A deadly North-South divide | Special report

[@booldawg]

I dont know why the video concentrates so much on John's story, he's more a victim of poor life choices since a young age, rather than the North/South divide. Johns scenario is playing out in just about every town in the UK.

[@martincooke4837]

yep sad losers the Brits lost their empire now they chucked their brains out drunken drug blasted weirdos blaming all the world perfect own Goal

[@joewilson3575]

mhm, tory

[@daisychainmilk]

The divide seems to be a wealth divide. Wealth inequality contributes to shorter life and health inequality as well.

[@LDNpat]

yep I've lived in Brighton for 7 years and now in Manchester and both are filled with these kind of people. As for wealth gap, standards of living are much higher up north in Manc.

[@Beelzeboogie]

@@LDNpat No, standards of living are higher for people who MOVE up north.

[@danielc9441]

Could it be John's diet of pain killers and alcohol that is killing him?

[@littleboots9800]

Obviously, but the point is why are northerners more likely to be addicts like John, or at least die from their addictions, than southerners? There is a reason and finding it will help to ameliorate the differences. I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to find the answers.

[@littleboots9800]

@Frank Clarke I've lived half my life from 13+ between London and Newcastle. I remember being about 16 and meeting a couple of lads up from Reading staying at their grandparents. It was late at night and we entered our school grounds to mess about and as the lads peered through the windows into our classroom they burst out laughing and pointing in shrieked, "Scargills Britain!bahaaaahaa!" I've never forgotten it.

[@conor2329]

Exactly he's an alcoholic who spends every penny he has on booze

[@littleboots9800]

@Biggest Natural Muscle I'm aware, and there are particular reasons for that, I lived there long enough, but deaths from addiction, particularly alcohol is far higher in the North and Scotland. Its rates amongst women are horrifying. A scottish woman for example is as likely to die from alcoholism as an English man and the North of England isn't far behind. Its certainly grim up North.

[@JafacaksWasTaken]

@@littleboots9800 poverty duh

[@mattm3400]

I'm a drug and alcohol worker and if found out a GP was prescribing one of my clients in such a way I would kick up a shitstorm. So bloody dangerous.

[@fogpimp]

i was on gabapentin and it almost ruined my life when i was abusing it. i take lyrica as prescribed just 75mg BID and it decreases my benzo and alcohol use by loadsssss

[@tomgauntlestrange]

the real problem is helplessness and despair

[@martincooke4837]

would never become my problem I ain't that mental shall I play a violin lol lol

[@tomhal4388]

No, those are not the "real problem[s]."

[@wind.del.change]

and low IQ

[@markfairman162]

"Men in the north a living shorter lives statistically then those in the south and we are trying to find out why" - Its fairly obvious from about 20 seconds in, the lad is having a slab of cans and 50 painkillers for his tea.

[@reinerplays5572]

Mark Fairman yay I’m from south

[@jasmineluxemburg6200]

Ridiculous conclusion / comment. The alcohol and drugs are a symptom not the cause.

[@mrzoltanonwinter2218]

@@jasmineluxemburg6200 Really? How so?

[@FREEDOM-w5x]

@@mrzoltanonwinter2218 UK gov invests more in S.E over N.W... AKA Centralization. So less jobs, less oppertunities, less money to bring that fit bird on the town or buy new flash kicks... No opportunities means boredom and mental depression sets in,,, drugs and pankillers seems to be the only outlit for these broke and sad individual's.

[@rushdown3031]

@@FREEDOM-w5x Nail on the Heed. Pity more don't see it that way.

[@kcat80]

no way to illustrate the north south divide better than flying from the south in a helicopter! lol

[@theoverlord2.093]

Lol

[@samirnietsch5531]

Phil seems like such a kind and intelligent person. I can’t believe that he struggled with alcoholism for 10 years. But I‘m glad he found something to therapy himself

[@smokepepsi]

Why is nobody talking about the fact that the guy at 8:55 has fangs?

