The economic gap between Scottish cities and those in the south east of England is widening, a new report has warned.

 

The problem has been getting worse over the last decade and risks becoming entrenched, researchers at the Centre for Cities found.

However, some Scottish cities do buck the trend, including Aberdeen, a new report by the group points out.

The research found that for every 12 jobs created in cities in southern England since 2004 only one was created in cities in the rest of the UK.

The figures were even worse when it came to jobs outside the public sector.

The report found that that for every dozen jobs created in the private sector in the south east of England, another one was actually lost in another part of the country.

The document shows that both Glasgow and Dundee are among the 10 slowest growing cities by population in the UK.

Dundee was also listed among the worst 10 in terms of business stock.

However, Aberdeen was listed among the top 10 for job creation, start up rates, employment rates and the low number of people claiming jobseekers' allowance.

The four cities outside of the south included in the Top 10 cities for job growth also included Aberdeen.

However, there will be concerns that Aberdeen's economy will be hurt by the recent plunge in the oil price.

Hundreds of jobs have been cut in the North Sea in the last week alone.

Andrew Carter, acting chief executive of Centre for Cities, said that just months before the general election, the report "makes the strongest economic case yet for the next Government to step up to the challenge of investing in the long-term success of our cities, and build a brighter future in which more people and places can contribute to, and share in, prosperity and growth."

He called for the current 'steady as she goes' approach to be scrapped.

"We must move from thinking that bundling up new funding streams with bureaucratic delays, or simply tinkering around the edges with well-intentioned announcements, will be enough to reverse trends that are becoming increasingly entrenched."

Glasgow recently signed a "City Deal" with the Tory-Lib Dem Coalition government designed to contribute £1 billion of investment to the city, and attract another £3.3 billion in private investment.

But Ed Cox, director of IPPR North, called for more powers to be devolved to regions to help them create prosperity and ensure that smaller parts of the UK, including Scotland, did not fall behind as cities grow.

Labour's shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna accused the Coalition of breaking ministers' promises to rebalance the economy.,

"Instead we've seen too many parts of Britain held back and the benefits of growth being concentrated in the hands of the few," he said.

Labour has pledged to devolve £30bn-worth of budgets to councils and local authorities across the UK if it is elected in May.

Greg Clark, the Tory cities minister, insisted that the Coalition Governments economic plans was having benefits across the UK.

He pointed to the 27 cities that have been given extra powers through the City Deals.

The report also showed a strong divide between the economies of cities in the north and south of England.

Jobs in London increased by more than 17 per cent between 2004 and 2013 while Blackpool, Rochdale and Gloucester saw dips of 10 per cent, according to the report.

There was also a huge difference in populations, which grew by 16.5 per cent in Milton Keynes and fell by 1.4 per cent in Sunderland.