As a Sheffielder first and Yorkshireman second i can also see an element of truth in this, dependant on your viewpoint. The Sheffield CC duriny early years 60/70s seeemed to be a very innovative forward thinking council, and how the city was turned around following the war (talking of importance did Leeds ever get bombed?), the clean air act, city centre redevelopment, even up to the decimation of the city in the early 80s, the cheap bus fares etc, were forward thinking solutions. But i feel the council were following the social ideal (which is probably why our social housing stock was superior to anything Leeds offered), and with so much union influence, opposed any form of private enterprise.
Wheras Leeds encouraged this, probably at the expense of social developments. I have always found Leeds to be a very divided city (although over the past few years i feel we are now getting that way), with the suited and corparate world of Whitely, and Gration, who commute to Guisley, Harrogate and Otley, wheras the real people lived in Quarry Hill or the awful back to backs (which still exist today).
I know it is common place nowadays but the first time i was ever asked for money by beggars was in Leeds during the late 70s, which in turn summed up my opinion of the place.
Ain’t that the truth? Anybody with any intelligence who works in Leeds who has enough money to be able to get out don’t actually live in the place! They’ve voted with their feet and left en-masse to set up home in Harrogate, Ilkley and the like, for the sake of their children’s education, their own personal safety, etc.
The housing stock in much of North Leeds (forget about South Leeds ) is being ruined by landlords/buy-to-let/houses of multiple occupation, etc. It makes me want to cry sometimes when I’m visiting Headingley – it was clearly such a beautiful place to live maybe 20 years ago, but now it’s just a big slum.