ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the comparative fortunes of United Kingdom (UK) sub-regions through economic recovery. It reviews the extent to which rebalancing has occurred by examining patterns of regional performance. The case studies of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, neighbouring counties in the South East of England, compare local variations in fortunes in times of global recessions, to better understand the reasons for their strong economic performance in times of recession. In recessionary times, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire showed more resilient to global economic crises and recessions than have areas in the north of the country, which have adverse industrial structures and less competitive industries. Regional disparities in employment and income, especially in times of economic recession, and solutions to overcome them have long interested academics from a variety of disciplines, particularly geographers. The comparative lack of national and regional policy attention paid to Buckinghamshire has led to it producing a unique set of economic development actors.
