Paul Edgeworth, Liberal Democrat councilor for Sunderland City Council, said the chancellor was taking credit for the funding that had already been announced.

“This appears to be nothing more than Rachel Reeves trying to pull the wool over local people’s eyes and claim credit for funding that had already been agreed,” he said.

“Once you scratch the surface of this budget, you see that this Government is delivering nothing new for jobs and regeneration in Sunderland.”

However, Sunderland MP Lewis Atkinson took to social media to argue that the confirmation was important because it meant the funding had been properly budgeted for by the chancellor.