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Second city of the United Kingdom

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The second city of the United Kingdom is typically held to be either Birmingham or Manchester, between which the title is disputed.[1][2][3][4] The title is unofficial and cultural and is often debated in the popular press between Birmingham, Manchester, and other candidates.

Population of UK cities over time

The United Kingdom has a primate city structure where London significantly surpasses other cities in size and importance and all other cities have much more in common with one another than with the capital,[5] but various cities have held some claim to the title of second city through history. Eboracum (York), the northern capital of Britannia Inferior, would have been considered the second city by virtue of its prominence in Roman times.[6] In medieval England, the second-largest city was Norwich. It was surpassed by Bristol in the seventeenth century. By the nineteenth century, the label "second city of the British Empire" had emerged and was widely applied to Dublin, the capital of Ireland.[7][8][9][10][11] Dublin was eclipsed over the coming decades by several rapidly industrialising cities in Britain.[12] Glasgow was sometimes described as the second city of the Empire during the Victorian era. Currently, Birmingham is commonly referred to as the UK's second city, although Manchester has also emerged as a contender.[13][1][2][3] Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast also have alternative claims due to their status as capital cities of the other home nations.[14][15][16]

History

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York was named the second city in earlier centuries, by virtue of its prominence in Roman times as the northern capital, Eboracum, of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior.[6]

The title Second City of the Empire or Second City of the British Empire was claimed by a number of cities in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Commercial trading city Liverpool was regarded as holding this title with its massive port, merchant fleet and world-wide trading links.[17][18][19] Liverpool was constantly referred to as the New York of Europe.[20] Glasgow (which continues to use the title as a marketing slogan),[21][22] and (outside of Britain or Ireland) Calcutta (modern Kolkata)[23] and Philadelphia.[24]

Prior to the union with Scotland in 1707, from the English Civil War until the 18th century, Norwich was the second-largest city of the Kingdom of England, being a major trading centre, Britain's richest provincial city and county town of Norfolk, at that time the most populous county of England.[25] Bristol was the second-wealthiest city in England in the 16th century;[26] and by the 18th century, Bristol was often described as the second city of England.[27] During the 19th century, claims were made for Manchester,[28] Liverpool[29] and York.[30] By the early 19th century, Glasgow was frequently referred to as the second city;[31] and during much of the 20th century it had a population of over one million, larger than that of Birmingham until the 1951 census. For example, the Official Census population for Glasgow was 0.784 million in April 1911; 1.034 million in April 1921; 1.088 million in April 1931 and 1.090 million in April 1951.[32] However, slum clearance in the 1960s led to displacement of residents from the city centre to new communities located outside the city boundaries. This, together with local government reorganisation, resulted in the official population of Glasgow falling sharply. The Glasgow City Council area currently has a population of 600,000 although the surrounding conurbation of Greater Glasgow has a population of 1,199,629.[33] In contrast, the population of the city of Birmingham has remained steady around the one million mark; its central population fell like Glasgow's, but the city boundaries were extended several times in the early 20th century. Occasional claims were made for Liverpool,[34] Birmingham[35] and Manchester.[36]

Modern points of view

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Birmingham has generally been considered to be the second city of the United Kingdom since the time of World War I.[37] However, from the mid-twentieth century, Manchester has been pitched as a contender for the title.[37]

Population

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Birmingham is the more populous city and is recognised as such by His Majesty's Government.[38][39] However, confusion surrounding the correct way to define the two cities' populations, along with the publication of outdated, inaccurate or estimated population statistics, has sometimes led to erroneous comparisons between them.

