The North is getting a raw deal when it comes to spending on transport according to a report out this morning.
Think tank IPPR North says that planned transport investment in London is two-and-a-half times higher per person than in the north of England.
Per person that means that a Londoner will receive £4155 per person compared to just £1,600 in the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber regions combined.
The calculations are based on analysis of data from the Treasury and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
The report says that there “should be significant concern” among road and rail users over the disparity and England will continue to be “dangerously unbalanced” without further spending outside the capital.
IPPR North senior research fellow Luke Raikes said: “Despite the Transport Secretary’s recent statements, London is still set to receive almost three times more transport investment per person than the North. This is indefensible.”
He added that statutory body Transport for the North needs to be given similar powers to Transport for London so it can encourage business investment and borrow for its own infrastructure, instead of “going cap in hand to central government”.
Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the North of England, said:
“This is conclusive proof that the government’s commitment to the North falls short of actually doing anything.
“With cancellation of electrification schemes in the North, downgrading rolling stock on our railway lines and dragging its feet on HS3, its clear that the North is set to be ever more overlooked by this government.”
How about if we de-privatise the whole country’s network and actually put the profit made back into its infrastructure rather than allowing some French company to just increase prices and reap the millions of profit. This country is so backwards in its thinking and no wonder it finds inself in the position it is in.