CHANCELLOR George Osborne said his vision of a Northern Powerhouse would be at threat under a Labour government, during a visit to a major business near Pudsey.

But Government minister and Keighley Conservative candidate Kris Hopkins, who watched his speech today, has admitted West Yorkshire could have got a better devolution deal than the one struck with Whitehall last month.

Mr Osborne spoke out on a visit to headquarters of drinks firm Britvic, whose chairman Gerald Corbett was one of 103 business leaders who backed the Conservatives in a letter published yesterday.

The Chancellor said under the Conservatives, Yorkshire had created more jobs than France, and that his goal was to create two million more jobs nationwide during the course of the next Parliament.

But he warned progress could be put at risk if the country changed course.

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He said: "Government doesn’t create two million more jobs. Business does.

"This is what drives our vision of a Northern Powerhouse - connecting the cities of the North, so the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and we build a more balanced economy.

"All of what we have achieved is now at risk if we change course."

As part of this year's Budget, Mr Osborne had announced a devolution deal for the Leeds City Region, which includes Bradford.

But the deal struck had not impressed Bradford Council's Conservative group leader Councillor Glen Miller, who labelled them "a token gesture" and "a very cheap imitation of the deal secured by the Greater Manchester region".

He said there was no new money to develop skills and accused the government of ignoring requests for the region to have more influence over further and higher education budgets.

The Telegraph & Argus yesterday asked Mr Hopkins, a local government minister, whether he agreed with this assessment.

He replied: "I'm not going to have a conversation about the comments made by Glen Miller but I think West Yorkshire can get a better deal.

"But all the leaders from across West Yorkshire need to think about what they actually want."

Mr Hopkins said in Whitehall the "doors are open" to regional civic leaders who wanted to make the case for more powers.

He said: "Rather than being critical about what the deal was, what is your vision, what is it that you demand of central Government?

"Because what they are trying to give is power.

"The destiny is in your own individual hands. Seize it."