According to the 2021 United Kingdom census, the City of Birmingham is the most populous local government district (and therefore in terms of population actually the UK’s largest City-proper) with a population of 1.145 million — substantially larger than the City of Manchester, which at 552,000 is only the sixth largest, behind Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Bradford and Sheffield.[40]

However, municipal boundaries are problematic for comparing modern cities: many suburbs of Bristol, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester fall outside city limits largely drawn up in Victorian times, and the surrounding conurbations and areas that can be considered part of each city are hard to define. Manchester is regarded as a particularly 'under-bounded' city, whose archaic boundaries no longer accurately reflect its true size.[41][42] To reflect this, the City of Manchester is sometimes conflated with Greater Manchester, the metropolitan county and combined authority which includes the neighbouring City of Salford and eight other metropolitan boroughs that broadly define the conurbation. According to the 2021 census, Greater Manchester had a total population of 2.868 million.[40] This is nonetheless marginally smaller than the equivalent metropolitan county and combined authority of the West Midlands, which comprises the cities of Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, and four other metropolitan boroughs, with a total combined population of 2.92 million.[40]

There are several drawbacks to this approach. The first is the arbitrary nature of the metropolitan county boundaries, which were drawn up in the early-1970s as administrative divisions and do not necessarily reflect the present state of either conurbation. A second drawback is the implication that each county is, in itself, homogeneous, thus ignoring the sensitivities of the distinct settlements which fall within the boundaries of the county but may not identify strongly with its principal city, for example the Black Country in the West Midlands,[43] or Bolton in Greater Manchester.[44] Relatedly, a third drawback is in the names of the counties themselves: Manchester has been able to leverage the name of its metropolitan county to build a cohesive "place brand",[45] whereas Birmingham's comparative sphere of influence tends to be hidden within the West Midlands moniker.[46]

In an attempt to circumvent the first of these drawbacks, the population of each city is sometimes taken to be the contiguous built-up urban area of their respective conurbations. According to a methodology defined by the Office for National Statistics in 2011, the Greater Manchester Built-up Area's population of 2.55 million is marginally bigger than that of the West Midlands conurbation, at 2.44 million. This disparity is explained by the area of green belt known as the Meriden Gap, which separates the City of Coventry from the rest of the West Midlands built-up area.[47]

An alternative methodology, based around the concept of primary urban areas, is used by Centre for Cities to publish urban policy research.[48] Primary urban areas are intended to allow economic and social comparisons between cities, using definitions less arbitrary than the administrative boundaries of local authorities, but avoiding some of the issues associated with agglomerating distinct urban settlements into single cities.[49] According to the Centre for Cities Data Tool, Birmingham's population in 2020 was 2.56 million, marginally ahead of Manchester's 2.52 million.[50]

At other times, the wider metropolitan areas of the two cities are considered. Compared directly, the Birmingham Metropolitan Area is the larger of the two, with an estimated 2021 population of 4.34 million as opposed to Manchester's 3.1 million.[51]

In the media

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The media typically describe Birmingham as the second city.

Reporting on the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in July and August 2022, ten of the twelve nationally distributed daily newspapers in the United Kingdom published articles referring to Birmingham as the "second city" of either the United Kingdom, Britain or England: The Times,[52] The Daily Telegraph,[53] The i,[54] The Guardian,[55] The Independent,[56] and The Daily Mirror.[57] The same phrasing appeared in the freesheet press, including The Metro[58] and City A.M.,[59] regional publications including The London Evening Standard,[60] The Scottish Herald,[61] The Northern Echo[62] and The Yorkshire Post,[63] special interest publications including The Voice,[64] and a number of international publications including The New Zealand Herald,[65] The Times Colonist[66] and The National.[67] Publications including The Financial Times[68] and The Scotsman[69] have also referred to Birmingham's second city status.

During the same period, the BBC published a "Brummies' guide to Birmingham and beyond" which contained the subheading "Something for everyone in the second city",[70] while Sky published a legacy piece discussing the concerns of "people who live in Britain's second city".[71] Other national broadcasters whose websites have, at different times, referred to Birmingham as the second city include ITV,[72] and Channel 4.[73]

Since 2010, major international news providers including Reuters,[74][75] The Associated Press,[76][77] Agence France-Presse,[78][79] Bloomberg News,[80] CNN International,[81] Al Jazeera[82] and The New York Times Company[83] have all referred to Birmingham as the second city of either Britain or England, although the descriptor "second-largest city" is also frequently seen. In 2019, an article in the New York Times suggested both Liverpool and Manchester might lay claim to being England's cultural second city.[84]

Travel and events publications including Lonely Planet,[85] Rough Guides[86] and Time Out[87] refer to Birmingham as the second city.

