Pennine Lancashire

David Hill: I worked in Preston for 10 years. I came over here last year to work and it’s quite clear there’s more of an emphasis on public funding going into Blackpool and to the Tithebarn district of Preston than into Blackburn. You have to wonder whether Government views Blackpool as being more deprived than some of the areas of Blackburn or elsewhere in Pennine Lancashire when actually I don’t think they are.

Mike Damms: We’re about the only place in the country where the deprivation is getting worse.

Ian Leigh: It’s important not to get hung up on what’s going on in Preston. The challenge faced there or in Blackpool is a lot simpler than the challenges we face in Pennine Lancashire because it is such a large area.