The authorities has been mocked by the Opposition after celebrating a brand new “Network North” transport challenge – that may revamp roads within the south of the nation.
The Department for Transport posted a graphic on X this morning, celebrating how Rishi Sunak’s resolution to cancel the second section of HS2 would permit more cash to be spent on different infrastructure initiatives below the “Network North” banner.
But the instance it gave was the usage of £235m on enhancing roads in London.
The minister for the capital, Greg Hands, and Kensington MP Felicity Buchan, additionally appeared to overlook the contradiction, posting to rejoice the “good news” for the capital.
However, others had been fast to level it out to them – together with Countdown star and broadcaster Carol Vorderman, who instructed “someone send them a map”.
Labour’s shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, advised Sky News: “While passengers are facing Christmas chaos on overcrowded, delayed and cancelled trains, it is an extra kick in the teeth that this government is crowing about cancelling the biggest rail infrastructure investment in the North in a generation.
“When Rishi Sunak went to Manchester to cancel the northern leg of HS2 he claimed he would ‘be part of up our nice cities and cities within the North and the Midlands’. Now he’s promising to restore roads in London as a part of a ‘Network North’, displaying simply how ludicrously out of contact he’s.”
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Other politicians vented their frustrations, with Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, posting: “‘Network North’ seems to include everywhere – except the North.”
Shadow minister and Greater Manchester MP Andrew Gwynne wrote: “Whilst I have no doubt London’s roads (like everywhere else’s) need investment after 13 years of Tory cuts, let’s remember this was Crewe-Manchester’s rail funding.
“To badge this as a ‘Network North’ challenge is extracting the urine in a giant manner. Cheers Rishi!”
Labour’s Bolton South East MP, Yasmin Qureshi, posted that she “needed to examine it wasn’t a parody”, while the SNP’s David Linden posted sarcastically: “FINALLY! Some funding for London. Normally so ignored.”
And in a similar vein, former Liberal Democrat leader and Cumbrian MP Tim Farron said: “Great to see the agricultural northern village of London lastly getting the levelling up funding it deserves.”
At the Conservative Party convention in October, Mr Sunak mentioned scrapping HS2 between Birmingham and Manchester would unencumber £36bn, and “every single penny” can be spent on “hundreds of new transport projects in the North and the Midlands, and across the country”.
But he mentioned the federal government’s new “focus” can be on “Network North”, which might “join up our great towns and cities in the North and the Midlands”.
A supply near Transport Secretary Mark Harper mentioned: “Every penny of the £19.8bn committed to HS2 Phase 2 in the North will be reinvested in transport across the North.
“Every penny of the £9.6bn dedicated to the Midlands leg will likely be reinvested in transport initiatives throughout the Midlands.
“And the £6.5bn saved from our new approach to delivering Euston will be reinvested in transport projects across every other region of the country.”
They added: “£8.3bn is being spent on resurfacing roads across England, and today we’re announcing the £235m share London is getting.
“This is all a part of the general Network North plan – higher journeys for everybody throughout the nation, with the lion’s share of funding within the North and Midlands – and this £235m is a part of the £6.5bn saved from delivering Euston otherwise.”
The Department for Transport has been contacted for remark.
Source: information.sky.com”