Public opinion polls

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As the second city is an unofficial title and one of subjective opinion, a number of polls have been conducted over the years. Despite Birmingham being viewed as the traditional second city, public polls have shown a slight preference for Manchester since 2000:

  • A 2002 survey conducted by Ipsos MORI, commissioned by "Visit Manchester" (Manchester's tourism department), Manchester received the highest response for the category of second city at 34%, compared to Birmingham at 29%; and in the same poll, Manchester had the highest response for the category of third city with 27% of the vote, 6% more than the 21% for Birmingham.[88] 85% of respondents put London as first City.[89]
  • A 2015 survey by YouGov showed that 30% thought Manchester was the second city, 20% thought Birmingham and 12% thought Edinburgh.[90]
  • A 2017 survey by BMG Research, commissioned by the Birmingham Mail, showed 38% preferred Manchester as the second city versus 36% for Birmingham. 16% choose Edinburgh with 10% for other cities. The opinion poll also found a stark generational divide with 44% of 18 to 24 year olds choosing Manchester as their preferred second city compared with only 19% who stated Birmingham and 25% of this age group also selecting Edinburgh over Birmingham. However, of those 65 and older, 40% preferred Birmingham and 38% preferred Manchester.[91]

Ministerial statements

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Although the government does not publish policy on the matter, ministers have tended to endorse Birmingham's status as the country's second city.

A notable exception was John Prescott, former Deputy Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for the constituency of Kingston upon Hull East, who concluded a conference speech in Manchester in 2007 with the words "...Manchester – our second city", although this was later played down by his department, claiming they were made in a "light-hearted context".[97] Prescott had previously declared Birmingham the second city while on a visit to the newly built Bullring Shopping Centre in 2003.

At different times, MPs representing constituencies in Manchester and Glasgow have spoken out in support of their respective cities' claims:

  • Graham Stringer, MP for Blackley and Broughton, stated "Manchester has always been the second city after the capital, in many ways it is the first. Birmingham has never really been in the competition."[97]
  • Sandra White, former Scottish National Party MSP for Glasgow, claimed "Glasgow was always seen as the second city in the Empire, and Glasgow is still the second British city."[97]

However, in 2007, Phil Woolas MP for the constituency of Oldham East and Saddleworth, former Minister of State for the Environment, appeared to concede the second city title to Birmingham, remarking: "And, of course, I, and colleagues in Manchester, am pleased to see its very sensible plans to relocate to Manchester – Britain's third city."[98]

