The Brexit Party has been slammed by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership for is policy of scrapping HS2.

Following the party’s leader, Nigel Farage’s, visit to Cumbria on Wednesday, the partnership’s director Henri Murison said cancelling the controversial high-speed rail line would damage efforts to rebalance the UK economy.

“The Brexit Party’s biggest domestic policy, cancelling HS2, will damage the whole of the Northern Powerhouse,” said Mr Murison.

“As we campaign in this election for HS2 including a station in Carlisle, benefitting the county from across to West Cumbria as well as the wider Borderlands, he wants to take investment away from the North, despite coming here seeking votes.

“While in Cumbria Nigel Farage told us as well as not standing anywhere himself that he won’t publish a manifesto.

“We have committed, as Northern Powerhouse Partnership, to assess manifestos to judge if they will close the North–South divide or not, and so all we can go off are his remarks so far.”

Mr Murison said cancelling HS2 would also make it impossible to fully complete the £39 billion Northern Powerhouse Rail project, which aims to connect major cities across the region.

“This will damage the wider northern economy which with key partnerships like the Nuclear Arc from West Cumbria down to Warrington and North Wales will reduce the connectivity of locations from what it should be, doing knock on damage to the overall goal – raising northern productivity,” he said.

The NPP has become embroiled in the election campaign, as political parties ramp up their efforts to win favour ahead of voters going to the polls on December 12.

Recently it took a swipe at right-of-centre think tank Onward’s phrase "Workington man" to describe the demographic of constituencies the Conservatives should target to win the General Election.

“Whether it is Workington man, Carlisle woman or whatever voter label emerges this week, it is right that Cumbrians know the implications of what all the parties propose for their county, and the wider endeavour over the long term to close the North – South divide for good,” added Mr Murison.

During his visit to Workington, former UKIP leader Mr Farrage, dismissed the "Workington man" as patronising and vowed to "put the work back into Workington".

He also spoke to supporters in Carlisle during the tour.

Meanwhile, momentum continues to gather behind the push for HS2 to be delivered in the North following speculation he western stretch of HS2 be downgraded and the eastern line between Birmingham and Leeds scrapped all together due to the spiralling costs of the project – believed to stand at £103bn.

Efforts continue to ensure the line is delivered in full and that a stop is secured in Carlisle, with the Cumbria Chamber of Commerce pushing for additional stops at Oxenholme Lake District and Penrith.