Prime Minister David Cameron has been overheard saying people from Yorkshire hate each other.
His off-camera comments were picked up by a microphone as he prepared for a speech on the economy in Leeds.
He said: "We just thought people in Yorkshire hated everyone else, we didn't realise they hated each other so much."
The unguarded remarks drew criticism from users on Twitter, but the Labour leader of Wakefield Council Cllr Peter Box said the comment was a "joke".
Cllr Box, who is involved in the devolution bid from the Leeds City Region, added: "I'm a Yorkshireman, I'm proud of being from Yorkshire, I think we're the best county in the world, but I'm not going to criticise David Cameron over what was meant to be a joke."
In the short clip, the Prime Minister is also heard apparently making a joke about his trousers falling down.
Additional reporting by PA