[@topattopat5251]

thank god someone said it, I couldn't take my eyes off it

[@topattopat5251]

missed the whole story, as I was like duuuuuuude he is legit a vampire

[@nfarr8627]

Thats the first thing I saw

[@BVargas78]

I heard he once got bit by Ricky Gervais and now he too is a day walker.

[@caleb9191]

I paused the video as soon as I saw Count Dracula and scrolled thru what I knew would be a war waged by verbal catapulting of flaming diarrhea just so that I could find someone else who noticed what's important in this

[@kopend8638]

not being funny mate but that geezer has his own flat and doesnt work. i live in a room and spend a large amount of salary on it. im not sure these northern guys understand that even in the south we have a divide

[@christineaygin4330]

Property is much cheaper in the North = people need to earn more in the South to afford somewhere to live /council tax as well is expensive

[@andrewlancefield3730]

The main problem is they blow their cash on tattoos piercings and scratch cards, something others consider a waste of cash

[@fornicateu2]

@@christineaygin4330 Council tax is pretty much the same everywhere including for those living in mansions, thats one of the problems, the rich are no longer footing their share of the bills.

[@aterry173]

When they say "the south", do they basically mean London? There are deprived areas in the south outside London.

[@diegolove173]

Even South London is richer than up north

[@Sean-yk8he]

@@diegolove173 No he said the “south” as in south of England outside London.

[@vanmantalks]

I see this every day in Hastings and Eastbourne cant get more south than that.

[@diegolove173]

@@Sean-yk8he I stand with what I said tho South London is still richer that up north

[@D4NOMAUS]

@@vanmantalks me too, so many street drinkers in Eastbourne, they get moved on from London to Hastings and eastbourne

[@polarsmallwilly]

to anyone that tells him to stop, look at the streets, it's depressing and causes alcoholism

[@oldishandwoke-ish1181]

True enough. Who wouldn't get pissed faced with yet another night on freezing and dangerous streets.

[@CC-yh2yq]

@@oldishandwoke-ish1181 and the alcohol stops the cold feeling too

[@philpants44]

There's a real lack of accountability in people these days...

[@jaredsouthern3159]

it's because of poverty, end.

[@bluesteel5688]

Successive governments have turned their backs on the working class, poor and vulnerable in society....more than the North-South bias

[@jimibarker4873]

The poor create more money for the rich and create more jobs /work

[@tomhal4388]

Bingo. Gold star.

[@homeboy2166]

There is no working class anymore! All we have now is an upper class, a middle class and an under class.

[@brendandevoy8178]

The very same thing here in ireland. All money goes to dublin and the east of the country . The west of ireland is much more deprived and suicide is much higher

[@zobairmiah1826]

It's wrong the establishment have the upper hand

[@davidegan7888]

There nothing in West of Ireland lad.

[@adiherenow]

same in germany :)the rich south......in Italy instead is the rich north :)))),i think every country has developed regions and poorer regions........

[@idempridem4608]

same in Slovakia. Rich West with 1% - 2% unemployment vs East with 10% -15% unemployment. The capital city is in the West so it explains everything

[@bigglego]

same with cities i guess, the north of my city is a dump compared to the south

[@calelliot3703]

World system of captalism cant work with out people being divided it should be comon sense by now

[@FFM0594]

Hamburg?

[@iteachyou1575]

Not in France, the biggest divisions are in cities

[@DemelzaBoing]

Heart breaking. So very wrong that people have to live such unhappy lives that they take their lives. Very sad.

[@mattlawton4715]

The sad truth is this guy is going to die I have seen alot like him impossible to stop them the only way is to lock him away no amount of money will help him its how his brain works. Someone needs to be with him 😪

[@Harlock2day]

As an Italian I always thought this is what Brexit was about, the poverty of the North forgotten by the British government and its classist society, not surprising in a Monarchy. Grossly unfair too. This divide does not need to be so, globalisation needs to be regulated, the use of robotics by shrewd companies need to be regulated. Jobs and people must always come first. We are losing our humanity. And one more, no point is telling a drunk to stop, one must understand the motive behind it all, drinking, like drugs is an escape. People are deeply unhappy. So sorry.

