AS ENTRIES into lion’s dens go, tomorrow evening at Liverpool Cathedral promises to be a spectacular affair.

For on the panel at a special debate will be none other than Tom Leunig the London School of Economics academic who recently suggested northern cities like Liverpool will forever remain in economic wilderness.

Warming to his theme for a right-wing think-tank, he went on to suggest the population hereabouts should pack its bags, Dick Whittington-style, and head for the wealthy and more prosperous south of our island.

Nationalisation of much of our banking sector, and the near- collapse of London’s financial markets, may have prompted him to revisit his report and revise his recommendations.

No doubt he will tell his audience at the cathedral tomorrow.

The hope must be that he is given a courteous and hospitable welcome as well as the opportunity to explain and expand on his views.

I suspect market meltdown makes little difference to his theory. His point – not reported in an entirely accurate manner round here – was that the regions will never make up the gap with London in what economists called Gross Value Added (GVA) – or the amount an individual worker creates in an economy.

Collapsing banks and rollercoaster stock exchanges aside, London will remain the economic engine room of the UK whether we in the provinces like it or not.

There is a lot to be said for accepting rather than fighting that fact and making the most of what we do have.

And, as we have said countless times this year, Liverpool has some unique opportunities arising from its 12 months at centre stage.

Some of these will, I am sure, be aired during tomorrow’s Cathedral debate. Mr Leunig will be joined by others to consider “Making Liverpool Prosper Beyond 2008”.

That’s becoming something of a recurring theme round here as we enter the last chunk of 2008, with the most over-used word surely being legacy. I wonder if any of the contributors to tomorrow’s debate are familiar with the work of Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class.

He says successful cities of the future will have Talent, Technology and Tolerance to generate economic wealth and prosperity.

I can see a big tick next to two of his three Ts.

As for the third, well, Professor Leunig may have a view on this city’s supply of Tolerance by late on Thursday evening.

MATT JOHNSON is chairman of Mando Group