Lack of Fair Treatment: Andy Burnham Accuses Ministers of Neglecting the North

2023-09-24 09:40:15

Andy Burnham Accuses Ministers Of Treating North Like Second Class Citizens

The Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, has strongly criticized government ministers, claiming that they treat people in the north of England as "second class citizens." This comes amidst growing speculation that the next phase of HS2, the high-speed rail project, may be abandoned.

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Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, is currently considering whether to scrap the planned rail leg between Birmingham and Manchester. Former transport secretary Grant Shapps has repeatedly declined to confirm that the entire high-speed line will be completed.

Burnham expressed his anger during an interview on Sky News, stating, "Why is it that people in the north are always forced to choose - you can have this or you can have that, but you can't have everything? London never has to make such choices." He questioned why the north of England is consistently treated as second-rate when it comes to transportation infrastructure.

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The Manchester mayor further criticized the government's commitment to leveling up the country, saying, "If the north of England is left with outdated Victorian infrastructure while the south is connected by modern high-speed lines, it will only widen the north-south divide."

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Concerns Over HS2 Leg and Cost

Burnham warned that scrapping the HS2 leg would be seen as a desperate move by a failing government. The project has already cost taxpayers around £20 billion, despite an initial estimated budget of £33 billion. However, repeated delays and rising costs have led to fears that the final bill could exceed £100 billion.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has voiced concerns about the escalating costs, suggesting that plans to extend the rail line to Manchester may be abandoned. In contrast, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has emphasized the importance of completing the project to avoid having a "mutilated" rail line.

Andy Street, the Conservative mayor of the West Midlands, has joined the call for the project's completion, highlighting the detrimental impact of its cancellation on the economy. Business leaders have also expressed strong opposition to abandoning HS2, underscoring the potential disastrous consequences for the country's economic growth.

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