[@julikin8539]

Hear Hear! Well said!

[@Gnashercide]

@@julikin8539 not really.

[@unknwnsw2483]

The italians have a similar economic divide in the north and the south.

[@Lifelongloser]

Well yes and no . But the irony is of course that Brexit could not have happened without mass immigration and the main way that those in power ignore those left behind is by totally ignoring their wishes regarding mass immigration. In addition mass immigration pushes up house prices and rents in the south which prevents those in the north from leaving the north where they already have housing

[@grassytramtracks]

​@@unknwnsw2483 Indeed, albeit the other way around

[@searching4success214]

I was born in London and moved up North when I was 9. I'd have liked to stay down south, particularly for the diversity, cultural life, opportunities etc. but i cherish the openness of the Northern fields, peacefulness (i.e less traffic) and better air quality. I wonder how my life would've been had I stayed down south.

[@jamescorlett5272]

What fuckin open fields .

[@jacquiquinn997]

Live in Wiltshire. Brought up in bpool. Best thing ever I came here

[@Mikejames1080]

Intriguing 🤔

[@DidntKnowWhatToPut1]

Someone needs to investigate John's doctor. Totally incompetent

[@pairojeans]

Lack off the right opportunities in work and social care, lack of jobs and employment leads to lack of hope which leads to depression and despair and eventually in some cases to suicide.

[@SuperLoachie]

The problem lies with a totally un-geocentric capital - London. If Manchester were the capital of England, then the whole problem would be reversed.

[@tomhal4388]

I was thinking something similar while watching the video...

[@knockedoutloaded279]

go to gym, read books, eat vegetable's, dont drink or smoke....

[@randomchaos69]

Jason Lee don’t comment

[@Brynwyn123]

Ah yes, when all the libraries are being closed and vegetables are expensive as hell.

[@amnesiahaze9555]

good point Jason when the government fails the people then the people need too start helping themselves stopping smoking drinking and eating vegetables is a very good start

[@ardkoreable]

hahahahahaha says someone with the name of amnesia haze smoking is for life men i can k now hahaha

[@redsquirrel3893]

@@Brynwyn123 The Internet has books and just general information.

[@alisonhilll4317]

A lot of addicts are ether perdisposed to it , abused , PTSD there are many reasons, but they are humans that need help .

[@vanmantalks]

Legalize all drugs!!! regulate them tax them. we will save on police on prisons and that tax money can be used to help people get clean with proper treatment

[@samaraisnt]

very true. he is obviously trying to numb himself from pain, probably not just physical.

[@BB25_25]

@@vanmantalks erm, yeah.. let’s make drugs more widely available to f up more ppl to create an industry around helping them bc it’s so easy help drug addicts give up drugs, all so we can get our hands on tax money… why is the left’s answer to everything just legalise it, drugs, prostitution, incest, paedophilia..

[@aamaalsafa5000]

That doctor needs to be sacked ! Send him to pain killer clinic.. Help with his issues ...no follow up for these poor people ..walk past them in the street ! Its heart breaking !!!!!!!

[@africanqueenmo]

whats killing men in Europe and America is hopelessness and lack of loving relstionships due to broken families and materialistic cold society.

[@hoosebrickhighlander3678]

Sounds just like Germany before Hitler lol.

[@nigeh5326]

These issues largely date back to the late 70s early 80s when manufacturing collapsed and young men who had grown up thinking when they left school they would follow their fathers paths into steel mining engineering etc instead saw their fathers made redundant . At the same time no new industries replaced the old and what jobs did remain were lower paid and or part time and much more short term. Lots of people blame Maggies laissez-faire ideological thinking and to a large degree they are right. Yes things needed to change where she went wrong was in not putting anything in place to replace the old industries with new ones. Instead she gave tax cuts to the country and allowed corporations to escape paying the lowered rates they should have paid.

[@ianholden7]

Universal credit will kill

[@cgavin1]

Thats the idea, yeah.

