MPs are calling for the full delivery of HS2’s eastern leg to bridge the East-West divide following a report highlighting “stark” economic inequalities.

A group of MPs, civic and business leaders from across the North and the Midlands have written to Boris Johnson calling for the full delivery of HS2’s eastern leg from Birmingham to Leeds.

Campaign group HS2 East has published a report, titled Mind the gap: The role of HS2’s Eastern Leg in bridging England’s east-west divide, which found communities around the eastern leg suffer from lower productivity, poorer social mobility and receive lower levels of transport investment than communities surrounding its western leg, set to run from Birmingham to Manchester.

The first stage of HS2 will connect London to Birmingham.

Productivity along the eastern leg was found to be ten per cent lower than along its western leg, while the North-East has one of the lowest productivity rates in England, and is 32 per cent below that of London.

Among those to sign the letter from the North-East are County Durham MPs Grahame Morris and Paul Howell, Sunderland MP Julie Elliott, Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery, Newcastle MP Catherine McKinnell and Ian Mearns, MP for Gateshead.

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton, has also signed along with Gateshead Council leader Martin Gannon, James Ramsbotham from the North East Chamber of Commerce, former transport secretaries Lord Adonis and Lord McLoughlin and Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

Mr Murison said: “Unless HS2 is delivered in full to both Manchester and Leeds, and integrated with Northern Powerhouse Rail, the North will never see the economic transformation it needs and deserves and the Northern Powerhouse will remain a pipe dream.

“If we are truly to level up the UK, and create a country where young people have the same prospects wherever they come from, HS2 will have a major role to play.

“The Prime Minister guaranteed in February that HS2 would be delivered in full; Northern businesses and communities will not look kindly on any wavering on that commitment.”

Mr Howell, the MP for Sedgefield, said: “The North-East needs long term improved rail connectivity, an upgraded East Coast mainline from Newcastle down through Darlington to York enabling future generations to access the capacity and reliability given by new lines through Yorkshire to East Midlands and Birmingham onto London as well as to Manchester onto Liverpool.

“We need the full High Speed North network that the Prime Minister has given his personal commitment to.

“Much of it will be built drawing on County Durham and Teesside businesses in the supply chain, and we can build at Hitachi in Newton Aycliffe quality rolling stock to carry passengers on new and upgraded lines.”

The report also found regions on the Eastern leg had received 21 per cent less transport investment per head over past five years than Western regions, and a third less than the UK average.