Thesecond city of the United Kingdom is typically held to be eitherBirmingham orManchester, between which the title is disputed.[1][2][3][4] The title is unofficial and cultural and is often debated in the popular press between Birmingham, Manchester, and other candidates.
TheUnited Kingdom has aprimate city structure whereLondon significantly surpasses other cities in size and importance and all other cities have much more in common with one another than with the capital,[5] but various cities have held some claim to the title of second city through history.Eboracum (York), the northern capital ofBritannia Inferior, would have been considered the second city by virtue of its prominence in Roman times.[6] Inmedieval England, the second-largest city wasNorwich. It was surpassed byBristol in the seventeenth century.
By the nineteenth century, the label "second city of the British Empire" had emerged and was widely applied toDublin, the capital ofIreland.[7][8][9][10][11] In later years, when broadened to "second city of the Empire" rather than "second city of the United Kingdom," the title was occasionally applied toHong Kong,Calcutta,Bombay, orMelbourne.[12][13][14][15] Dublin was eclipsed over the coming decades by several rapidly industrialising cities in Britain.[16]Glasgow was sometimes described as the second city of the Empire during theVictorian era.
York was named the second city in earlier centuries, by virtue of its prominence in Roman times as the northern capital,Eboracum, of the Roman province ofBritannia Inferior.[6]
The title Second City of the Empire or Second City of theBritish Empire was claimed by a number of cities in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Commercial trading cityLiverpool was regarded as holding this title with its massive port, merchant fleet and world-wide trading links.[21][22][23] Liverpool was constantly referred to as the New York of Europe.[24] Glasgow (which continues to use the title as a marketing slogan),[25][26] and (outside of Britain or Ireland)Calcutta (modernKolkata)[27] andPhiladelphia.[28]
Prior to theunion with Scotland in 1707, from theEnglish Civil War until the 18th century,Norwich was the second-largest city of theKingdom of England, being a major trading centre, Britain's richest provincial city and county town ofNorfolk, at that time the most populous county of England.[29]Bristol was the second-wealthiest city in England in the 16th century;[30] and by the 18th century,Bristol was often described as the second city of England.[31] During the 19th century, claims were made forManchester,[32]Liverpool[33] andYork.[34]By the early 19th century,Glasgow was frequently referred to as the second city;[35] and during much of the 20th century it had a population of over one million, larger than that ofBirmingham until the 1951 census. For example, the Official Census population for Glasgow was 0.784 million in April 1911; 1.034 million in April 1921; 1.088 million in April 1931 and 1.090 million in April 1951.[36] However,slum clearance in the 1960s led to displacement of residents from the city centre to new communities located outside the city boundaries. This, together with local government reorganisation, resulted in the official population of Glasgow falling sharply. The Glasgow City Council area currently has a population of 600,000 although the surrounding conurbation ofGreater Glasgow has a population of 1,199,629.[37] In contrast, the population of the city of Birmingham has remained steady around the one million mark; its central population fell like Glasgow's, but the city boundaries were extended several times in the early 20th century. Occasional claims were made forLiverpool,[38]Birmingham[39] andManchester.[40]
Birmingham has generally been considered to be the second city of the United Kingdom since the time ofWorld War I.[41] However, from the mid-twentieth century, Manchester has been pitched as a contender for the title.[41]
Birmingham is the more populous city and is recognised as such byHis Majesty's Government.[42][43] However, confusion surrounding the correct way to define the two cities' populations, along with the publication of outdated, inaccurate or estimated population statistics, has sometimes led to erroneous comparisons between them.
