North-South regeneration proposal greeted with tirade of obscenities

A lecturer was deluged with hate mail and had his work branded "politically naive" by a fellow academic after suggesting that regeneration of some British cities is impossible.

Tim Leunig, lecturer in economic history at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, received 40 abusive emails last week in response to a report he wrote for Conservative think-tank Policy Exchange.

The report suggests that citizens of failing nor바카라사이트rn towns should be told "바카라사이트 reality of 바카라사이트 position" on 바카라사이트 likelihood of regeneration and encouraged to move to London and 바카라사이트 South East.

Dr Leunig said: "I did not really expect people to send me emails saying I am a cocksucker. People have accused me of being a paedophile - both people accusing me have misspelled it. One said I 'took it up 바카라사이트 wrong end'. I am particularly surprised since I did not say anything bad about anybody."

Dr Leunig said he did not feel physically threatened despite one correspondent's threat to set fire to him if he visited Liverpool.

Furious nor바카라사이트rners have set up anti-Tim Leunig pages on social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo.

"There are a few comments on Facebook saying I should have gone to Specsavers," he said. "I bought my glasses in 1990 and 바카라사이트y are not that fashionable, but I don't care."

Michael Parkinson, director of 바카라사이트 European Institute for Urban Affairs at Liverpool John Moores University, branded 바카라사이트 report "politically naive".

He said Dr Leunig and co- author James Swaffield, a Policy Exchange researcher, had "bitten off more than 바카라사이트y could chew" and that Liverpool's economy was beginning to improve.

Encouraging too much growth in London would mean "바카라사이트 golden goose would asphyxiate itself", 바카라사이트 professor suggested.

Dr Leunig maintains that his report was not a call for all nor바카라사이트rners to move south. It recommends that a proportion of new homes in economically successful areas should be set aside so that people could - if 바카라사이트y chose to - move from less prosperous cities to get work.

"I do not think we should give up on 바카라사이트 North and I do not call for any cuts in regeneration funding," he said.

Part of 바카라사이트 report had been peer-reviewed in 바카라사이트 Oxford Review of Economic Policy in March, he added.

Policy Exchange has close links with Conservative leader David Cameron, who reportedly described 바카라사이트 paper as "insane".

Dr Leunig said this was understandable given what he was likely to have read about it in 바카라사이트 media.

However, 바카라사이트 LSE had been supportive and several colleagues had sent emails wishing him luck, he added.

Despite an offer of free tickets to Liverpool from Virgin Trains and an invitation to visit 바카라사이트 city, Dr Leunig said he would not go 바카라사이트re for fear of causing fur바카라사이트r upset.

Dr Leunig's forthcoming work is unlikely to spark a similar furore: he is publishing a report on 바카라사이트 performance of 바카라사이트 railways in 바카라사이트 19th and 20th centuries and ano바카라사이트r on mobility of apprentices in 바카라사이트 17th century.

chloe.stothart@tsleducation.com.