Northern Britons have expressed outrage after a Government graphic suggested that funding from axed HS2 was to be used to fund roads in London.
Earlier this week, the Department for Transport released a graphic displaying that "£235million to improve roads in London" with the "Network North" graphic featured.
The now-deleted post has been slammed by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.
Burnham said the graphic "revealed everything" about the Government's approach to the North.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has criticised the government's approach to HS2
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The mayor of Manchester wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "I see @transportgovuk has deleted its ‘Network North’ post.
"But it is too late. They have already revealed everything that is wrong with the way the country is run. The UK is neither structured nor programmed to deliver fairness across the English regions."
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: "I know the north isn’t a priority for this government but seriously?"
Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: "First Sunak cancels the biggest rail investment in the north in a generation.
"Then he promises to ‘join up’ the north and Midlands with ‘Network North’. Now it turns out ‘Network North’ actually means … repairing roads in London. You couldn’t make it up."
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Transport secretary Mark Harper
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However, the tweet was defended by transport secretary Mark Harper, who laid out that funding going to London was part of the Network North branding.
On X, Harper wrote: "Great that people are talking about our Network North plan. £19.8billion being invested in transport across the North.
"£9.6billion being invested in transport across the Midlands. £6.5billion being invested in transport across every other region of the country."
The £235million of London pothole money was possible as a result of £8.3billionn of extra investment which came from scrapping HS2.
HS2 was cancelled by Sunak at the Conservative Party conference PAIn October, Rishi Sunak announced that he would cancel the planned HS2 rail link from Birmingham to Manchester.
The Prime Minister said the government would invest £36billion saved from HS2 in alternative transport projects across the whole country.
Sunak said: "As a result of the decision we’re taking today, every region outside of London will receive the same or more government investment than they would have done under HS2 with quicker results."
