AS PATRONISING and condescending statements go, the assurance from a senior BT manager that the company is still committed to Liverpool takes some beating.

Forgive us for descending to idiomatic English, but the only response can be a sarcastic “Oh, yeah?”

BT’s statement has all the sincerity of those robot voices that assure us that we are particularly valued by whichever company can’t be bothered to hire enough staff to keep the phone lines manned properly.

Just as many a disgruntled customer hangs up in disgust, Liverpool’s business community is liable to give up on BT when it comes to telecommunications.

Liverpool needs its high-speed broadband just as much as the next city. Possibly even more so, given the cluster of companies specialising in video games creations, all of which need the fastest- possible connection they can get.

Economic development teams on Merseyside will now have to run all that much faster just to stand still when it comes to tempting companies like this to set up shop.

And what about the partnership in Liverpool Direct? Such is the fury about BT’s action that the company will now have to work hard to recover a lot of its goodwill once the contract comes up for renewal.

We are not doubting for one moment that Manchester needs its high-speed broadband links just as much as we do. But we cannot understand for one minute why it has to be that Manchester gets the lot, relegating Liverpool to second-class status when it comes to broadband.

It just isn’t good enough. BT should think again in the interests of its future commercial relationships in Liverpool.