Would You like a feature Interview?
All Interviews are 100% FREE of Charge
After announcing the postponement of HS2 construction from Birmingham to Crewe, ministers have been accused of “ridiculing” the government’s own upgrade plans.
The Conservative chief of staff has branded the decision to postpone construction of the high-speed link to Crewe for two years a “huge disappointment” and warned it would send a “bad signal” to Britain’s commitment to growth.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper has backed off the government’s intention to postpone rail construction in the north, suggesting that service to Euston in central London would be delayed to cut costs. Announced.
This means the long-awaited high-speed rail link may not run until the late 2030s to Crew and closer to the 2040s to Manchester, a major blow to the government’s commitment to upgrading.
Cost-cutting measures have also been extended to major road projects, including the long-awaited Lower Thames crossing, which has been postponed for another two years.
Harper said the decision was a result of “Putin’s war in Ukraine,” which “has accelerated inflation and skyrocketed supply chain costs.”
In a written ministerial statement, he added: After accounting for construction delays. “
The decision was criticized by Labor Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward. I: “It’s very disappointing. I think it’s yet another betrayal of the Midlands and the North. It ridicules the government’s promise to level the UK economy and calls into question the government’s commitment to boosting economic growth.” I think.”
The move has also been questioned by senior Conservative Party officials, with one former minister saying: I: “Obviously cost is a big concern. If they can do something to keep costs down, that would be great. I think it’s going to be a really bad signal for the effort, and it’s going to have huge ramifications through the whole skills problem.”
Torrey West Midlands Mayor Andy Street described the move to postpone construction beyond Birmingham as a “huge disappointment”, but said he understood the “logic” of the decision.
He added: “
see more news
The move has also been heavily criticized by business leaders in the north, who said the region was “paying a huge price” for the government’s handling of rail plans that had already scrapped the eastern leg to Leeds. .
Henri Murison, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Powerhouse Partnerships, said:
Former HS2 Minister Sir Robert Goodwill said: I He was concerned about the ramifications of the delays to the Crew and Manchester links on the wider Northern Powerhouse Rail Scheme.
“This is not good news for people like me who need infrastructure,” he said. However, he added: “But if you borrow so much money that you can’t afford to pay it back, interest rates will rise and you’ll actually end up in a worse situation.”
Shadow Secretary of Transportation Louise Hay said: This is Europe’s largest project and delays will add up to costs in the long run – ministers now need to clarify exactly how much their indecision will hurt taxpayers and North Korea. there is.