Wolverhampton, the misery capital of UK

A COMBINATION of low incomes, drab landscape and miserable citizens means Wolverhampton is the least ‘prosperous’ part of the UK, a report claims today.

It says that beautiful scenery and a healthy lifestyle can be worth as much as money when calculating life’s riches. So while Blackpool, Liverpool and the London boroughs of Brent, Croydon and Bexley are also rated in the bottom ten of the prosperity league, the Outer Hebrides and Orkney – despite lower incomes – make the top ten.

The prosperity tables were compiled by the Legatum Institute by combining the wealth of an area with its performance in happiness ratings collected by the Office for National Statistics. The think tank’s report says: ‘Wolverhampton residents have an income of just over £18,000 a year and are the most miserable in the UK.’ While the super-rich London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Wandsworth top the league, they are closely followed by the Scottish islands and rural parts of Northern Ireland.

Legatum’s Sian Hansen said: ‘[It is] about more than just wealth – it is about feeling that one’s life is worthwhile. Some of the most prosperous areas are those where, regardless of income, people have the opportunity to lead healthy, fulfilling and prosperous lives.’

Wolverhampton council leader Roger Lawrence defended his city.

‘ Whilst it is fair to say that Wolverhampton took a battering during the recession... things are moving in the right direction,’ he said. ‘Wolverhampton was recently named as one of the top ten fastest-growing areas in the UK.’