Andy Burnham has clashed with MPs over the government's rail investment plans for the North, accusing the Tories of suggesting "Manchester should be grateful for what we are given".
The Mayor reacted angrily at the transport select committee after one Tory MP asked him if he "understood the meaning of the phrase do not bite the hand that feeds you" in relation to Mr Burnham's criticism of the scaled back integrated rail plan.
The £96bn plan has been widely criticised across the North as the Eastern leg of HS2 to Leeds was dropped and high speed lines connecting the region's major cities were scaled back, saving the Treasury £18bn.
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Tory MP Chris Loder said the amount being offered was still "phenomenal" and told Mr Burnham that there were "other parts of the country that are lucky to get thousands".
Fellow Tory MP Karl McCartney asked: "Do you understand the meaning of the phrase do not bite the hand that feeds you?
"Do you think that your strategy might be slightly schizophrenic? In private saying please, sir, can I have some more like Oliver, and then coming out in public and trying to beat the government up like The Incredible Hulk, do you think that's delivering for you in the people of Manchester?"
Mr Burnham fired back: "You are asserting that we should just be grateful for what we are given.
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"But how about get what we were promised, because it's actually your government that promised us all of that."
The Mayor went on to say that the rail plan was a "once in a 200 year decision" and warned if the North gets second best now, "then the North of England will have second best or for 200 years or more."
He added: "If we accept second best again, it's our great grandchildren and great, great grandchildren that have to continue to grow up in a North of England that has inferior transport connectivity, and a smaller economy than what it could otherwise have been."
When a Tory MP remarked that "we won't be talking about railways in 200 years time" and mockingly suggested life would be akin to futuristic cartoon The Jetsons, in which people fly around cities, Mr Burnham coolly responded: "We're still using railways that were built 150 years ago."
Making the case for more investment in Northern rail, Mr Burnham said: "Why is the North always forced to trade off? You can have a North/South line or an East/West line, but not both or you can have reliable services but not frequent services.
"London and the Southeast has never had to choose between those things.
"If levelling up is to mean something when it comes to transport, it should mean that the North of England doesn't have to trade off those things, it should get both.
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