Rebuilding a city

The depiction of Bradford as a place split along economic and racial lines is outdated. Of course, it faces problems like many others in the North, but it has been damaged by the urban myths and half-truths which have sprung up over the past two decades.

As the Joseph Rowntree Foundation says today, a failure of political leadership means the reputation of Bradford as a broken city has not been tackled. Both Labour and the Conservatives must accept blame for this, having been in power as the city first missed out on the prosperity of the boom years and, then, as it was hit hard by the economic slump which followed.

The site which was to have been the Westfield shopping centre, now silent and overgrown with weeds, has become the sorry symbol of Bradford’s woes.

More work must be done to bring together different ethnic groups and faiths but confronting the city’s economic problems lies at the heart of its revival. With several regeneration projects stalled and unemployment of more than 11 per cent, there is good reason to fear for its future.

Bradfordians themselves know that they have been held back by city fathers. Skilled jobs, affordable housing and successful community relations programmes are in short supply and it is time Labour and the Conservatives came together to prevent social problems from worsening. The spending cuts are taking a toll and Bradford’s chances of recovery would be better served if politicians set aside their pretensions and, as Priestley suggested, worked together for the common good.