Two regional titles in the north of England have criticised government plans to spend £235m of the cash it saved by scrapping HS2 on fixing potholes in London.

The northern leg of the high-speed rail link, connecting Birmingham with Manchester, was axed in October, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promising ‘every penny’ of the unused £36bn would be spent on other transport projects.

Mr Sunak used his keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference to set out his ‘Network North’ vision which included funding to upgrade and fully electrify existing train lines as well as building a new railway line between Manchester and Liverpool.

But the Department of Transport is now openly highlighting the fact that £235m of the savings are being spent fixing potholes in London – adding insult to injury by labelling it a ‘Network North’ project.

The Department for Transport social media post which has caused such anger.

In a now deleted social media post, the DfT post stated that £235m of funds “made possible by rerouted HS2 funding” would now be made available to improve roads in London. The announcement was accompanied by an image bearing the ‘Network North’ logo.

Yorkshire Post Editor James Mitchinson delivered a robust response in a leader headlined ‘HS2 may not reach the North but at least London’s roads are getting smoother.’

He wrote:  “Nothing quite summed up the Government’s betrayal of the region than the abandonment of the Northern leg of HS2. It was the Government’s flagship scheme.

“It was supposed to be a beacon for levelling up. Instead, it has become a symbol of the very divide that has riddled Britain for decades.

“After pulling the plug on HS2, you’d expect the Department for Transport to make investment in the North the priority instead of using its X, formerly known as Twitter, account to boast of how money saved from scrapping HS2 for the North is now helping improve London’s roads.

“London’s roads may require improvement but ministers would be tone deaf not to realise what it looks like to voters in the North. Voters who helped the Tories to a majority at the last General Election, which was partly due to promises of levelling up.

“The subsequent four years have shown that the Government has anything but any intention to level up Britain.

“But at least London will get smoother roads to go with its smooth public transport infrastructure. Meanwhile, in the North people will have to take solace in more promises of jam tomorrow.”

The Manchester Evening News also reported on the reaction to the DfT post from some of its key political figures.

Responding to the post on X, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham wrote: “’Network North’ seems to include everywhere – except the North.”

Denton and Reddish Labour MP Andrew Gwynne added: “Whilst I have no doubt London’s roads (like everywhere else’s) need investment after 13 years of Tory cuts, let’s remember this was Crewe-Manchester’s rail funding.

“And to badge this as a ‘Network North’ project is extracting the urine in a big way. Cheers Rishi!”