YORK comes mid-table in a new league of local authorities which compares their success in tackling social mobility problems.

A study by the Social Mobility Commission ranked all 324 English local authorities’ performance on social mobility.

It showed that of the 65 worst performing areas, all but five voted to Leave the European Union, while the majority of the 65 best performing “hotspots” voted to remain.

Ranked across a range of 16 social mobility indicators for “every major life stage", York came 163rd in the league, while Selby was 196th, Ryedale 240th, Hambleton 99th and East Riding of Yorkshire is 106th.

Social mobility tsar Alan Milburn said economic, social and local divisions laid bare by the Brexit vote must be tackled or there would be a rise in far right or hard left extremism, adding: “The analysis in this report substantiates the sense of political alienation and social resentment so many parts of Britain feel.”