[@asnekboi7232]

Yeah as if that worked

[@robertkirk4387]

it was a European idea that Germany be the engineering and heavy industry of Europe while France, Italy and Spain the agricultural and Britain the finance and services side

[@nd-sd1vx]

Interesting didn't know that the three bankers who funded the project from it's birth in 1923, Rothschild, Warburg, and Baruch were European. I thought of them as Jews wandering hither Asiatics with no home.

[@oldishandwoke-ish1181]

Robert Kirk And an American and British one that neoliberalism is a good idea .....

[@joanberry2143]

Heartbreaking! Addiction is so very scary!

[@TheFawcettDVDguy]

How can John's dr let him go in drunk and in that state and leave with painkillers just don't make any sense

[@francesgillotti1378]

They get pretend pain killers Gabapentin is poison.

[@helenahusky2787]

There is no way a doctor would prescribe another batch of painkillers the day after! Especially, if someone who has addiction problems!

[@Tazza81]

He would be doctor shopping

[@aamaalsafa5000]

Its called fkin labour depression!! And benefits ..with no support ..some people can't help themselves after being on this road for so long!! Fkin government should teach skilled labour ...for men between ages of 18 to 25

[@curtisducati]

I used to live in Scawthorpe in Doncaster , left in 1990 after the pit riots ruined the area , been in the Midlands since working and doing well , went upto Doncaster last year for a weekend , I left after 4 hours , everywhere I went there were scumbags on the rob , dirty cloths and no teeth ! I have never been so shocked at how bad it is up north , everyone has the same desperate look on there face in dirty shoes just stood there lost in life , thank god I left 30 years ago , the attitude is " No hope so why bother " I coudn't even leave my car on the street as it would be attacked within 20 minutes and vandelized ..Will never go above Derby ever again .....

[@dsd7004]

The " pit riots" ruined the area? Not the closures, then.

[@curtisducati]

@@dsd7004 That's what I ment , Thatcher & the police were a disgrace then , they ruined Yorkshire , was a nice place in the 80s everyone was working and doing well until they closed the mines down , I moved south in 90 , still in Solihull ! Miss Donny a lot but couldn't move back now , place is a mess and no work ...

[@christopherwinstanley1348]

I lived in the south (Exeter) for large part of my 20s and 30s. I was born in Lancashire and while I was in the south I was successful in my career. I found that employers welcoming towards outside gaps. So the north and south divide isn't really a divide between people... . I'm glad I made that move but most of my education and training was in the north. I was alarmed when I return to north between 20.06/20.07. It was the social aspects and maybe look at funding. Same delusion that was there before I left. The twist is about expectation towards the north.. in the south background in education if they drop out it's a real shame. So maybe there is a lot to learn from each other. Time I moved to Devon there was a lack of skill.The housing situation is another problem and cost of living. I think it starts with education and lot is to do with perception and people's aspiration.

[@aterry173]

Housing problems? As in cost? Didnt think that Exeter/Devon was that pricey.

[@keithbentley6081]

I'm from Lancashire as well, lived down south in Oxford and London and surrounding areas for maybe 15 years. Trying to return north is brutal. I was treated as the intelligent person I am in the south but up north everyone gets treated as a total peasant. I'm still a proud Northerner, but it's very snobby in its own way. Money is king and intelligence is seen as subversive.

[@YourOwnDa]

expecting a lot of southerners, especially Londoners, in this comment section feeling really left out because he attention isn’t on them for once

[@PMMagro]

I live in Sweden, we have the same thing. It si 90% about Stockholm (my town) and only through online newspapers do i learn about the 9/10 millions living outside our capital... We have very much the same situation, very big migration from smaller towns into a few big ones, espcially the capital.

[@savannahrosedigitalillustr1946]

Its vampire dude that's killing them

[@evalle2889]

I noticed too his canines!

[@medleydeluxe5298]

@@evalle2889 fangtastic

[@mrkipling2201]

Bloody hell he’s been sharpening them!!

[@kit7082]

"marawahana" lmaooooooooo

[@dbsk06]

As a non-Brit this is really eye opening.

