Rishi Sunak has been warned that he is "risking the cohesion" of the country, as Labour mayors met in the north of England to discuss concerns about the fate of HS2.Labour mayors Sadiq Khan, Andy Burnham, Tracy Brabin, Oliver Coppard and Steve Rotheram gathered in Leeds on Wednesday to issue a joint plea to the Prime Minister not to cut HS2 further.Ministers continue to face questions about the fate of the high-profile and expensive project, amid a political backlash over reports the Government

Rishi Sunak has been warned that he is "risking the cohesion" of the country, as Labour mayors met in the north of England to discuss concerns about the fate of HS2.Labour mayors Sadiq Khan, Andy Burnham, Tracy Brabin, Oliver Coppard and Steve Rotheram gathered in Leeds on Wednesday to issue a joint plea to the Prime Minister not to cut HS2 further.Ministers continue to face questions about the fate of the high-profile and expensive project, amid a political backlash over reports the Government is weighing axing the Birmingham-Manchester leg of HS2 over soaring costs.The local politicians said that they were open to a "conversation" on the timetable for the project, but complained that the north of England was currently "in the dark" about the next steps.