Red wall Tory MPs are "incandescent with rage" after learning that not only has the proposed eastern leg between Birmingham and Leeds been scrapped, but the much-vaunted Northern Powerhouse Rail programme as well. The devastating blow to the Government's claim to be levelling up the country comes five years after NPR was announced by former chancellor George Osborne. The plan was to connect Manchester and Leeds while making upgrades and linking Newcastle, Liverpool, Bradford and Sheffield.

       It was due to dramatically increase rail capacity, remove 58,000 daily car journeys and create 100,000 jobs. Three days after taking office in 2019, Boris Johnson pledged: "I want to be the prime minister who does with NPR what we did for Crossrail in London."

       He committed in February 2020 to bringing a "rapid connection" to the North. A Tory MP's adviser said last night: "This will be a disaster for us at the polls. Without the complete overhaul that was promised, there is no levelling up."

       Leeds city councillor James Lewis said the move reinforced the "old North- South divide" while Naz Shah, Labour MP for Bradford West, said: "This is Boris pulling the whole damn rug from under our feet and ripping up the floor behind him."

       Neil Derrick, of the GMB union, said: "Voters will be left scratching their heads if politicians talk a big talk on levelling up the North but fail to deliver." It is understood the Government will argue the new plans deliver a ￡96billion investment, bringing "comparable benefits more quickly and cheaply".

       Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake admitted the trimmed-back plans indicated the Government was "not willing to put our money where our mouth is". A Department for Transport spokesman said: "Work is continuing on the integrated rail plan. We will publish it shortly."