Generalizations about English Northerners criticized

We read:

"A Tory MP has ignited a row after claiming northerners die earlier than those in the south because they smoke too much, drink too much - and 'jump into bed with each other at the drop of a hat'.

Public health minister Anne Milton - whose Guildford constituency lies in the Surrey stockbroker belt - argued that 'widespread changes in behaviour' such as stopping smoking and practising 'safe sex' would help lower death rates in the north of England.

Her comments came after the British Heart Foundation released new statistics revealing people living in the north-east are more likely to die of heart disease than their southern counterparts.

At a Commons debate last week about bad health in the region, former nurse Ms Milton said: 'The major part of poor health will be remedied only by widespread changes in behaviour.

Professor Stephen Singleton, medical director at NHS North of England, said that over the past decade the number of people dying from heart disease in the north-east has reduced faster than anywhere else in the country due to the reduction in the number of people smoking and better care for people who have heart attacks.

Labour's Chi Onwurah said Ms Milton's arrogant comments ignored the fact that poor health is often associated with poverty.

Source

What she said is broadly true but she would have been less open to criticism if she had prefaced her remarks with "In general" or some such. Many Northerners do behave wisely.

WHO she was also made her remarks offensive. England has all sorts of social divisions that are taken very seriously and one of them is the North/South divide, with the North being poorer and Southerners looking down on them. She is from "South of Watford". People from the Home Counties (around London) tend to see "North of Watford" as another country, populated by less civilized people. Watford is a railway junction at the Northern end of the Home Counties.

English migrants to Australia are mostly from outside the Home Counties. They like being in a place where they are not looked down upon. And people from the Home Counties tend not to migrate because nothing could replace London. New Yorkers tend to feel the same about NYC.

Update

Perhaps I should ramble on a little about the perceived attractions of NYC

JAPs (Jewish American Princesses) in particular are afraid to be out of NYC for more than a few hours in case they miss a social occasion where "Mr Right" turns up. He rarely does but hope springs eternal. And Irving can't leave because he has "prospects" and not being immediately there when a prospect seems to be about to be realized would be criminal.

Time wounds all heels however and the savage NYC climate with deep-frozen winters and stifling summers takes its toll. And when you get old the winters are very punishing. Winters do tend to kill old people. So rather than wait for Global Warming, lots of Yiddisher Mommas drag their man (if they still have one) off to the rat's mouth (Boca Raton in Florida), where they do their best to recreate New York society as they knew it

But what about Irving back in NYC? He needs lots of advice so the phones run hot. And they almost melt if he is dating a shicksa! ("Why are you doing this to me?")

We all know that "shicksa" is a derogatory term for a non-Jewish female but Jews tend to be coy about what it actually means. So I am going to let the cat out of the bag: It is a Yiddish/German word for "prostitute"

So you see that climate can be a lot of bother. Bring on global warming!