The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced the cancelling of the HS2 project to Manchester
“I am cancelling the rest of the HS2 project. And in its place we will reinvest every single penny…£36 billion pounds
…in hundreds of new transport projects in the North and the Midlands, and across the country. This means £36 billion of investment in the projects that will make a real difference across our country.” the Prime Minister told the conference
HS2 is the “ultimate example of the old consensus”. The facts have changed, he said
He promised that a new Network North would mean you can travel from Manchester to Bradford in 30 minutes and faster journeys to London with HS2 running to Euston while “£6.5bn taken from the Euston site and given to the rest of the country”
“The management of HS2 will no longer be responsible for the Euston site.
There must be some accountability for the mistakes made, for the mismanagement of this project.” he said adding:
“We will instead create a new Euston development zone building thousands of new homes for the next generation of homeowners, new business opportunities and a station that delivers the capacity we need…and in doing so, for the first time in the life cycle of this project – we will have cut costs.”
Last night Business leaders from Greater Manchester and the surrounding area have written to the Prime Minister urging him not to cancel HS2.
Leaders from than 30 companies and business organisations have called on government to commit to building HS2 in full, describing the project as “fundamental to the economic future of the whole of the country”.
Large and small businesses including Manchester United and Manchester Airports Group from a diverse range of sectors, have signed up to the letter.
Speaking to BBC Two’s Newsnight Andy Burnham warned that scaling back HS2 meant anyone of his age – 53 – and older “will never see that new line in their lifetimes”.
He also accused the government of “deciding that the north of England will have a smaller economy for the rest of this century” – and Mr Sunak of having “contempt” for Manchester.
“The prime minister found time for lots of things today but not to speak to the leader of Manchester City Council and not to speak to me,”
