The leader of Kent County Council claims all the towns around the Thames show more promise than all the cities in the North which have received more than £16 billion in government investment.

Cllr Paul Carter clamied the "opportunity in the Thames Gateway is much greater than the combined opportunity that is in the Northern Powerhouse".

He chairs The Thames Gateway strategic group, a team of elected representatives and businessmen who are looking to reinvigorate the economy in Kent, Essex and London.

They hope this investment will create jobs and regenerate the largest area of brownfield land in the South of England.

One proposal is the UK's most ambitious highways project since the M25 was built 30 years ago.

The so-called Lower Thames Crossing would create a £6.8bn tunnel linking Kent and Essex from Gravesend to Thurrock.

Yet Cllr Paul Carter told the full council last week how the South East is "a very important geography" for the global economy.

It comes as the government is investing billions of pounds in the north of the country to increase productivity in core cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Hull.

In a plea for more investment from government, Cllr Carter said: "I chaired the last Thames Gateway strategic group, where there was unanimous agreement that we really must set out our case for significant investment from government to encourage significant inward investment from a global economy into this very important geography.

"The collective view is; the opportunity in the Thames Gateway is much greater than the combined opportunity that is in the Northern Powerhouse.

"The Thames Gateway could do more to support the economy of this country compared to the combined effect of the totality of the cities in the northern powerhouse."

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been contacted for a comment.