ALREADY large regional divides in the UK are widening even further despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson's promise to "level up" the country, a report has found.

The study by think-tank IPPR North - part of the Institute for Public Policy Research - said that two years after Johnson's Conseratives were elected into Government promising to close inequalities between regions, the gaps remain stark.

It said there is a "yawning gap" between Government rhetoric and the reality of its policies.

The cancellation of HS2 to Leeds and major downgrading of Northern Powerhouse Rail are just a couple of examples of how investment in the North has been cut back by the Government under Johnson.

The report said this was a classic example of the Government's tendency to "over-promise and under-deliver"

Jonathan Webb, senior research fellow at IPPR North and one of the report’s authors, said: “What the Government needs to do to show that it’s serious about levelling up is actually come up with policies that match the scale of the ambition.”

The report also pointed to how the Government's Levelling Up Fund equates to investment of just £32 per person in the North, compared to a £413 per person drop in annual council service spending over the past decade when central funding from Government to councils has been slashed.

Mr Webb said: “What it means in very blunt terms is people in the north of England have less access to prosperity and the good life that people in other parts of the country might have access to.”

He added that for every job created in the north of England, just under three were created in London and the South East, because of “investment decisions being favoured towards those parts of the country”.

In-work poverty in the North has accelerated under Conservative rule, with 3.5 million families living precariously.

Mr Webb called for further devolution and the fostering of collaborative relationships between central and local governments.

“We need to see a real commitment to central government letting go of some of these powers and resources and giving them to regional and local leaders who ultimately know their areas far better,” he said.

IPPR North’s interim director Arianna Giovannini said: “Two years on from the promise to level up the country, Government’s rhetoric has reached fever pitch, but in reality they have once again over-promised and under-delivered on rebalancing our economy.

“To succeed in levelling up, enabling people everywhere to live a good life, it will be necessary to build an economy hardwired for widespread prosperity, that powers the net-zero transition, and provides everyone with access to high-quality lifelong education.

“Broadening and deepening devolution, and building collaborative relationships between and across all levels of government are essential components of the levelling up jigsaw.

“But reorganising local government by the back door, false dawns, and further centralising power and funding would be a huge mistake and level down the country.”