Most recently, MP for Solihull, Julian Knight conceded that people see Manchester as England's second city but argued that "Birmingham is bigger, more diverse and frankly a more interesting place to be." He suggested that the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games would cement Birmingham's place as England's second city.[99]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "No prizes for coming third: The fight to be Britain's second city". The Independent. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Splendidly pointless second city debate". Financial Times. 25 February 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Birmingham or Manchester: Which is Britain's second city? Obviously, it's Birmingham". New Statesman. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  4. ^ "How regeneration has cemented Manchester as the UK's second city". LCR Property.. "Manchester is frequently lauded as the UK's 'second city' ... While the claim to the 'second city' title may stir debate, particularly among those from Birmingham, experts are in unanimous agreement that Manchester is forging ahead"
  5. ^ "What Is the Law of the Primate City and the Rank-Size Rule?". ThoughtCo.
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  8. ^ Christopher, A.J. (1997). "The Second City of the Empire: colonial Dublin, 1911". Journal of Historical Geography. 23 (2): 151–163. doi:10.1006/jhge.1996.0047. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Death of a Capital? Dublin and the Consequences of Union" (PDF). The British Academy. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  10. ^ "A terrible problem is born". The Economist. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  11. ^ Groom, Brian (25 February 2013). "Splendidly pointless second city debate". Financial Times. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  12. ^ Sidney Edwards Morse and Jedidiah Morse, A New System of Geography, Ancient and Modern, p.177, 1824
  13. ^ "10 reasons to visit Birmingham, Britain's second city". Lonely Planet. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  14. ^ Hopkins, Eric (2001). Birmingham: The Making of the Second City 4850-1939. Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2327-4.
  15. ^ The New York Times, 6 August 1989: "Edinburgh's castle high on the rock has looked down on many a triumph and tragedy in the proud Scots capital, but every year since 1947, Britain's Second City steals the spotlight from London during the three weeks of the international festival."
  16. ^ Hoge, Warren (25 June 2003). "LETTER FROM EUROPE; The Last Hard Case: Bleak, Stubborn Belfast". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  17. ^ "The Empire in one city?". Manchester University Press. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
  18. ^ "University of Liverpool – Research Intelligence Issue 30 – Against all odds". Archived from the original on 16 November 2007. Retrieved 8 October 2007. Liverpool University: "... the city's pre-eminent position at the turn of the 19th century resulted from the port's willingness to handle a very wide range of cargo (including millions of migrants to the new world). Liverpool was second only to London in this respect – and this, together with its great ethnic diversity, was the basis of its claim to being the 'second city of empire'."
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  23. ^ "Tourism of India – Special Feature – Relics of the Raj". Archived from the original on 14 August 2007.
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  26. ^ J. E. T. and A. G. L. Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, p.82, 1887
  27. ^ Charles Knight, The Popular History of England, p.8, 1859
  28. ^ Robert Southey, Letters from England, p.177, 1836
  29. ^ James Richard Joy, An Outline History of England, p.26, 1890
  30. ^ John Major, Aeneas James George Mackay and Thomas Graves Law, A History of Greater Britain as Well England as Scotland, p.xxxvi, 1892
  31. ^ For example, see T. H. B. Oldfield, The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland, p.566, 1816 or Spencer Walpole, A History of England from the Conclusion of the Great War in 1815, p.103, 1878
  32. ^ Roberson, D. J. (1958). "Population, Past and Present". Chapter 2 in: Cunnison, J. and Gilfillan, J. B. S. (1958). The Third Statistical Account of Scotland, Volume V. The City of Glasgow. Glasgow: William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.
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  71. ^ "2022 Commonwealth Games: What legacy is in store for Birmingham after hosting the games?". Sky News. 23 July 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  72. ^ "Birmingham 2022: The person behind the paddle, Charlotte Bardsley's journey to Commonwealth Games". itv.com. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  73. ^ "Channel 4 to go Inside Birmingham Children's Hospital". Channel 4. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
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  75. ^ "Bargain basement Games bring bang for buck to Birmingham". Reuters. 27 July 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  76. ^ "Birmingham, the UK's second city, could be heading towards a local lockdown". euronews.com. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
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  80. ^ "Britain's Second City Fights to Save Its Brutalist Architecture". Bloomberg News. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
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  86. ^ "Why the Birmingham 2022 Festival should be on your radar". roughguides.com. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  87. ^ "How Birmingham has transformed for the Commonwealth Games". timout.com. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
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  91. ^ "The battle of the second city". Birmingham Mail. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
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  95. ^ "Manchester tops second city poll". BBC News. BBC. 9 February 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2007.
  96. ^ "New Labour troubles". BBC Sunday AM. BBC. 5 March 2005. Retrieved 1 August 2007.
  97. ^ a b c "Prescott ranks Manchester as second city". Manchester Evening News. M.E.N Media. 3 February 2005. Retrieved 20 August 2007. We have had fantastic co-operation here in Manchester – our second city, I am prepared to concede.
  98. ^ "'Setting the Standard' – Speech by Phil Woolas MP at the fifth Annual Assembly of Standards Committees on 16 October 2006". Department for Communities and Local Government. 16 October 2006. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2007. And, of course, I, and colleagues in Manchester, am pleased to see its very sensible plans to relocate to Manchester – Britain's third city.
  99. ^ "'Birmingham bigger and frankly more interesting then Manchester' – and Commonwealth Games will prove it – MP". Birmingham Mail. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
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