ABSTRACT
The Channel Tunnel was officially opened on 6 May 1994 by the Queen and the President of France, thereby fulfilling a dream cherished over many generations and providing the first fixed link between Britain and France since the waning of the last ice age put them asunder. The promoters of the project have been at pains to convince us all that this major feat of engineering will have a tangible and beneficial effect on Britain as a whole; if the more enthusiastic opinions are to be believed, Britain’s links with Europe will be revolutionized. If that were indeed to be the case, the impact on the whole economy would be considerable, and it is probable that the effect would be spread in a geographically uneven manner. Even if the reality is somewhat less dramatic, it is nevertheless plausible to argue that the Tunnel is significant for the relative fortunes of Britain’s regions.
