'Margaret Thatcher was secretly urged to abandon Liverpool to ‘managed decline’ in the wake of the Toxteth riots, secret files released today reveal.

Her senior ministers told her not to waste public money on the ‘stony ground’ of Merseyside, suggesting it would be like ‘trying to make water flow uphill’. The 1981 riots began in April in Brixton, south London, and spread to Moss Side, Manchester, and Toxteth, Liverpool, in July.'

Read more: Ministers Told Thatcher to Abandon Liverpool to 'Managed Decline' in Wake of Toxteth Riots, Secret Files Reveal