"London’s thriving economy generates a £26.5bn surplus that is recycled by the government to provide financial help to Britain’s less well-off regions, according to an official breakdown of the public finances."
and
"Every Londoner provided £3,070 more in tax revenues than they received in public spending, while people living in the south-east ran a surplus of £1,670 per head."
It's called 'market segmentation'. It's why there are different brands of soap powder from the same manufacturer even though they are all essentially the same.
I've just read it myself and was very impressed by Richard Hipp's calm, courteous and honest demeanour. I would recommend this to anyone as a paragon of how to respond to a difficult situation.