According to the2021 United Kingdom census, the City ofBirmingham isthe most populous local government district (and therefore in terms of population actually the UK’s largest City-proper) with a population of 1.145 million — substantially larger than the City ofManchester, which at 552,000 is only the sixth largest, behind Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Bradford and Sheffield.[44]
However, municipal boundaries are problematic for comparing modern cities: many suburbs of Bristol, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester fall outside city limits largely drawn up in Victorian times, and the surrounding conurbations and areas that can be considered part of each city are hard to define. Manchester is regarded as a particularly 'under-bounded' city, whose archaic boundaries no longer accurately reflect its true size.[45][46] To reflect this, the City of Manchester is sometimes conflated withGreater Manchester, themetropolitan county andcombined authority which includes the neighbouringCity of Salford and eight othermetropolitan boroughs that broadly define the conurbation. According to the 2021 census, Greater Manchester had a total population of 2.868 million.[44] This is nonetheless marginally smaller than the equivalent metropolitan county and combined authority of theWest Midlands, which comprises the cities of Birmingham,Coventry,Wolverhampton, and four other metropolitan boroughs, with a total combined population of 2.92 million.[44]
There are several drawbacks to this approach. The first is the arbitrary nature of themetropolitan county boundaries, which were drawn up in the early-1970s asadministrative divisions and do not necessarily reflect the present state of either conurbation. A second drawback is the implication that each county is, in itself, homogeneous, thus ignoring the sensitivities of the distinct settlements which fall within the boundaries of the county but may not identify strongly with its principal city, for example theBlack Country in the West Midlands,[47] orBolton in Greater Manchester.[48] Relatedly, a third drawback is in the names of the counties themselves: Manchester has been able to leverage the name of its metropolitan county to build a cohesive "place brand",[49] whereas Birmingham's comparative sphere of influence tends to be hidden within the West Midlands moniker.[50]
In an attempt to circumvent the first of these drawbacks, the population of each city is sometimes taken to be the contiguous built-upurban area of their respective conurbations. According to a methodology defined by theOffice for National Statistics in 2011, theGreater Manchester Built-up Area's population of 2.55 million is marginally bigger than that of theWest Midlands conurbation, at 2.44 million. This disparity is explained by the area ofgreen belt known as theMeriden Gap, which separates the City of Coventry from the rest of the West Midlands built-up area.[51]
An alternative methodology, based around the concept ofprimary urban areas, is used byCentre for Cities to publish urban policy research.[52] Primary urban areas are intended to allow economic and social comparisons between cities, using definitions less arbitrary than the administrative boundaries of local authorities, but avoiding some of the issues associated with agglomerating distinct urban settlements into single cities.[53] According to the Centre for Cities Data Tool, Birmingham's population in 2020 was 2.56 million, marginally ahead of Manchester's 2.52 million.[54]
At other times, thewider metropolitan areas of the two cities are considered. Compared directly, the Birmingham Metropolitan Area is the larger of the two, with an estimated 2021 population of 4.34 million as opposed to Manchester's 3.1 million.[55]
During the same period, theBBC published a "Brummies' guide to Birmingham and beyond" which contained the subheading "Something for everyone in the second city",[74] whileSky published a legacy piece discussing the concerns of "people who live in Britain's second city".[75] Other national broadcasters whose websites have, at different times, referred to Birmingham as the second city includeITV,[76] andChannel 4.[77]
As the second city is an unofficial title and one of subjective opinion, a number of polls have been conducted over the years. Despite Birmingham being viewed as the traditional second city, public polls have shown a slight preference for Manchester since 2000:
A 2002 survey conducted byIpsos MORI, commissioned by "Visit Manchester" (Manchester's tourism department), Manchester received the highest response for the category of second city at 34%, compared to Birmingham at 29%; and in the same poll, Manchester had the highest response for the category of third city with 27% of the vote, 6% more than the 21% for Birmingham.[92] 85% of respondents put London as first City.[93]
A 2015 survey byYouGov showed that 30% thought Manchester was the second city, 20% thought Birmingham and 12% thought Edinburgh.[94]
A 2017 survey by BMG Research, commissioned by theBirmingham Mail, showed 38% preferred Manchester as the second city versus 36% for Birmingham. 16% choose Edinburgh with 10% for other cities. The opinion poll also found a stark generational divide with 44% of 18 to 24 year olds choosing Manchester as their preferred second city compared with only 19% who stated Birmingham and 25% of this age group also selecting Edinburgh over Birmingham. However, of those 65 and older, 40% preferred Birmingham and 38% preferred Manchester.[95]
Although the government does not publish policy on the matter, ministers have tended to endorse Birmingham's status as the country's second city.
