the vast disparity in wealth and expenditure between north and south,
Looking at your location I am surprised that you have repeated this much overused and inaccurate phrase. Every time I hear "North-South divide" I want to hear a definition of where, exactly, is being referred to. Vast areas of the South of England are as economically deprived as anywhere in the North - the coastal towns of Kent, for example, and Cornwall, which is one of the most deprived areas in Europe. As far as I remember East Anglia is not much better, with high house prices (elevated by incoming retirees) coupled with low wages. Truro in Cornwall has been calculated as the third most expensive place in the country (after London and Oxford) to buy a house, when average house prices are considered alongside average local wages.
"North - South divide?" Please have some consideration for my blood pressure!