[@mandarinmcphee9295]

Maybe it's because there's no middle class. Without manufacturing jobs society is doomed. Doom on.

[@ruk2227]

It's an England wide issue which is clearly exacerbated in the North. Nothing other than retail jobs and some specialist service jobs isnt a healthy way for those not academically inclined. There should be some menial work even if subsidised by the state to avoid scenes such as these.

[@Pommy1957]

There are plenty of middle class in the north. Just a couple of miles down the road from Blackpool lies Lytham, where people live lives in total contrast to addict John. It's not like every single bloke in the north lives like the people in the programme.

[@NmpK24]

Whats your definition of middle class? People still make decent money all over the UK. And every big town or city has areas which are more or less affluent. Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle all have them too. Harrogate, York, Cheshire? These places aren't exactly poor wastelands. And the manufacturing industry has been on the decline for decades so when's the doom starting?

[@mattpryokra2245]

@@NmpK24 Hell even The Lakes (South Lake District mainly) are full of middle class and slowly swinging towards the same way as Harrogate lol

[@gladifly]

@@Pommy1957 Middle class through inheritence. Let's not simplify the issue.

[@chloetaylor7294]

Why is it that whenever Southerners wanna do a piece on the North, they have to choose people that depict this stereotype that all Northerners are rough, drugged up, benefit sponging drunks? Then people wonder why there's tension between Northerners and Southerners.

[@andrewfraser3343]

the question was asked and answered with in the first 60 seconds

[@bri1085]

Thatcher was literally the devil

[@kcl6099]

Get over herself !

[@davewalker9899]

Cause she did the job nobody wanted to do? Our manufacturing industries were dying and not making anywhere near enough money. She could’ve done it more smoothly but they weren’t sustainable and keeping them going would’ve slowly drained the economy.

[@80sGeek]

absolutley right

[@IAMNationX]

Ding Dong the witch is dead

[@fluxfotos22]

ding dong the witch is dead, soon the new witch will also be dead too.

[@Tony-mq2br]

I think it’s more weight than “Do they have a point?” When saying the north has been left behind/underfunded. They’ve known about it all my life and chose to still invest further in the south even though the north were the ones who need it.

[@StepByStepStudio]

Also something is dodgy here, NHS doctors are SUPER strict on monitoring controlled prescriptions and very keen to wean them off as soon as possible so something isn't right

[@mohacs1000]

The Government seems focussed on London and are angry the people sent them a protest message with the EU referendum result. We don't really have a strong manufacturing base in Britain anymore that and has really hit the North. A lot of jobs have been taken by immigrants who live in houses of multiple occupancy, depressing wages and sending much of it to their countries of origin, which does not help the British economy. What's the solution? Stopping low skilled immigration? Spreading semi skilled work around with more people in part time jobs, topped up by benefits? Accepting for many the aspirational idea of becoming a homeowner is over and as we don't have war or disease thinning the ranks of our population, more middle aged, unemployed people will rely on the state as they are not physically fit enough to cope with zero hour contract jobs?

[@3dmixer552]

Well, Brexit just about making this even worse.

[@spinaway]

@@3dmixer552 why?

[@richardgoode5314]

A future as industry a invention a sector as growth with export to the world.

[@John420ridge]

Another example of how drink and drugs are destroying society.

[@vanmantalks]

Legalize all drugs!!! regulate them tax them. we will save on police on prisons and that tax money can be used to help people like john with treatment and building confidence to get a job

[@mrkipling2201]

I was born in the north but moved to London as a 5 year old in 1984. Due to my Dad getting made redundant and only being able to get a similar job down there. I often wonder how life would have been for me if we’d stayed up north??

[@searching4success214]

Yo same, except I was born in London and moved up North when I was 9. I'd have liked to stay down south, particularly for the diversity, opportunities etc. but i cherish the openness of the Northern fields, peacefulness (i.e less traffic) and better air quality. I wonder how my life would've been had I stayed down south.

[@moerocco775]

Wonder how John is today. Hope he’s alive and relatively well.

