LABOUR leftwingers described Boris Johnson’s plans for “levelling up” Britain as nonsense today after spooked Tory MPs in the north of England called for action to protect their seats.

Socialist Labour MP Jon Trickett dismissed the Prime Minister’s supposed commitment to regenerate regions far from London after decades of neglect, warning: “Tories don’t level up, they punch down.”

He spoke after the Northern Research Group of 50 Conservative MPs, many in so-called “red wall” seats won from Labour in 2019, called for investment in infrastructure and manufacturing to proceed “at pace” before the next general election, due within two years. 

The backbenchers, representing constituencies in the Midlands and north of England, urged the PM to take note of a new report by right-wing think tank Onward, which calls for a national plan for manufacturing, including tax breaks for factories and more investment in technology.

The document, titled Making A Comeback, urges ministers to invest in the industry to promote wage growth for voters in Labour’s former heartlands.

Just over 12 per cent of workers in seats gained by the Tories in 2019 work in manufacturing, according to the report, compared with less than 10 per cent in seats that the party held from the 2017 election.

Mr Trickett told the Morning Star: “When even Tory MPs start to doubt the pledges of Boris Johnson, you know he is in trouble.

“The truth is that all his talk of levelling up is a nonsense. His politics depend on deepening the class and regional divisions in our country.

“If these MPs really want to represent their voters, they need to abandon the Tory Party,” the Hemsworth MP remarked. 

A government spokesperson said: “We’re investing £100 billion in infrastructure this year, as well as creating a new £4.8bn levelling-up fund and a new UK infrastructure bank in Leeds to harness private investment and fund new projects.”

Ministers will publish a white paper later this year, setting out plans to improve livelihoods after the Covid-19 pandemic, the spokesperson added. 

A recent study by the Northern Health Science Alliance found that the region has been hit harder than the rest of England during the crisis, exacerbating regional inequalities.