Liverpool city council leader Warren Bradley, the Conservatives and Labour have all slammed a study by a right-wing thinktank that said some northern cities are "beyond revival".

The report from Policy Exchange said Liverpool had suffered over the decades from a decline in shipping. It also said many northern towns had little chance of offering residents a better quality of life.

Manchester escaped criticism but the report said it was unrealistic to expect the north's most prosperous city to regenerate less well-off neighbours such as Bradford.

Reacting angrily to the study's findings, Mr Bradley, leader of Liverpool city council, said: "The past decade has seen unprecedented growth in Liverpool's economy, which has surpassed many southern towns and cities."

Policy Exchange is closely associated with the Conservatives, but Chris Grayling, shadow minister for Liverpool, said the Tories "wholeheartedly support" the regeneration of northern cities.

The communities and local government department said it "totally disagreed" with the report's conclusions.

Policy Exchange's report is an embarrassment for Conservative leader David Cameron who has been wooing northern voters.