[@malone7987]

unfortunately John passed away last year from cirrhosis of the liver

[@maxpower1337]

Rip John.

[@jimbobalob2491]

John looks a bit like Colin Farrell.

[@bankruptbritain6103]

John looks like he's walked out of the pages of Viz comic

[@spazmak]

"his nanna was taking marawahana"

[@Ed-ob4wh]

all becuase of margaret thatcher

[@boxingboxingboxing99]

She destroyed the industry, which was what most of the north relied on. No jobs, more unemployment, more depression, more addiction.

[@dominicestelley3169]

IMHO she single headedly destroyed the north of England and South Wales. RIHB

[@man-who-sold-the-world]

All countries have regional devides. Only small island nations like Singapore tend to be more equal in terms of access to all services like health care.

[@Clan501-Scotland]

I know many people like this. The most consuming addiction is prescription drugs. GPs must use more due diligence.

[@Footballedits866]

Look at the explosion in new ferry on the wirral no government money to rebuild the damage if that had happened in London work would have started immediately

[@TheDavidDeDo]

Please, give subtitle when chavs speaking! It is impossible to understand em.

[@GB--pw4vr]

David I don't understand people who talk with a cactus shoved up their arse

[@shaunmaguire6912]

why they chavs just cause they have a northern accent youve just explained part of the problem

[@Andy95pirate]

same in Italy, southern Italy is poorer than Greece, while Northern has some of the richest cities in Europe

[@grumpybob]

Speaking as a northerner (Sheffield), pro-remainer re. the EU, I have to say that it is simply and blatantly untrue that the north of England didn’t do (comparatively) well from income from the EU. That was one of the things that was so baffling about most areas of the north of England voting to leave the EU (the “Turkeys voting from Xmas” argument). To my dying day I will not understand how the right-wing media managed to persuade so many people that voting to leave the EU was in their best interests - and the interests of the UK, in general. I am/was no big fan of the EU but we (90% of the UK population) were far better off in than out. Anyway, that ship has sailed. Regarding John - the alcoholic who is, apparently, getting/taking c. 50 powerful painkilling tablets a day, that GP should be struck off! They must know what he is and what he is doing so to behave so irresponsibly in prescribing drugs is disgusting. Are they trying to kill him (i.e. enabling him to kill himself)? Most GPs are, apparently, opposed to the idea of assisted suicide for terminally ill people who are suffering pain and degradation but, apparently, some will quite happily supply an alcoholic with drugs that could easily kill them! Shocking! Absolutely outrageous!

[@fionagregory8078]

do not forget it is a lot colder up north.

[@jacquiquinn997]

What has that got to do with it?

[@wtfishappening8476]

I live in the South West, Torridge and there are no jobs and hidden poverty. Also the world is like that; the haves and the have nots.

[@MizMite2002]

The usual recommended adult dose of gabapentin begins with 300 mg 3 times daily and increases to as much as 600 mg 3 times daily, according to individual need and as prescribed by the doctor. The usual maximum daily dose is 2,400 mg taken in 3 equal doses of 800 mg each, although some people have used higher doses for short periods of time.

[@thepeacetimebookclub3029]

Capitalism working brilliantly I see.

[@yukayukayuii]

The Peacetime Book Club and if we had communism we’d all starve to death and we’d rank up more debt than we already have.

[@ThatTallGuy0]

Labour voter

[@davidgilmour2299]

If that guy took 50 of any painkiller, he would be dead. This isn't very good journalism.

[@davidgilmour2299]

No, no their not and there has been countless articles, studies and anecdotal studies to show that. Given his weakened liver and combine that with the fact that certain pain killers reduce your resistance to alcohol, he would be dead.

[@torosalvajebcn]

@@davidgilmour2299 he lied, it was obvious. He probably sold the pills to other addicts.

[@ajaymarcell4179]

No true

[@shammydammy2610]

Gabapentin isn't an opiate. It's not uncommon for patients to require 5-10 pills a day depending on dose and severity of symptoms for a therapeutic level. 50 a day is extreme, however.

