Push for better net in North

ESTHER McVey has put down a parliamentary motion calling for better internet access and speeds in the North.

The senior Tory has got more than 30 Conservative and Labour MPs to back her “digital catch- up scheme”.

It comes as analysis by the Good Things Foundation charity shows 3.6 million people in the Midlands, the North- east, North- west, Yorkshire and the Humber are offline.

A further 7.8 million use the internet in a limited way only.

Meanwhile, just 18 per cent of residents in the North- east use the internet to its full potential compared with 49 per cent in the South- east.

Ms McVey said: “The lockdown has exposed the true extent of our nation’s vulnerability.

“I urge the Government to hear us... so that we can get people the kit, tools and training they need to survive in these tough times.”