A CAMPAIGN for the north of England to join Scotland has attracted nearly 50,000 signatures.

The petition first drawn up during the Scottish independence referendum gained a new lease of life since the General Election with 5000 signing up within four days of the Conservatives winning a House of Commons majority in the election.

George Osborne, the chancellor of the exchequer was the only constituency MP from the north of England who has a seat in the new cabinet.

Since the initial rush, the campaign has continued to get support has now got over 46,600 signatures.

The lead singer of cult rock band The Wildhearts ,Ginger Wildheart from Newcastle was one of the backers of a petition.

The campaign's stated aim was to ask Westminster to make the move saying that northern English "feel far greater affinity with their Scottish counterparts such as Glasgow and Edinburgh than with the ideologies of the London-centric south".

The petition first drawn up during the Scottish independence referendum has gained over 40,000 backers since the election.

The petition suggests that the boundaries of Britain be realigned so that the border runs between the River Dee and the mouth of The Humber.

It would mean that cities such as Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester would be part of Scotland.

The campaigners who launched the move online with the slogan #TakeUsWithYouScotland says: "The deliberations in Westminster are becoming increasingly irrelevant to the north of England.

"The needs and challenges of the north cannot be understood by the endless parade of old Etonians lining the front benches of the House of Commons. The north of England should join the newly independent Scotland and regain control over its own destiny."

The campaign has attracted a series of comments.

Brian King of Gateshead said: "As one of the poorer people I believe Scotland would give me a better standard of LIVING."

Damian Matthewson of Sheffield added: "The south treats the north unfairly."

Another signatory John Ohara of Durham said: " I cannot any longer support English government with its lies. And it's self seeking greed. So FECK off Westminster. I'm north east born and bred."

And Lee Burke of Littleborough, Greater Manchester added: "I believe that the politicians in London have ignored the needs of the people of the north of England for far too long and this is a good chance to sort out this problem once and for all."