BLACKBURN and Darwen, with a population of some 140,000, boasts only three superstores and a half-empty shopping centre.
Yet, Basildon in Essex, with a population of around 150,000, has some 15 superstores.
This shows the gap between the rich South and poor North. It all boils down to average incomes.
In the South, average earnings are £400 a week, compared with around £160 a week in the North. Blackburn also has many people on low incomes, part-time jobs and state benefits.
That's why I support a minimum wage. It will mean an end to the exploitation of the working class, the end of the sweatshop economy and to state support for unscrupulous employers.
The minimum wage is good for the local economy; the more money people have, the more they will spend in the local economy.
S ADAM (MR), Lincoln Road, Blackburn.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article