Boris Johnson, facing increasing fury today from Tory backbenches ahead of an expected decision by the Tory to cancel the eastern leg HS2 (HS2 East) between Leeds and the Midlands, is currently in turmoil.
Ministers insist that Prime Minister’s iconic levelling-up plan was “infused” in the work, as Conservatives from former Labour Red Wall regions voiced dismay at the removal of the multibillion pound scheme.
Anger is also expressed by those who believe that plans to improve east-west rail connections in the region (known as Northern Powerhouse Rail) will involve upgrades to existing infrastructure, rather than building a new route between Manchester and Leeds.
Mr Johnson last night refused to comment on the Government’s rail plans ahead of a decision to be announced on Thursday by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
A month ago at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Johnson, his leader, used the speech of Johnson to promise that the Government would ‘do Northern Powerhouse Rail’ and will connect the Midlands with the North.
Scarborough MP and former Tory transport minister Robert Goodwill told the i newspaper: ‘It is disappointing that we’re not going to go the full monty in terms of HS2 and east-west, Northern Powerhouse Rail.’
Ministers insist that Prime Minister’s iconic levelling-up plan was “infused” in the work, as Conservatives from former Labour Red Wall regions voiced dismay at the removal of the multibillion pound scheme.
Expect the Government to scrap plans for the eastern branch HS2 that would connect Birmingham and Leeds. It is likely that the link between Birmingham and Manchester will go ahead
Robert Goodwill, Scarborough’s former Tory transport minister and Scarborough MP said to the i newspaper that it was disappointing that they didn’t go full Monty on HS2 or east-northern Powerhouse Rail.
Sky News interviewed Damian Hinds from the Home Office, who said this morning that he was firmly committed to levelling things up.
Damian Hinds from the Home Office said that he cannot comment before Thursday’s anticipated release of the Integrated Rail Plan. But he did tell Sky News that he is absolutely determined to level up. He also stated: ‘We are absolutely committed to levelling down, I think that runs through… is infused every Government does, transport is also part of that and so on and so forth.
“On specific railway details, we will have to wait until the integrated rail review.”
Department for Transport claims that the HS2 trains will continue to run from Leeds, but they will be on the mainline and not on HS2 tracks. It will help save many billions of Pounds.
It will insist that its plan to invest £96 billion on the existing network will deliver benefits faster and more cost-effectively.
But Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake, who represents Thirsk and Malton in North Yorkshire, told the i the trimmed back plans indicated the Government was ‘not willing to put our money where our mouth is’.
Henri Murison was the Northern Powerhouse Partnership’s director. He said to Times Radio, “By cutting off the eastern leg, it reduces overall benefits of this project.
“So, the problem for Government is that they have to justify the exact same bill.
“You will still need to spend money on improvements in the north of England. There is no model that improves the economy here without new infrastructure.
“But even if you start to chip away at new lines, it’s still necessary that you spend money on upgrading.”