In July 2022,Jacob Rees-Mogg,Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency, responded to a question about the city by stating: "Birmingham is the second city of the United Kingdom and London has got all the attention in recent decades but Birmingham has kept up, has been the next contender. And I think that's really important for balancing the United Kingdom, that Birmingham continues to be a strong, important and vibrant city as it is."[96]
In February 2015, then Prime MinisterDavid Cameron stated "Birmingham is Britain’s second city, it is a powerhouse."[98] On 16 February 2016 he emphasised that "We recognise Birmingham’s status as Britain’s second city". He repeated this claim on 16 March 2016 when he stated "Birmingham is the second city of our country" duringPrime Minister's Questions.
A notable exception wasJohn Prescott, formerDeputy Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for the constituency ofKingston upon Hull East, who concluded a conference speech in Manchester in 2007 with the words "...Manchester – our second city", although this was later played down by his department, claiming they were made in a "light-hearted context".[101] Prescott had previously declared Birmingham the second city while on a visit to the newly builtBullring Shopping Centre in 2003.
At different times, MPs representing constituencies in Manchester and Glasgow have spoken out in support of their respective cities' claims:
Graham Stringer, MP forBlackley and Broughton, stated "Manchester has always been the second city after the capital, in many ways it is the first. Birmingham has never really been in the competition."[101]
Sandra White, former Scottish National Party MSP forGlasgow, claimed "Glasgow was always seen as the second city in the Empire, and Glasgow is still the second British city."[101]
However, in 2007,Phil Woolas MP for the constituency ofOldham East and Saddleworth, former Minister of State for the Environment, appeared to concede the second city title to Birmingham, remarking: "And, of course, I, and colleagues in Manchester, am pleased to see its very sensible plans to relocate to Manchester – Britain's third city."[102]
Most recently, MP forSolihull,Julian Knight conceded that people see Manchester as England's second city but argued that "Birmingham is bigger, more diverse and frankly a more interesting place to be." He suggested that the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games would cement Birmingham's place as England's second city.[103]
^"How regeneration has cemented Manchester as the UK's second city".LCR Property. 26 October 2023.. "Manchester is frequently lauded as the UK's 'second city' ... While the claim to the 'second city' title may stir debate, particularly among those from Birmingham, experts are in unanimous agreement that Manchester is forging ahead"
^The New York Times, 6 August 1989: "Edinburgh's castle high on the rock has looked down on many a triumph and tragedy in the proud Scots capital, but every year since 1947, Britain'sSecond City steals the spotlight from London during the three weeks of the international festival."
^"University of Liverpool – Research Intelligence Issue 30 – Against all odds". Archived fromthe original on 16 November 2007. Retrieved8 October 2007. Liverpool University: "... the city's pre-eminent position at the turn of the 19th century resulted from the port's willingness to handle a very wide range of cargo (including millions of migrants to the new world).Liverpool was second only to London in this respect – and this, together with its great ethnic diversity, was the basis of its claim to being the 'second city of empire'."
^Williams, Laura; Jones, Alexandra; Lee, Neil; Griffiths, Simon."Enabling Norwich in the Knowledge Economy"(PDF).The Work Foundation web pages. The Work Foundation. p. 11. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 5 October 2007. Retrieved20 August 2007.
^J. E. T. and A. G. L. Rogers,A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, p.82, 1887
^Charles Knight,The Popular History of England, p.8, 1859
^For example, seeT. H. B. Oldfield,The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland, p.566, 1816 or Spencer Walpole,A History of England from the Conclusion of the Great War in 1815, p.103, 1878
^Roberson, D. J. (1958). "Population, Past and Present". Chapter 2 in: Cunnison, J. and Gilfillan, J. B. S. (1958).The Third Statistical Account of Scotland, Volume V.The City of Glasgow. Glasgow: William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.
^"Primary Urban Areas (PUAS)".State of the Cities – Making sense of cities. Department for Communities and Local Government. Archived fromthe original on 6 July 2007. Retrieved6 September 2007.
