Andy Burnham: scrapping HS2 would be disaster for north of England

Andy Burnham: cancelling the high-speed rail project to Manchester would create ‘a north-south chasm’. Photograph: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

The mayor of Greater Manchester has urged ministers to talk to leaders in the north of England before scrapping HS2 and leaving it with “Victorian infrastructure” for the rest of the century.

Andy Burnham said he and the leader of Manchester city council, Bev Craig, would be writing to Rishi Sunak to say that while a rephasing of the rail project may be possible, cancelling the section to Manchester would create “a north-south chasm”.