Remember Boris Johnson's suggestion in 2020 that Parliament could move temporarily to York while the crumbling Palace of Westminster is repaired? Genuine or not, the idea never got off the ground.
But investigative journalist Sam Bright suggests going the whole hog and moving the nation's central democratic institution up the M1 to Leeds in a move that would "create a new centre of economic and political power".
In his new book 'Fortress London' the Huddersfield-born author, who now lives in the capital, sets out how the dominance of our biggest city contributes to the huge regional inequalities that hold back much of the country.
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And he tells The Northern Agenda podcast that the UK would do well to follow the example of Germany, whose national assets are spread more evenly in different cities like Frankfurt, Berlin and Dortmund rather than being concentrated in one place.
Listen to the full interview with Sam Bright here:
Mr Bright said: "The question is, for me, how exactly do we redistribute some of these centres of national power to somewhere else.
"And if you think about it pragmatically, we're not going to outsource Canary Wharf to Leeds anytime soon, though, I would love to see it, the banks are just far too slippery, they're far too clever, they will get around any sort of regulations that you try to put in place, they will probably move abroad, quite frankly.
"So one of the few things that we can actually get our hands on, is the site of politics is the site of power. And I think it would have a dual effect.
"It will be symbolically, I think, really powerful. To show that Parliament's moving out of London, it's coming closer to the nations and regions, which I think would have an effect on commerce and the economy for one.
"But it would also cause a vast number of people, journalists, civil servants, outsourcing firms that rely heavily on government contracts, to move to a different part of the country.
"You'd obviously try to avoid creating another London-esque housing crisis in Leeds, for example, so you try and stagger the move, and you try and push for a mass house building programme in whichever city you chose, prior to the move being made.
"But I think it would really create a new centre of economic and political power in the country, that would then signal that this is possible.
"It may be hopelessly unrealistic," he says. "But I'm sorry to say that it's probably one of the few realistic options that we have right now that I think can produce a big bang moment for regional equality in a relatively short period of time."
In 2020 the body in charge of organising the maintenance of the Palace of Westminster was asked by the Prime Minister to consider a "possible location outside London" for MPs to work, debate and vote while the crumbling building is mended.
But his suggestion that York, which has an enormous brownfield site available near the station, should be considered was rejected.
Sam Bright's new book argues that to address Britain’s many problems, policy-makers need first to end the dominance of the capital.
The investigative journalist says that it is "almost impossible to reach the heights of any profession without joining the grey hoards queuing for the next tube" in London and that "the gluttony of London, compared to the malnourishment of our regions, dramatically affects life chances in Britain".
Fortress London: Why we need to save the country from its capital, is available now in hardback for £20 from HarperNorth.
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