[@ellismeah179]

we live on a tiny island with nearly 70 million people in what seems to be the most devided country on every level ,the govt must take blame for creating this sad society

[@titchethorne4758]

I'm ex armed forces. 3breaks in my back, and a prosthetic leg. I can't get painkillers. Because of people like this abusing the sistum

[@Markdonaghy]

With out strong men the country suffers

[@logan563]

5:49 how could she give that to an 11 year old

[@jc-xb8ve]

It’s easy to say there’s less opportunity up north, I live in the south and I’ve had plenty of my northern cousins come live with us for the work opportunities, but cost of living down south is way higher, simply nearer to London there’s more money, more jobs and more costs.

[@srabchun]

John is going to a pharmacy and getting 50 pills every day? Do people not get red flagged for prescription drug abuse in the UK? I'm in the US. Here, the patient would be red flagged. And denied coverage for the prescription. And an investigation would be started on the doctor that keeps prescribing the meds. I'm not saying our system is better. I just would have thought that since the UK has a nationalized government healthcare system, that they would be monitoring the people they are paying for.

[@ARCHIEBRADLEYSELFTAPES]

Scott he would probably go to different pharmacies and get people to buy them for him

[@tomhal4388]

Not like the US doesn't have a raging drugs epidemic, right?

[@srabchun]

@@tomhal4388 That we do. But the drug abusers are not getting the drugs from pharmacies. So insurance is not paying for their addiction.

[@sevenman9672]

Always somebody making a profit free health care or not the pharmaceutical companies make money off addicts

[@Keepingthefaith72]

This has nothing to do with the North/South divide , They have picked on a addict to alcohol & painkillers ..... This guy isnt representative of men in the North .....

[@stevenhike8575]

Labour abandoned their supporter base in the North for new migrants. Support Brexit and help save the lives of these young men.

[@lakeyb1974]

His doctor need having a look at

[@fionagregory8078]

the Industrial Revolution began in the north and Scotland. The south just has Chas and Dave. So said the late great Tony Wilson of Granada Reports and Factory records.

[@levmyshkin8366]

Fiona Gregory There’s also Margate, and the beautiful Edmonton Incinerator.

[@iamrocketray]

All these problems occur down south as well, for example my brother in law died aged 29 from kidney failure, he was an alcoholic. I think its down to there being no future for these people(zero hour contracts, new benefit rules,gig economy,minimum wage etc) and down south there seems to be a slightly better support structure. I also think that rather than a north south divide its a London everywhere else divide.

[@grassytramtracks]

It never said it doesn't happen in the south, of course it does, but it's more common in the north, and there are plenty of affluent areas in the south outside London

[@ashholton6375]

The south west (mostly) Cornwall are suffering with extreme poverty but just because they are in the south it’s ignored

[@vanmantalks]

Also southern coastal towns like hastings and eastbourne

[@Del-Canada]

Now they're Levi's little helpers.

[@thedeewolf]

I feel bad for that Vampire his brother taking his life is tragic...too young...

[@CC-yh2yq]

Vampire???

[@widen_inhorizons]

Rude for no reason

[@williebobs3830]

Norths own fault. Wrong mind set. Born northerner

[@Norpan506]

The government should send him to Thailand.

[@ThePbZepplin]

Seems a bit like predatory journalism to me.

[@chicagomike]

Same in United States no mfg jobs. I am from the states, same thing

[@MarcusAurelius7777]

There are tons of mfg jobs in the US. Just move...

[@davemustaine3716]

Come to MS . I got job for u. Pay ya 9$ hr working in service station .

[@martinlanigan9202]

Nothing in north for years all dead shortly if we stay around this place want to win some lottery money to move some place decent cost of moving gone very expensive

[@emjackson2289]

Im from the North, b. Early 80s and I can say one thing: Learning to fill in forms saves lives. Funding, services, job applications . . . Form filling and doing it well makes all the difference. Id argue - as an amateur politics watcher - the Armalite, the ballot box and the pen changed working class Catholic (and by extensiom working class) life in the North of Ireland. Perhaps the North of England can do these changes minus the Armalite. Investment is needed of course, but the ability to mine sources of funding helps when Government fails.

