ national insurance payments for high growth businesses would also be a benefit, it said.

The think tank’s chief executive Andy Cook said: “To allow the residents of these ‘left behind’ towns to seize the opportunities in the future jobs market, they need a policy blueprint that provides better transport links, better teachers in schools, better housing and dynamic local leadership.”