Boris Johnson says it's 'total rubbish' that he let down the north of England
Boris Johnson has been accused of a “betrayal” of the North and Midlands as the Government set out its scaled-back plans for rail investment in the region. There was anger in the Commons as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed that the eastern leg of HS2 was being scrapped while the planned Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) was being curtailed. The Prime Minister insisted the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) would double capacity between Manchester and Leeds and treble that between Manchester and Liverpool. At the same time he said people could not have “everything at once”, while going ahead with the HS2 extension would mean “smashing through unspoilt countryside and villages”. However, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Johnson had “ripped up” promises he made that HS2 would go all the way to Leeds and that there would be a new NPR line from Manchester to Leeds. Continue reading: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/boris-johnson-government-keir-starmer-hs2-grant-shapps-b967005.html Subscribe to the Evening Standard on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7RQon_YwCnp_LbPtEwW65w?sub_confirmation=1
