Leaders from across the North gathered in Leeds yesterday for a summit to demand a ‘fair deal’ on transport from the Government after the transport secretary cast doubt over promised improvements to Northern railways.
Transport secretary Chris Grayling last month dropped electrification plans in the Midlands and North while at the same time giving support to London’s £26bn Crossrail 2 scheme (HS2).
More than 80,000 people have since signed a petition organised by the progressive think tank IPPR calling on Mr Grayling to back the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme, including a new state-of-the-art 30-minute rail link for the North (HS3).
The petition also urged the Department of Transport to commit to £59bn ‘catch-up cash’ to make up for the historical disparities in funding the North has suffered in comparison to London.
It also called for Transport for the North to have the same powers as Transport for London so that it could raise private finance towards its own transport priorities.
Commenting on the summit, the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, insisted the event showed ‘the patience of people in the North of England has run out.’
‘We are getting organised and demanding the Government keeps all of its promises to people here and delivers a fair funding deal for the North of England,’ Mr Burnham said.
‘We are not against our capital city developing world class infrastructure but it cannot be at the expense of the North. People here have put up with clapped out trains and congested roads for long enough.’
The summit was attended by Liverpool city region mayor Steve Rotheram, and the leaders of Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Manchester councils. There was also a range of business groups including Downtown in Business and the Northern Business Improvement Districts.
‘We are already in a situation where for every £1 spent on infrastructure projects in the North, £6 is spent in London and the South East. This is clearly not equitable, and neither does it make economic sense,’ said Mr Rotheram.
‘Only by redressing this enormous imbalance in investment can we ever hope to create a balanced, resilient and successful economy. We need to see that projects like Northern Powerhouse Rail are not simply for or about the North. They are vital national investments that will benefit the whole of the UK.’
Responding to the summit, transport minister Paul Maynard said: ‘I keep hearing demands for investment in the North but I should point out they come from some of the very same people who we have asked to help develop plans.
‘We all want to improve rail in the North and we are all getting on with the work that needs to be done. We have provided funding for the North to develop detailed proposals for transport upgrades that we can invest in.’
Another department of transport spokesman insisted the Government was committed to Northern Powerhouse Rail and had given Transport for the North £60m to develop plans.