Northern Powerhouse Minister James Wharton in newspaper row

Mr Wharton is the minister responsible for the government's Northern Powerhouse project

Northern Powerhouse Minister James Wharton has been accused of "bordering on raging paranoia" by the editor of a north-east of England newspaper.

The Conservative MP for Stockton South, has vowed not to speak to the Northern Echo after he accused the paper of being unbalanced and pro-Labour.

The paper recently criticised his absence from an emergency Commons debate on the steel industry crisis.

Editor Peter Barron said Mr Wharton was "unable to cope with criticism".

Mr Wharton, who was tasked by prime minister David Cameron to boost the economy of the North, accused the Darlington-based paper of having a left-wing slant, adding he was "not going to feed it with quotes" and urged his constituents to boycott it.

Mr Wharton said: "It's not a new thing that I don't have a good relationship with the Northern Echo, I've had a challenging time with them for about five years."

The paper recently criticised his decision not to attend an emergency House of Commons debate on the steel crisis on Teesside, and on Monday an editorial accused him of "blacklisting" the paper.

'Great shame'

Mr Wharton said: "In the run-up to the election there was a series of articles that were attacks on me.

"I don't mind scrutiny; the Gazette, BBC Tees and the local TV stations all do that.

"The Northern Echo doesn't represent things fairly, it's not a paper I'm going to feed with quotes."

Mr Barron said: "He [Mr Wharton] was brought in to bring the region together and he's doing the exact opposite of that.

"He can't cope with criticism. It's part and parcel of politics and it's important, and the Northern Echo reflects that.

"It's a great, great shame."

The Northern Echo covers the north east of England and North Yorkshire and has a daily circulation of about 29,000.