[@saileshmepani6799]

Stop complaining and get to work, we are lazy in this country full stop, get to a seven day working shift like all the other third world countries and stop relying on the govt, job done no handouts in this world work for it.

[@england6317]

I am from the north in from York and this is terrible seriously

[@jewatokes5211]

Was Simon's brother a vampire 9:20 ?

[@markbot4286]

Duuuude I totally thought the exact same thing!

[@eiresaoirse3258]

Lol yeah I noticed that too.they are sure a nice set of fangs.

[@Thatdudefresh]

Wonder if Jon is still alive

[@donkmeister]

The cause of the N-S divide is that serving gravy with chips leads to mental retardation. The reason many southerners can't make it in the north is because pease pudding and flatcaps are poor substitutes for houmous and big girls' blouses.

[@kronictonic]

What kind of doctor is prescribing gabapentin on a daily basis and that amount. That's completely ridiculous

[@jedlinnen6528]

It makes me so sick that such a small country can love it's self so much

[@petegiant]

* itself

[@jshorto]

I don't get that his doctor prescribed him that amount even though he had the same amount the day before, now that is bad and those pills are normally for epilepsy but can be used for pain relief my mother was on them for a few weeks but came off them because of bad diarrhoea they mess your insides up if taken to many for to long, John's not gonna last long not with alcohol as well.

[@geoffjoffy]

Why didn't the interviewer ask why that guy was taking painkillers? He said he had pain but WHAT WAS THE CAUSE????????????????

[@AndehX]

Might wanna watch the video again bud. It's clearly explained.

[@robinsinpost]

It was for his back pain. Said several times.

[@ub3rfr3nzy94]

He has back pain but instead of taking like 2 a day he takes 50 and because he was a very low IQ and he's constantly drunk he doesn't seem to realise he's addicted to them.

[@geoffjoffy]

@@ub3rfr3nzy94 Doctor should only give a week's supply. Seven tablets.

[@MsMesem]

@@ub3rfr3nzy94 He only seems thick cos of alcohol and medication. Father said he was very quick at school. His grandmother did him a number with addiction. His doctor needs to be struck off. He needs x-rays of his spine, see a good osteopath and get some decent food into him.

[@koezkoez1939]

Since the population has reached the levels we are currently at, worldwide trends appear imo that show governments allowing people to die off. Vaunerable groups are always hit first and take the largest impact .There is no longer any urgency nor any real response as they do not need us.Labour is automated and sooner than we thought men will no longer be needed for the kind of work they always relied on.We also have a huge population of people recieving a 20 year old treatment plan for pain,it's therapeutically redundant and it's only outcome addiction these people are not of value to the state the only people who benefit are the drug companies.

[@henryfenton9233]

What a cliched load of utter bollocks, I live in Lancashire, it’s wonderful, my idea of torture is living in Essex

[@andyt8216]

And Jaywick in Essex is apparently THE most deprived place in England, more so than Blackpool.

[@oliverbeedham]

1 decade earlier ...... Goes back 36 years

[@2.fresh767]

Its grim up north. Never a truer saying.

[@FRIEDYOGURT-s4c]

An Italian lecturing us on the north south divide 😂😂😂

[@lapisredux]

it,s okay,just keep increasing foreign aid....the indigenous population are irrelevant.

[@judescinnamon]

Anyone else notice the lump/growth on the back of John’s neck at 6:24?

[@brianblackwell4206]

Looks like a fatty lump...I had one removed in the same place, nothing sinister but they can turn if ignored.

[@eunicestone838]

I could be a female John. I went to prison and got addicted to pain pills. I got myself clean with the help of AA and live on my own. He just doesn't want to change. Maybe prison would be best for him.

[@vanmantalks]

I think legalize all drugs!!! regulate them tax them. we will save on police on prisons and that tax money can be used to help people like john with treatment and building confidence to get a job

[@jackcummins2275]

I have a suspicion that johns back pain doesn’t exist….